Playwright Stoppard dies at the age of 88

Playwright Tom Stoppard, who won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for the screenplay for Shakespeare In Love, has died at the age of 88.

The writer - known for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Arcadia and the film Shakespeare In Love - died "peacefully" at his home in Dorset "surrounded by his family," United Agents said in a statement.

"He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of the English language," the statement said.

"It was an honour to work with Tom and to know him."

Over his six-decade career, Stoppard earned Tony and Olivier awards as well as a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for his 1998 screenplay Shakespeare In Love, which starred Gwyneth Paltrow and Dame Judi Dench.

Born in Czechoslovakia, Stoppard was forced to flee his home during the Nazi occupation and found refuge in the United Kingdom.

His career as a playwright did not take off until the 1960s with Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival before going to the National Theatre and later Broadway.

The play, which focuses on two minor characters from Hamlet, won several awards including four Tonys in 1968, including best play.

Stoppard also wrote for TV, radio and film, with much of his work exploring complex philosophical and political themes.

In 1997 he was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II for his services to literature.