Harry Leslie Smith, the "writer, campaigner and passionate critic of austerity who found fame late in life with his bestselling book Harry's Last Stand," died November 28, the Guardian reported. He was 95. Following the book's 2014 publication, Smith "was invited to address that year's Labor party conference before a speech by the then shadow health secretary, Andy Burnham. His passionate denunciation of benefits cuts and austerity--including the line 'Mr. Cameron, keep your mitts off my NHS!'--made headline news."
Smith's other books include Love Among the Ruins: A Memoir of Life and Love in Hamburg, 1945; Don't Let My Past Be Your Future: A Call to Arms; 1923: A Memoir; and The Empress of Australia: A Post-War Memoir.
Describing Smith as "brilliant polemicist and inspiring activist," Philip Cotterell, managing director of Icon Books, said, "We are desperately sad to hear of the passing of Harry Leslie Smith, one of Icon's favorite authors. He was a brilliant polemicist and author, an inspiring activist, a loving father, and much more. We are immensely proud to have published two of his books.
"When we published Harry's Last Stand: How the World My Generation Built Is Falling Down, and What We Can Do to Save It when Harry turned 90, we were all struck by the power of his writing. He drew upon his experience of the Great Depression and World War Two to issue a wakeup call to us all about the state of our society. He astonished us all with his energy and determination to spread the word--his speech at the 2014 Labor Party Conference was unforgettable, and he worked tirelessly to campaign for social justice and especially for the NHS. Everyone at Icon warmed to his charisma, his warmth, and his passion, as well as his dedication to making the world a better place."