London (AFP)

British spy novel master John Le Carré, who has sold more than 60 million books worldwide, has died of pneumonia at the age of 89.

"It is with great sadness that I must announce that David Cornwell, known to the world as John le Carré, died after a short illness (unrelated to Covid-19) in Cornwall on Saturday evening, December 12 2020. He was 89 years old. Our hearts go out to his four sons, their families and his dear wife, Jane, "said Jonny Geller, CEO of the Curtis Brown Group, in a statement posted on the agency's website. based in London.

"It is with great sadness that we must confirm that David Cornwell - John le Carré - died of pneumonia on Saturday evening after a short battle with the disease," his family confirmed in a message relayed by his agent.

John Le Carré has written twenty-five novels and one volume of memoirs, "The Pigeon Tunnel" (2016).

He has sold over sixty million books worldwide.

He was inspired by his career as a secret agent, ruined by British double agent Kim Philby who had revealed his cover and that of many of his compatriots in the KGB.

John Le Carré - David Cornwell, his real name - then had to resign from MI6.

"We have lost a great figure in English literature," said Mr Geller, praising his "great wit", "kindness", "humor" and "intelligence"

- "Brilliant and popular" -

John Le Carré had achieved international success after the publication of his third novel, "The Spy Who Came From the Cold" (1964), which he wrote at the age of 30, "eaten up by boredom" as his diplomat activities at the British Embassy in Bonn in Germany provided him.

The novel, which has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, tells the story of Alec Leamas, a British double agent, who moved to East Germany.

Its adaptation to the big screen, with Richard Burton in the title role, marks the beginning of a long collaboration with film and television.

Novelist Robert Harris has described Le Carré as "one of those authors who was not only a brilliant writer but also penetrated popular culture - and this is very rare".

"The spy who came out of the cold" is a "masterpiece," Harris told SkyNews television.

"It's an incredibly gripping and very deep story, and it transformed the writing of the spy novel. It was a brilliant psychological portrayal of espionage, betrayal and the decline of British power." he added.

In his latest novel, published in October 2019, Europhile John Le Carré painted an uncompromising portrait of Prime Minister Boris Johnson portrayed as an "ignorant pig" and called Brexit "madness".

© 2020 AFP