British Author and Former Politician Jeffrey Archer Dies at 86
LONDON: British author and former politician Jeffrey Archer, whose books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide, has died at the age of 86. His publisher, HarperCollins, said he died “suddenly and peacefully” at home on Monday, Oct 5, while still working.His death came a day before the scheduled publication of his final novel,…
LONDON: British author and former politician Jeffrey Archer, whose books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide, has died at the age of 86. His publisher, HarperCollins, said he died “suddenly and peacefully” at home on Monday, Oct 5, while still working.
His death came a day before the scheduled publication of his final novel, “Adam and Eve,” on Oct 6. The publisher said he had attended a book-signing and reader event at London’s Leicester Square Theatre the day before, signing hundreds of books. He was due to discuss the new book at the Cheltenham Literature Festival this week.
According to HarperCollins, Archer’s books sold in 119 countries. Reuters reported that his titles spent a combined five and a half years on the New York Times bestseller list. His best-known novels include “Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less” (1976), “Kane and Abel” (1979) and “The Clifton Chronicles.”
Kate Elton, CEO of HarperCollins UK and Archer’s editor, said being his editor was one of the great honors of her career, describing him as a great storyteller who was determined to refine every manuscript.
Archer entered politics by winning a 1969 by-election at 29 and became deputy chairman of the Conservative Party in 1985. His political career was damaged in 1986 after a scandal in which he sued the Daily Star for libel and won £500,000 in damages, a case that later turned against him.
In 2001, he was convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice and sentenced to four years in prison. He served about two years and wrote “A Prison Diary” during that time. After his release, he remained a member of the House of Lords, to which he was appointed for life in 1992, until retiring in 2024.
