British author J.G. Ballard dies at 78

April 19, 2009 British author J.G. Ballard, whose vivid portrayal of his childhood imprisonment in wartime Shanghai was adapted into a hit Hollywood film, died Sunday, his agent said. Ballard, who had been suffering from prostate cancer, died at his home in Shepperton by the River Thames in west London, his agent Margaret Hanbury said in a statement. Director Steven Spielberg adapted the book for the big screen and it was nominated for six Oscars.

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