British novelist David Lodge dies aged 89

London: British novelist David Lodge, who was shortlisted for the Booker Prize twice, has died at the age of 89, his publisher said on Friday. The...

London: British novelist David Lodge, who was shortlisted for the Booker Prize twice, has died at the age of 89, his publisher said on Friday.

The English author was best known for "Small World" and "Nice Work", which were nominated for the prestigious literary award in the 1980s.

He died "peacefully" on New Year's Day, Penguin Random House said, without giving a cause of death.

"His contribution to literary culture was immense, both in his criticism and through his masterful and iconic novels which have already become classics," Lodge's publisher, Liz Foley, said.

Lodge's family said they were "very proud" of the writer, who was renowned for his plays, memoirs and TV scripts, as well as his books.