American poet, author, activist, teacher and film-maker Maya Angelou has passed away at the age of 86.
Her death was confirmed by her life-long friend and literary agent Helen Brann, and although no cause of death has been confirmed, Maya was in ill health for some years.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe author, famous for her 1969 autobiography I Know Why The Caged Birds Sing, in which she described life in the America South during the Jim Crow era, died in her home in North Carolina.In her last tweet, sent on May 23, Maya tweeted her usual words of wisdom, sharing with her 390,000 followers: "Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God."
A cultural pioneer, Maya was a mentor to Oprah Winfrey after the pair met in the 1980s, and in her lifetime wrote seven memoirs, which stretched over time from WWII through to Martin Luther King Jr, with the most recent published in 2013. Her work of poetry, Just Give Me A Cool Drink Of Water 'Fore I Diie was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1971, and in 1993 Maya recited her poetry at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton. After the news of her death broke, celebrities and politicians from around the world tweeted their sorrow and respects for the 86-year-old.
Lena Dunham was quick to post online, quoting one of Maya's poems from the book Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women. Other famous faces to add their quotes and memories of Maya included Harry Potter author J.K Rowling and Kelly Rowland.
