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Soldier, Writer, Spy: Author John le Carré Passes Away at Age 89

Prolific author David Cornwell, better known by his pen name John le Carré, passed away after a brief illness (not COVID-19 related) in Cornwall, UK, on the evening of December 12, 2020, at the age of 89.  He is survived by his wife Jane and his four sons.  As his agent and longtime friend, Jonny Geller of The Curtis Brown Group said in a statement, "John le Carre was an undisputed giant of English literature. He defined the Cold War era and fearlessly spoke truth to power in the decades that followed.  His work was read and loved all over the world for six decades."

John le Carre attends the 'The Night Manager' premiere during the 66th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Haus der Berlinale on February 18, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. Photo by Denis Makarenko / Shutterstock.com.
John le Carre attends the 'The Night Manager' premiere during the 66th Berlinale International Film Festival Berlin at Haus der Berlinale on February 18, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. Photo by Denis Makarenko / Shutterstock.com.

His family confirmed in a statement, "It is with great sadness that we must confirm that David Cornwell —John le Carré — passed away from pneumonia last Saturday night after a short battle with the illness. David is survived by his beloved wife of almost fifty years, Jane, and his sons Nicholas, Timothy, Stephen and Simon. We all grieve deeply his passing. Our thanks go to the wonderful NHS team at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro for the care and compassion that he was shown throughout his stay. We know they share our sadness."

Best known for his formative role in helping to define modern spy novels, John le Carré joined the Intelligence Corps of the British Army in 1950, stationed in Austria.  By 1952, he had returned to England to study at Lincoln College, Oxford, while working covertly for MI5, the British Security Service.  He became an MI5 officer in 1958.  In 1960, he transferred to MI6 (the British foreign intelligence service), and by the next year, he was writing his first novel, Call for the Dead.

Following the success of his third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, he left MI6 to become a full-time author, ultimately becoming a skilled and insightful storyteller with a gift for sharp dialog as well. "His work was read and loved all over the world for six decades," Jonny Geller noted. "His third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold in 1963 made him the most famous spy writer in the world. His greatest character — George Smiley — appeared in several novels including the Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy & Smileys People."  His work was also widely adapted for film and television.

In Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, he wrote, "An artist is a bloke who can hold two fundamentally opposing views and still function." John le Carré proved himself a master of putting together a constellation of views and ideas and crafting them into something powerful.


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Mark SeifertAbout Mark Seifert

Co-founder and Creative director of Bleeding Cool parent company Avatar Press. Bleeding Cool Managing Editor, tech and data wrangler. Machine Learning hobbyist. Vintage paper addict.
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