The literary world has lost another major name. The American writer Gore Vidal has died at the age of 86 in Los Angeles. He wrote 25 novels in a long, long career as well as many essays. He was much more than just an author – a celebrated commentator on literature and life, and a celebrity in his own right. Vidal ran for Congress in 1960 and 1982, but lost both times. Politics often featured in his writing.

He wrote his first book at 19 – Williwaw. His third novel, The City and the Pillar, featured a homosexual as a main character and bookshops refused to stock it. He was even forced to work under pseudonyms during the 1950s. He is also well known for his satire, Myra Breckinridge, and the historical novel, Lincoln.

Vidal was famous for his feuds with the likes of conservative pundit William F Buckley Jr and fellow author Norman Mailer. He came to blows with Buckley several times and regularly traded insults with him.

He once described Truman Capote as a “filthy animal.” Vidal lived a life and a half.

The BBC has the full story.