Author and filmmaker William Peter Blatty, known for writing the novel, The Exorcist, died. His widow, Julia Alicia Blatty, told the Associated Press that he died on Thursday, January 12, 2017 at a hospital in Bethesda, MD. Blatty died of multiple myeloma. He was 89 years old.

He published The Exorcist in 1971 and it went on to become a very successful film adaptation two years later. Blatty adapted the script from his novel and won an Academy Award for his work. The film also won an Oscar for Best Sound and was nominated for another eight, including Best Picture, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Linda Blair, and Best Director for William Friedkin.

Blatty was born in New York City on January 7, 1928. His father left when he was three and Blatty was raised by his very religious Catholic mother. He went to Brooklyn Preparatory then attended Georgetown University on scholarship, and the George Washington University for his master’s degree in English Literature.

He worked in public relations at Loyola University, ghost wrote for Dear Abby, and published comic novels. He wrote the screenplays A Shot in the Dark, What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?, Gunn, and The Great Bank Robbery.

He wrote Legion, a sequel to The Exorcist and the screenplay adaptation, The Exorcist III. His work is featured in 2014’s Smoke and Mirrors anthology and he was working on The Exorcist for the 21st Century when he died.