Last night the sad news reached us that author and poet Helen Dunmore has died of cancer, aged 64. Born in the Yorkshire town of Beverley in 1952, Dunmore wrote novels, poetry, books for children, short stories and translations and was much loved for her writing.
The author was the first winner of the Orange prize for women’s fiction back in 1996 for her novel A Spell of Winter (US – UK). Her latest novel Birdcage Walk (US – UK) was published in March, it was while writing that she was diagnosed with cancer and during her illness wrote movingly about illness earlier this year in the Guardian stating
“The ground beneath my feet has never been more uncertain, but what is sure is… there is no vagueness about my mortality. I may be ill but I’m also warm and sheltered, surrounded by family and friends.”
When the news broke last night many authors, publishers and other figures in the literary world took to Twitter to show their respects. Here are some of their thoughts.
We’re deeply saddened to hear of the death of the inimitable Helen Dunmore, our inaugural winner in 1996: https://t.co/j3tyZsxmVo pic.twitter.com/mfX7KLfisv
— Baileys Prize (@BaileysPrize) June 5, 2017
We are deeply saddened to learn that poet and author Helen Dunmore has died at the age of 64. pic.twitter.com/ob7jvNRHeT
— Waterstones (@Waterstones) June 5, 2017
Terribly, terribly sad to hear the world has lost Helen Dunmore. She was light and salt to so many of us. What a loss; what a legacy.
— Sarah Perry (@SarahGPerry) June 5, 2017
“The human longing for story is so powerful, so primitive, it seems like something not learned, but locked into our genes.”
― Helen Dunmore— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) June 5, 2017
What a loss: Helen Dunmore was a fine writer and a warm and generous human being.
— Philip Pullman (@PhilipPullman) June 5, 2017
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