"For 30 years, ASA has had the privilege of publishing Paul Auster's books. The writer never stopped dedicating himself entirely to his art, never stopped surprising, always drawing us intensely into his invented and inimitable worlds", said Carmen Serrano, editor of the North American novelist's work in Portugal.

Among Paul Auster's work, the editor Carmen Serrano said that books such as "The New York Trilogy", "4321" or "Baumgartner", challenged millions of readers and broke down language and cultural barriers worldwide.

The North American novelist Paul Auster died on Tuesday at the age of 77, at his home in New York, a victim of lung cancer.

"The news of his death shakes all those who worked more closely with Paul Auster, as well as all the readers, fans and admirers of his work", indicated the publisher LeYa/ASA.

According to the publisher of Paul Auster's work in Portugal, the voice of the North American novelist "is unique" and "his work will endure".

Speaking to the Lusa agency, Carmen Serrano expressed sadness at the death of Paul Auster and highlighted the privilege of knowing the man beyond the writer, indicating that the North American visited Portugal quite often and his books are best-sellers.

"Cultured, always interested and open to the world, a close friend of his wife Siri Hustved, Paul Auster was a kind man. His relationship with Portugal was strong and constant, he cherished us and was cherished in return, there are many good memories he leaves us", reinforced the publisher.

Prominent in contemporary literature, awarded with numerous literary prizes, Paul Auster is the author of a vast work translated into more than 40 languages.

In Portugal, he has 27 published books and "the writer's latest entry into fiction occurred in October 2023 when, at the height of his creative and stylistic mastery, he published 'Baumgartner', his final novel", said LeYa/ASA, adding that it is a brilliant work about the beauty and tragedy of everyday life, which tells the story of a widowed philosophy professor, struggling to survive the loss and absence of his wife.

Born into a Jewish family of Austrian descent, in 1947, in Newark (New Jersey), Paul Auster would later make Brooklyn his home and the setting of novels, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.

He was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature 2006, made Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters of France in 2007 and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

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