Author Toni Morrison, who won the Nobel Prize in literature, has died, her publisher confirmed to PEOPLE. She was 88. "We are profoundly sad to report that Toni Morrison has died at the age of eighty-eight," a statement from Morrison's publisher, Knopf, said, adding that the author died on Monday night at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "Morrison’s novels were celebrated and embraced by booksellers, critics, educators, readers, and librarians," the statement continued. "Her work also ignited controversy, notably in school districts that tried to ban her books. Few American writers won more awards for their books and writing." The Morrison family also issued a statement, saying: “It is with profound sadness we share that, following a short illness, our adored mother and grandmother, Toni Morrison, passed away peacefully last night surrounded by family and friends. She was an extremely devoted mother, grandmother, and aunt who reveled in b...