Internet, Oct. 6: British bestselling author and former Conservative politician Jeffrey Archer has died at the age of 86, his publisher HarperCollins announced on Monday.
Archer died “suddenly and peacefully at his home between writing sessions,” the publisher said. His death came just a day before the scheduled publication of Adam and Eve, which he described as his final novel after five decades of storytelling.
Archer sold more than 300 million books worldwide, according to his website. His popular works include Kane and Abel, The Clifton Chronicles and his debut novel, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less.
His editor, Kate Elton, described him as a master storyteller and praised his dedication to writing. Archer had been scheduled to discuss Adam and Eve at the Cheltenham Literature Festival later this week.
From Bestseller Novelist Jeffrey Archer to Political Scandal
Born in London in 1940, Archer entered British politics while still young. He won a by-election in 1969 and became a Conservative Member of Parliament at the age of 29.
His parliamentary career ended in 1974 after the collapse of a Canadian business in which he had invested. He later turned his financial difficulties into material for his first novel, launching a highly successful literary career.
In 1985, then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher appointed Archer deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. He resigned a year later following controversy over a payment to a sex worker, which he said was intended to help her leave the country.
Archer later sued the Daily Star over allegations concerning the incident and won £500,000 in damages. However, the case returned to haunt him years later.
In 2001, a jury convicted Archer of perjury and perverting the course of justice after finding that he had lied during the earlier libel proceedings. He received a four-year prison sentence and was released on parole in 2003.
Despite the scandal, Archer continued to publish books and maintained a large international readership. He became a life peer in 1992 and served in the House of Lords until his retirement in 2024.
Archer had revealed in 2014 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is survived by his wife, Mary Archer, and their family.
His final novel, Adam and Eve, is scheduled for release following his death, marking the closing chapter of a writing career that spanned 50 years.
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