David Lodge, a prominent British author and academic whose work redefined the comic novel, has died at the age of 89, The Guardian reported.
Lodge died peacefully with his family by his side, according to his publisher Vintage, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Best known for his Campus Trilogy, Lodge penned over two dozen novels and nonfiction works during his illustrious career. His trilogy, which takes place in the fictional Midlands University of Rummidge cemented his place in literary history.
The trilogy’s second and third installments, Small World and Nice Work, earned him Booker Prize nominations in 1984 and 1988.
Lodge’s debut novel, The Picturegoers, published in 1960, explored themes of Catholicism and community life. His faith remained a recurring motif throughout his works. The same year, Lodge began teaching English at the University of Birmingham, rising to the rank of professor in 1976. In 1987, he retired to focus on writing full-time.
Lodge’s contributions to literature earned him numerous accolades, including a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1997 and a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1998. He also became a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1976.