Legendary novelist Wilbur Smith passes away at 88

International best-selling author Wilbur Smith has died at his home in Cape Town at the age of 88, his publisher has announced, according to BBC. He passed away on Saturday afternoon with his wife, Niso, by his side, a statement published on the Wilbur Smith Books website said.

Smith's 49 published books have sold more than 140 million copies worldwide. He gained widespread recognition following the publication of his debut novel When the Lion Feeds in 1964.
 

The book, which told the story of a young man growing up on a South African cattle ranch in the shadow of the Zulu wars and the gold rush, quickly became a bestseller. It was a tale based partly on his own experience - Smith told the BBC in an interview in 2013 that at the age of 13 he shot dead a lion that had attacked cattle on his father's property.