Revered novelist Russell Hoban has died at the age of 86.
The cult writer, best known for his sci-fi classic Riddley Walker, passed away this month (Dec11) but no further details were available as WENN went to press.
Hoban, who was born in Pennsylvania but moved to London, started his literary career writing children's books in the 1950s, and went on to pen texts across a range of genres including fantasy, fiction, sci-fi, and poetry.
He won the Whitbread Prize in 1974 for his children's book How Tom Beat Captain Najork and his Hired Sportsmen.
A spokeswoman for Hoban's publisher Bloomsbury tells the Bbc, "We are very saddened by the news that this much-loved and hugely treasured author has died."