Bestselling author and former politician Jeffrey Archer dies at 86
Quick Look
- Bestselling author and former Conservative politician Jeffrey Archer has died at age 86.
- Archer sold over 300 million books in a five-decade career, including the Clifton Chronicles and Kane and Abel.
- He was jailed for perjury in 2001 after being found guilty of lying in a 1987 libel case against the Daily Star.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Jeffrey Archer was a bestselling author and former Conservative politician who sold over 300 million books worldwide. He served as an MP before being made a life peer in 1992. His political career ended in 2001 after a conviction for perjury related to a 1987 libel case against the Daily Star, for which he was jailed. He returned to public life after release in 2003 and remained active in the House of Lords until retiring in 2024.
Bestselling author and former politician Jeffrey Archer has died at the age of 86.
Archer sold more than 300 million books in his five-decade writing career, including the Clifton Chronicles and Kane and Abel, and has often set the novels in his home town of Wellington, Somerset.
In a statement, Archer's publisher HarperCollins said the author died "suddenly and peacefully at home" on Monday.
The former Conservative MP was jailed for perjury in 2001 after being found guilty of lying and cheating in his 1987 libel case against the Daily Star.
Archer was made a life peer in 1992 but his political career was paused in 2001 when he was jailed for four years perjury and perverting the course of justice.
He was found to have lied in libel action he had brought against The Star newspaper, in which he was awarded £500,000 in damages.
He was released in 2003 and returned to the House of Lords until he retired in 2024.
His last book, Adam and Eve, is set to be released this month, HarperCollins added, describing him as a "master storyteller" whose readers "meant everything to him".
"Jeffrey's career is the stuff of publishing legend," the statement continued.
"He spent a total of 14 years and five months on the Sunday Times bestseller lists and 5 ½ years on the New York Times bestseller lists, selling 300 million books in 119 countries in 49 languages.
"He was the master storyteller and an editor's dream - phenomenally hard-working, utterly committed to completing draft after draft to get every word as perfect as possible, and a true champion of the 'team' nature of great publishing."
Open Questions
- What was the exact cause of Jeffrey Archer's death?
- Will there be a public memorial or funeral service for Jeffrey Archer?
- Are there any posthumous works planned beyond Adam and Eve?
