Nobel laureate South African writer Nadine Gordimer died on Monday in Johannesburg after a short illness. She was 90.

Nadine Gordimer was considered to be one of the most powerful voices in the literary world against apartheid. She wrote over 30 books, including the novels The Lying Days, My Son’s Story, Burger’s Daughter, A Chip of Glass Ruby and July’s People.

Her controversial novel “A World of Strangers” was banned for 12 years and another novel, “The Late Bourgeois World” was also banned for years.

She won the Booker Prize in 1974 for “The Conservationist”. The Nobel committee awarded her in 1991 with note “she does not permit this to encroach on her writings.”

In its tribute to Gordimer, the Nelson Mandela Foundation said it was “deeply saddened at the loss of South Africa’s grande dame of literature”.

“We have lost a great writer, a patriot and strong voice for equality and democracy in the world,” it added.

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