Gabriel García Márquez, one of the world's greatest novelists, has died from a lung infection at his home in Mexico. He was 87. The Colombian writer won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982 and other top awards. Colombia's government announced three days of national mourning. It said García Márquez was, "a writer who changed the lives of his readership". His book ''Love in the Time of Cholera" is the best selling book in Spanish. He wrote many more classics. Critics say he is one of the most important writers ever. He helped develop a style of writing called "magical realism".

Barack Obama paid a tribute to Márquez. He said: "The world has lost one of its greatest visionary writers." Bill Clinton said: "I was always amazed by his unique gifts of imagination…He captured the pain and joy of our common humanity". García Márquez said he was a storyteller from a young age, saying: "I have often been told by the family that I started recounting things, stories and so on, almost since I was born – ever since I could speak." Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa said: "His novels will survive and will continue to find new readers everywhere."