Derek Walcott, a Nobel-prize winning poet known for capturing the essence of his native Caribbean and became the region's most internationally famous writer, has died on the island of St. Lucia. He was 87.

Walcott died early Friday at his home in St. Lucia, according to his son, Peter. The family planned to issue a statement later.

Walcott received the Nobel Prize in literature in 1992 after being shortlisted for the honor for many years. In selecting Walcott, the academy cited the great luminosity" of his writings including the 1990 "Omeros," a 64-chapter Caribbean epic.

AP