Best-selling Australian author Bryce Courtenay (79), who wrote about the struggles of life in Australia and South Africa, died at his home in Canberra, just two weeks after his latest novel was published.
His death came less than three months after he told fans he had stomach cancer. Known for his dedication to work and prolific output, often writing for 12 hours a day, Courtenay sold more than 20 million books. He turned to writing in the late 1980s after a 30-year career in advertising.
His first novel, The Power of One, the story of a child growing up under apartheid in South Africa, sold more than eight million copies and was later turned into a film. – (Reuters)