London: Leading British post-war playwright Harold Pinter has died, aged 78, his wife said Thursday.
The Nobel laureate had been ill with cancer.
His wife, the historian Antonia Fraser, said Pinter had died on Christmas Eve.
The London-born author, director, actor, poet and political activist had become widely known for the sarcasm and moral vigour that inspired his work over more than 50 years.
His best-known works include The Birthday Party and Betrayal, plays that became known as "Pinteresque" dramas.
Pinter was well-known for his left-wing political views and was a vociferous critic of US and British foreign policy, voicing opposition on a number of issues including the bombing of Afghanistan in 2001.
He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005, but was too ill to collect the award in person.
Lady Antonia Fraser, his second wife, said it had been a "privilege" to live with Pinter for 33 years.
