Surinamese-Dutch writer Clark Accord died on Wednesday evening after a battle with colon cancer. His family announced that he had passed away peacefully while his older sister, Mavis, watched over his bedside in an Amsterdam hospital.

Accord was born in Paramaribo, Suriname. His debut novel De koningin van Paramaribo (The Queen of Paramaribo) has been translated into Spanish, German and Finnish, with more than 120,000 copies sold worldwide.

Last Saturday, he was made a member of the Honorary Order of the Yellow Star - one of Suriname’s highest honours - at the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis hospital in the eastside of Amsterdam. On Monday, the author held a private farewell service to thank friends and family for “their presence in my life”.

Clark Accord was 50 years old.

(jn)

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