Author Bradbury dies aged 68

LONDON, England -- Author and literary critic Sir Malcolm Bradbury has died aged 68 after a long illness, according to his son.

Bradbury, whose works included "Eating People Is Wrong" and "The History Man," died on Monday after a long battle with heart problems.

Bradbury was renowned as the founder of the University of East Anglia's creative writing school, which has produced a crop of successful novelists including Kazuo Ishiguro and Ian McEwan, both winners of Britain's prestigious Booker prize.

Britain's Times newspaper on Tuesday described the creative writing course he founded at the university in the south-eastern city of Norwich in 1970 as "a nursery for many of the great names of contemporary British writing."

Bradbury was Professor of American Studies at the university and also worked prolifically as as a television scriptwriter and literary critic.

Bradbury is also famous for novels such as "Stepping Westwards", "Doctor Criminale", "Jacques The Fatalist" and "Rates Of Exchange".

His sixth and final novel "To The Hermitage" was published seven months ago.

He had suffered from a heart complaint since childhood and had been ill for some time.

Bradbury was a "marvellous teacher with an exceptional track record," novelist Anita Brookner told the Times.

"It is extremely desolating news that he should have died when he was only 68 and always seemed so much younger," said Britain's Poet Laureate Andrew Motion.

"He was a man of immense charm, affability and kindness with no side to him."

Bradbury's television output included adaptations of the works of Tom Sharpe, Alison Laurie and Kingsley Amis.

He leaves a wife, Elizabeth, and two adult sons.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Photo of Malcolm Bradbury
Quotations from Malcolm Bradbury

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