Wilbur Smith, the prolific South African novelist known for his historical adventure novels, died Saturday, the Associated Press reports. He was 88.
Smith was born in Zambia and educated in South Africa, and he worked for years as an accountant before making his literary debut in 1964 with the novel When the Lion Feeds, about twin brothers who fight in the Anglo-Zulu War. The book was the first in what would become a 17-book series featuring the Courtney family.
Dozens of novels followed, including Shout at the Devil, which formed the basis of a movie starring Lee Marvin and Roger Moore; Birds of Prey; The Triumph of the Sun; and War Cry. His most recent novel, The New Kingdom, was published in September. He published a memoir, On Leopard Rock, in 2018.
In an obituary published on Smith’s official website, literary agent Kevin Conroy Scott said, “Wilbur Smith was an icon, larger than life, beloved by his fans who collected his books in hardbacks and passed his work down through generations, fathers to sons and mothers to daughters. His knowledge of Africa, and his imagination knew no limitations.”
“He was the master of the adventure genre, and through the Wilbur [and] Niso Smith Foundation [he] has enabled many writers to pursue their dreams, myself included,” tweeted writer Victoria Hopkins. “His legacy will forever live on.”
Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
