Canadian author Alice Munro, a 2013 Nobel Prize winner for literature, has died at the age of 92.
Munro wrote short stories for more than 60 years, often focusing on life in rural Canada.
She died at her home in Port Hope, Ontario on Monday night, her family and her publisher have confirmed.
Munro was often compared to Russian writer Anton Chekhov for the insight and compassion found in her stories.
"Alice Munro is a national treasure - a writer of enormous depth, empathy, and humanity whose work is read, admired, and cherished by readers throughout Canada and around the world," Kristin Cochrane, the CEO of Penguin Random House Canada, said in a stateme
In 1968, Canadian writer Alice Munro achieved her first significant breakthrough with her short story collection, "Dance of The Happy Shades," which depicted life in the suburbs of western Ontario and earned her Canada's highest literary accolade, the Governor General's Award. This marked the beginning of a remarkable career, during which Munro would go on to win three Governor General's Awards.
Throughout her lifetime, Munro published thirteen collections of stories, along with one novel titled "Lives of Girls and Women" and two volumes of Selected Stories. In 1977, the New Yorker magazine published one of her stories, "Royal Beatings," which drew from Munro's own experiences of childhood punishments inflicted by her father. This publication initiated a long-standing relationship between Munro and the esteemed magazine.
Born in 1931 in Wingham, Ontario, Munro was the daughter of a fox farmer and a schoolteacher. Many of her stories are set in this region, offering insights into the people, culture, and way of life of the area. Despite her humble beginnings, Munro excelled academically, becoming class valedictorian at her high school and earning a scholarship to the University of Western Ontario. During her university years, Munro balanced her academic pursuits with her passion for writing, dedicating half of her time to each endeavor.
Munro's literary career gained momentum in the 1950s and 1960s, with her stories being broadcast on the CBC and published in various Canadian periodicals. Some of her narratives explored the societal shifts before and after the 1960s social revolution, offering nuanced reflections on changing cultural norms.
Several of Munro's stories have been adapted for the screen, including "The Bear Came Over the Mountain," which was made into the 2006 film "Away from Her," starring Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent. In recognition of her lifelong contributions to literature, Munro received the Man Booker International Prize for lifetime achievement in 2009.
Munro's literary prowess was further affirmed when she was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2013, joining the ranks of esteemed authors such as Rudyard Kipling, Toni Morrison, and Ernest Hemingway. The Nobel committee hailed Munro as a "master of contemporary short story," praising her profound insight and narrative precision.
Reflecting on her writing, Munro remarked that she had been crafting personal stories throughout her life, aiming to engage readers with the complexities of human lives. Her final collection of stories, "Dear Life," published in 2012, featured partly-autobiographical narratives, offering readers a glimpse into Munro's own experiences and reflections.
As she approached the later stages of her life, Munro expressed a sense of closure with her literary career, acknowledging that "Dear Life" held a special significance as her likely final work. Despite her decision to step away from writing, Munro's legacy continues to resonate, leaving an indelible mark on the literary landscape.
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