Canadian writer and Nobel prize winner Alice Munro dies at 92

Alice Munro, a Canadian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 2013, has passed away at the ripe age of 92.

Munro penned brief tales for over six decades, frequently highlighting existence in agrarian Canada.

Her family and publisher have confirmed that she passed away on Monday evening at her residence in Port Hope, Ontario.

Frequently, Munro was likened to an author from Russia named Anton Chekhov as a result of the profound understanding and empathy present within her narratives.

According to a statement from Kristin Cochrane, CEO of Penguin Random House Canada, Alice Munro is a treasure to the nation. The author's writing possesses great levels of emotional and human understanding, and it is appreciated, respected, and dearly loved by readers both here in Canada and globally.

She reached a significant milestone in 1968 when her collection of short stories titled Dance of The Happy Shades, which depicted life in the suburbs of western Ontario, was awarded the highest literary prize in Canada - the Governor General's Award. Throughout her lifetime, she was honored with this award three times.

Thirteen sets of short stories and one complete novel titled Lives of Girls and Women, and two collections of selected stories have been published by Munro.

Back in 1977, Munro's tale, named Royal Beatings, which recounted her childhood experiences of being disciplined by her father, was printed by the New Yorker magazine. Ever since then, Munro has maintained a lengthy association with the publication.

Munro, who was the offspring of a fox farmer and a teacher, came into this world in 1931 in the town of Wingham, Ontario. Her tales frequently take place in that vicinity and describe the individuals, society, and customs of the region.

During her younger days, she was declared the top-performing student and awarded the prestigious title of class valedictorian at her high school. Moreover, she was granted a scholarship to pursue her education in the University of Western Ontario located in London. Munro's exceptional performance in the English subject outshined that of all other applicants who had applied to the university.

During her pursuit of higher education, Munro revealed that she dedicated roughly 50% of her time to academic studies while allocating the remaining 50% towards writing.

She has released over twelve compilations of brief tales. Throughout the 50s and 60s, her tales were aired on CBC and printed in many Canadian magazines.

In some of her narratives, she drew parallels between the pre- and post-social revolution era of the 1960s.

She stated that being born in 1931 made her a bit aged, but not excessively so. Yet, after a few years, females of her age group started donning miniskirts and frolicking about.

A famous tale called The Bear Came Over the Mountain was adapted for the big screen in 2006 in a movie called Away from Her, featuring actors Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent.

Munro was honored with the Man Booker Prize International Prize for their lifetime achievements back in 2009.

The judges mentioned in a declaration previously: "Whenever you go through Alice Munro's work, you're bound to discover something that you never even contemplated earlier."

According to them, Munro provides an equivalent amount of complexity, sagacity, and meticulousness to each tale, akin to what numerous authors achieve through a lifetime of composing novels.

In 2013, she was awarded the Nobel Prize. The list of past recipients includes well-known writers like Rudyard Kipling, Toni Morrison, and Ernest Hemingway.

Munro, as honored by the Nobel committee, was referred to as an expert in the field of modern short story writing.

According to an interview with the Guardian in 2013, Munro declared that she had been composing tales about her personal experiences for as long as she could remember.

She said to the Guardian back in 2013 that she perhaps crafts tales that captivate readers due to their intricacy and the characters that inhabit them. She desires for her stories to be enjoyable and evoke emotion in those who read them.

In 2012, the most recent group of tales she authored was Dear Life, which had stories that were based on her own experiences.

During an interview with the National Post, she expressed that Dear Life held a unique significance as it might be her final publication.

She expressed that she enjoyed writing, however, there comes a point where one starts to contemplate their life in a distinct manner.