Toni Morrison, one of the most accomplished and beloved authors of all times, took her last breath, confirmed publisher Knopf Publishing. She was 88 when she passed away on Monday night after complications from pneumonia.

Morrison is the author of 11 novels including Beloved, The Bluest Eye and Song of Solomon. Her works span across novels, essays and short stories exploring the lives of African-Americans. She was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993, the first African-American author to receive this honour. She was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2012.

Her family said in a statement said, "The consummate writer who treasured the written word, whether her own, her students or others, she read voraciously and was most at home when writing. Although her passing represents a tremendous loss, we are grateful she had a long, well lived life."

U.S. author Morrison poses with French Culture Minister Mitterrand after she was awarded the Officer de la Legion d'Honneur, the Legion of Honour during a ceremony at the Culture Ministry in Paris
U.S. author Toni Morrison (R) poses with French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand after she was awarded the Officer de la Legion d'Honneur, the Legion of Honour, France's highest award, during a ceremony at the Culture Ministry in Paris November 3, 2010. REUTERS

Obama took to Twitter to express his condolences, saying, "Toni Morrison was a national treasure, as good storyteller, as captivating, in person as she was on the page."

Toni Morrison was a national treasure, as good a storyteller, as captivating, in person as she was on the page. Her writing was a beautiful, meaningful challenge to our conscience and our moral imagination. What a gift to breathe the same air as her, if only for a while. pic.twitter.com/JG7Jgu4p9t

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 6, 2019

Morrison died at Montefiore Medical Center in New York.

Barack Obama