Salmon Fishing In The Yemen author Paul Torday has died at the age of 67.

The writer, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2007, passed away on Wednesday (18Dec13) in Northumberland, England.

Torday found fame in his 60s, with the 2007 release of his first novel, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, which sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide.

The book was adapted into a movie, which starred Emily Blunt and Ewan MCGregor, in 2011.

Kirsty Dunseath, publishing director at the firm Weidenfeld and Nicolson Fiction, says, "In many ways Paul Torday invented his own genre. His extraordinary fiction was filled with warmth and a wry, humane wit. He was a gentle observer of the foibles of human nature and our social behaviour."

His agent, Mark Stanton, adds, "He was a writer of rare talent, and a true gentleman. Paul, I raise a glass of the finest Bordeaux to you."

The British author's other works include The Irresistible Inheritance of Wilberforce, The Girl on the Landing and The Hopeless Life of Charlie Summers.