Carlos Ruiz Zafón is dead - was 55 years old

The world famous Spanish author Carlos Ruiz Zafón is dead. He was 55 years old.

It informs his publishing house, Planeta, writes news agency AFP.

Carlos Ruiz Zafón, who is known especially his international bestseller 'The shadow', is one of the most widely read contemporary Spanish authors.

He died Friday in his home in Los Angeles after he, according to the Spanish media have suffered from cancer the past two years.

- today is Carlos Ruiz Zafón's death, one of the best contemporary novelists. We will remember you forever, Carlos, writes Planeta on Twitter.

Zafóns books is according to The Guardian translated into more than 40 different languages, and the author has won several awards for his works.

the world has Zafón sold more than 38 million copies of his books.

Alone 'Wind shadow' from 2001 has been sold in more than 10 million copies.

Zafóns English-language publishers, Weidenfeld & Nicolson (W&N), writing on Twitter that it is 'deeply concerned' over death.

- W&N is very proud to have released such a clever writer whose stories have given millions of readers pleasure, and will continue to inspire and delight future generations, writes the publishing house.

'Wind Shadow' is the first book in the series 'The Forgotten Books Cemetery'. The last book in the series, 'The Maze', was released in 2016 - two years before Zafón was affected by cancer.

In a press release citing the publishing house Planeta, an extract from the 'Wind Shadow', where the narrator is Daniel Sempere for the first time, the mysterious labyrinth of forgotten books, which is the focal point for the book.

- Every book, every volume has a soul. The soul of the person who has written it, and the soul of the people who have read it and lived and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time a person lets his eyes slip down over the sides, grow and be strengthened in its soul.