Elmore Leonard was hospitalized after suffering a stroke. The 87-year-old prolific author is recovering in a facility near his home in Detroit.
“It happened a week ago, last Monday [July 29],” his longtime researcher, Gregg Sutter, told the Detroit News on Tuesday. “He’s doing better every day, and the family is guardedly optimistic.”
Leonard has written 45 novels and is currently working on his 46th. He’s penned books including “Get Shorty,” “Out of Sight,” “Jackie Brown,” and “Killshot.” His story “Fire in the Hole” inspired the FX series “Justified.”
A film adaptation of his novel, “The Switch,” starring Jennifer Aniston, Mos Def, Tim Robbins, and Isla Fisher will premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this year, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“He’s very much into his 46th novel,” Sutter said, adding that Leonard is “working very hard.”
The National Book Foundation gave him a award last November, honoring his lifetime achievement.
Sutter described Leonard as “a fighter.”