Bestselling British novelist Jeffrey Archer has died at the age of 86, bringing to a close one of the most successful and controversial careers in modern British publishing.
Archer died suddenly and peacefully at home on 5 October, according to his publisher, HarperCollins. Remarkably, he died between writing sessions and just one day before the publication of Adam and Eve, the novel he had already announced would be his last.
Over a writing career spanning five decades, Archer sold more than 300 million books around the world. His novels were published internationally and included enduring bestsellers such as Kane and Abel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less and the seven-volume Clifton Chronicles.
Before becoming a novelist, Archer had pursued a career in politics, becoming Conservative MP for Louth in 1969 and later deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. He was made a life peer in 1992. His political career was ultimately overshadowed by scandal: in 2001 he was convicted of perjury and perverting the course of justice relating to a libel case and sentenced to four years in prison. He later drew upon his time behind bars for his three-volume Prison Diary.
Yet his extraordinary popularity with readers endured. Archer continued publishing into his eighties, and earlier this year marked 50 years since the publication of his first novel.
Only a day before his death, he had appeared before a packed audience in London, signing hundreds of books and talking about his final novel. His publisher described him as a “master storyteller”, while former publisher Pan Macmillan said his legacy would continue to find new generations of readers.
Archer is survived by his wife, Dame Mary Archer, with whom he celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this year, their two sons and five grandchildren.
Whatever one thought of the man behind the books, Jeffrey Archer possessed an extraordinary ability to keep readers turning pages. More than 300 million books later, that may prove his most enduring legacy.
