Eminent Hindi author and essayist Krishna Sobti died on Friday in Delhi, family sources said. She was 93.

She breathed her last in a Delhi hospital this morning, where she was admitted for the last two months, Ashok Maheshwari, a friend and managing director of Rajkamal Prakashan, said. “She was about to complete her 94 years in February, so an age factor was there no doubt. For the last one week she was in the ICU,” he said. Her last rites will be performed at 4pm on Friday at Nigam Bodh ghat.

“Even after being extremely sick, she was very much aware about her thoughts, about what was happening in the society,” Maheshwari added. “Krishna ji was one of the most sensitive and alert writers of our times. She created her own identity and dignity in the field of literature,” he told PTI.

Her latest book “Channa” was launched at New Delhi World Book Fair on January 11. “It was actually her first novel, written 60 years ago. But due to some disagreement it was never published,” he informed. Born in 1925, Sobti was known for writing about issues of female identity and sexuality. “Mitro Marjani”, “Zindaginama” and “Surajmukhi Andhere Ke” were some of her famous works. She received prestigious awards like Sahitya Akademi, Jnanpith and was also offered Padma Bhushan, which she had declined.

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