Dominique Lapierre, the author of 'City of Joy', passed away on Sunday. "At 91, he died of old age," Dominique Conchon Lapierre told French newspaper Var-Martin. "At peace and serene since Dominique is no longer suffering," she added.
The French author Lapierre is known for his passion for India and his novels especially wrote in collaboration with the American writer Larry Collins Is Paris Burning? had sold over 50 million copies. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2008.
O Jerusalem (1972), Freedom at Midnight (1975), The Fifth Horseman (1980) were his other noted books. Other books including Beyond Love (1990) and A Thousand Suns (1999) have been international best-sellers.
City of Joy, his 1985 novel portrays the struggles of a rickshaw puller in Kolkata. The book was famous and a movie was made on it later in 1992. In 1981, when Lapierre, along with his wife, visited India to see the home they had sponsored for children of leprosy victims, Mother Teresa took them to one of the world's worst slums in then Calcutta's "The City of Joy." Unlike many, Lapierre witnessed tremendous happiness and joy there that led to the writing of the book.
Lapierre had once told that History has the reputation to be dull. "It's not dull if only you devote enough time and sweat to bring it back to life. I consider myself a historian using the modern technique of investigative journalism," he had said.
Lapierre was born in 1931 in Chatelaillon, France. According to reports, a non-profit humanitarian organisation based in Kolkata--City of Joy Aid--was founded by him. It aimed to run a network of rehabilitation centres, clinics and schools. Deeply troubled by the lives of people in despair, Lapierre through his works and efforts ensured comfort for many.
The royalties he received from City of Joy was donated to support humanitarian projects in India. He has also taken initiatives to support patients and children with severe health issues including tuberculosis and leprosy.
