and Shakespeare into Kurdish, 85 (born 1933) December 9 William Blum, American historian (Killing Hope, Rogue State), 85 (born 1933) Tor Fretheim, Norwegian writer of children's literature and recipient of the 1986 Norwegian Critics Prize for Best Children's Book, 72 (born 1946) December 10 Mushirul Hasan, Indian historian, 69 (born 1949) Robert Spaemann, German Roman Catholic philosopher seen as a member of the Ritter school, whose work focused on Christian ethics, 91 (born 1927) Xavier Tilliette, French philosopher and theologian, 97 (born 1921) December 11 Harold L. Kahn, American historian focusing on Imperial China, 88 (born 1930) Lia Wyler, Brazilian translator of Harry Potter series, 84 (born 1934) December 12 Wilhelm Genazino, German novelist, 2004 Georg Büchner Prize recipient and 2007 Kleist Prize recipient, 75 (born 1943) Meng Lang (孟浪), Chinese poet and promoter of dissidents such as Liu Xiaobo, 57 (born 1961) December 15 Eryue He (二月河), Chinese historical fiction writer, 73 (born 1945) Jacques Verdier, French novelist, 61 (born 1957) December 19 – Bhai, Surinamese poet, 83 (born 1935) December 20 – F. W. Bernstein, German poet and 2008 Wilhelm Busch Prize recipient, 80 (born 1938) December 21 – Tom Leonard, Scottish poet writing in Glaswegian dialect, 74 (born 1944 with Alasdair Gray and James Kelman) December 22 Gary N. Knoppers, Canadian theologian noted for work on 1 Chronicles, 62 (born 1956) Jane Langton, American writer of children's literature and detective fiction, 95 (born 1922) Roger Owen, English historian noted for work on Middle East, 83 (born 1935) December 23 – Eileen Battersby, American-born Irish literary critic known for advocating fiction in translation, 60 (born c. 1958) December 24 – Osvaldo Bayer, Argentine "ultra-pacifist anarchist" novelist, 91 (born 1927) December 25 Nirendranath Chakravarty, Indian poet and writer about the fictional detective Bhaduri Moshai, 94 (born 1924) Baldur Ragnarsson, Icelandic poet and writer of Esperanto works, 88 (born 1930) Rosalyn Terborg-Penn, American writer on African American women, 77 (born 1941) Terence Wheeler, English novelist and playwright, 82 (born 1936) December 26 – Elizabeth Zachariadou, Greek historian of Turkish studies, notably the early Ottoman Empire (–1600), 87 (born 1931) December 27 – Wilfred Shuchat, Canadian scholar and rabbi, 98 (born 1920) December 28 Seydou Badian Kouyaté, Malian novelist and lyricist of his country's national anthem "Le Mali", 90 (born 1928) Amos Oz, Israeli novelist, memoirist, etc., recipient of 2005 Goethe Prize and 2013 Franz Kafka Prize, 79 (born 1939) December