Photo taken on Nov. 19, 2014 shows a Paddington Bear statue in Greenwich in London, Britain. Paddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. (Xinhua/Han Yan)

LONDON, June 28 (Xinhua) -- British children's writer Michael Bond, who created the beloved character Paddington Bear, has died at the age of 91 after a short illness, said his publisher Wednesday.

The author died Tuesday at his home, Bond's publisher, HarperCollins, said in a statement.

Bond's first book, A Bear Called Paddington, was published in 1958 about a marmalade-loving bear from Peru. The character then went on to inspire a series of books, TV series, and films. More than 35 million Paddington Bear books have been sold worldwide.

Born in Newbury in 1926, Bond grew up in Berkshire and began writing in 1945 when he served with the Royal Air Force stationed in Cairo, Egypt. He wrote 150 books in total, with 25 additional books about Paddington.

The famous bear came to be when Bond saw it in a shop window on Christmas Eve, 1956. He named the bear Paddington because he was living near Paddington Station in London with his wife.

Ann-Janine Murtagh, executive publisher at HarperCollins Children's Books, said Bond had been "a true gentleman, a bon viveur, the most entertaining company, and the most enchanting of writers."

"He will be forever remembered for his creation of the iconic Paddington, with his duffle coat and Wellington boots, which touched my own heart as a child and will live on in the hearts of future generations," said Murtagh.