W.P. Kinsella, the British Columbia – based author of Shoeless Joe, the award-winning novel that became the film Field of Dreams, has died at 81.

His literary agency confirms the writer, who was born in Edmonton, had a doctor-assisted death on Friday in Hope, B.C.

The agency said he has asked not to have a memorial service.

Kinsella published almost 30 books of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, and was a winner of the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.