British writer Martin Amis, the author of the book “The Zone of Interest,” has died at 73. News of his death comes just one day after the big-screen adaptation of his 2014 novel premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to rave reviews.
The New York Times reports that Amis died of esophageal cancer, as confirmed by his wife, the writer Isabel Fonseca. He died at the family’s home in Lake Worth, Florida.
Amis published 15 novels over the course of his career, a number of which were adapted for screen. “Under the Skin” director Jonathan Glazer’s treatment of Amis’ chilling Nazi drama “The Zone of Interest” is one of the buzziest premieres to come out of Cannes so far.
The film follows the family of a high-ranking SS officer that lives next door to Auschwitz concentration camp. In a review that labelled “The Zone of Interest” as “chilling and profound,” PvNew critic Owen Gleiberman said the film “holds human darkness up to the light and examines it as if under a microscope.”
The novel was Amis’ 14th book. He was also known for his “London trilogy” of novels, which include “Money: A Suicide Note” (1985), “London Fields” (1990) and “The Information” (1995). His murder mystery “Night Train” was adapted into the 2018 movie “Out of Blue” starring Patricia Clarkson as a detective investigating the murder of an astrophysicist.
Amis, who was the son of renowned “Lucky Jim” author Kingsley Amis, also published a popular memoir in 2000 titled “Experience,” which examined the turbulent relationship with his father.
Born in Oxford, Amis went on to study English at the university and worked as a journalist and editor at publications including The Times of London and The New Statesman. At the latter, he met his best friend, the writer Christopher Hutchins.
Aside from his literary pursuits, Amis is also known for various scandals. The writer accused “Wild Oats” author Jacob Epstein, the son of New York Review of Books founder Barbara Epstein, of plagiarizing many passages from Amis’ breakthrough novel “The Rachel Papers” in his own debut. Epstein later admitted that he had copied passages.
Amis is survived by Fonseca and his five children.
