Star author Fay Weldon is dead

In a statement released on Wednesday, January 4, her family wrote: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Fay Weldon (CBE), author, essayist and playwright.” Weldon died “peacefully” on Wednesday morning. The former Berlinale judge is known for capturing the ups and downs of British life in her work. Her sharp dialogue and wit quickly gained Weldon a large reading community.

Her best-known work, The Devil, was published in 1983 and is about a housewife named Ruth Patchett who seeks revenge after learning that her unfaithful husband is leaving her. The book was adapted by the BBC in 1986. A Hollywood version starring Meryl Streep (73) and Roseanne Barr (70) was released three years later.