The world is mourning the death on July 13, 2014, of South Africa’s acclaimed author.

Nadine Gordimer, the Nobel Prize-winning South African author and anti-Apartheid activist, died on Sunday, July 13, 2014, her family announced the following day. Aged 90, Gordimer died peacefully in her sleep, the CNN reported, citing a statement from her family.

She was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991. Her literary works, including "A Guest of Honour" (1970), the Booker Prize-winning "The Conservationist" (1974) and "July's People" (1981), were cited by the Nobel committee as "giving profound insights into the historical process and helping to shape this process."

The Nelson Mandela Foundation, calling her "South Africa's grande dame of literature," responded to her death in a news release: "We have lost a great writer, a patriot and strong voice for equality and democracy in the world," said Professor Njabulo Ndebele, the foundation's chair. Former South African President, Nelson Mandela, who died in December 2013, was a friend of Gordimer and read her books while incarcerated under Apartheid rule.

In her novels, essays and other works, Gordimer was one of the leading voices against South Africa's Apartheid system, which segregated black and white people and led to decades of unrest. Three of her novels were banned by the Apartheid government. Gordimer was praised for her writing ability and stand on issues. She never shrank from speaking her mind.

In recent years, she criticised the "Secrecy Bill," which gave the government great leeway to decide what information should be protected, as well as to prosecute violators. The bill, though approved by Parliament in 2013, was not signed by President Jacob Zuma. The daughter of Jewish immigrants, Gordimer was born in South Africa in 1923. She was a thoughtful observer from a young age, noting the inequities of South African society while attending an all-girl, all-white Catholic school.