August Wilson dies of cancer aged 60.

August Wilson died of liver cancer on Sunday 2 Oct 2005 at the age of 60

He died at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, surrounded by his family, said Dena Levitin, Wilson's personal assistant.

"We've lost a great writer, I think the greatest writer that our generation has seen and I've lost a dear, dear friend and collaborator," said Kenny Leon, who directed the Broadway production of "Gem of the Ocean" .

August Wilson wrote 10 acclaimed plays about black American life and identity - one for each decade of the 20th Century.

Fences and The Piano Lesson both won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, while five of the 10 won New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards for best play.