Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Bestselling British author and former politician Jeffrey Archer has died at the age of 86, his publisher HarperCollins said. Archer, whose books sold more than 300 million copies during a five-decade writing career, died “suddenly and peacefully at home” on Monday between writing sessions.
Archer was best known for bestselling novels including Kane and Abel and the Clifton Chronicles. His final novel, Adam and Eve, is due to be released on October 6. He was also scheduled to appear at the Cheltenham Festival on Saturday to discuss the book.
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Kate Elton, HarperCollins’ UK CEO and Archer’s editor, said in a statement: “We’re all devastated to have lost a writer who has brought joy to generations of readers and a true friend.”
HarperCollins described Archer as a “master storyteller” and said his readers “meant everything to him”. The publisher also said he had appeared at Leicester Square Theatre in London on Sunday, signing books for fans alongside broadcaster Gyles Brandreth.
Brandreth, Broadcaster and former Member of Parliament of the United Kingdom paid tribute to Archer, saying the author had been in “the most wonderful, ebullient form” during their event and described him as a great storyteller “to the last”.
Archer was born in north London on April 15, 1940, and later moved to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset. He entered politics in 1969 after being elected as the Conservative MP for Louth and served in the House of Commons for five years before becoming deputy chairman of the Conservative Party.
His political career was derailed by a criminal conviction. Archer was jailed for four years in 2001 after being found guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice in connection with a libel case he had brought against the *Daily Star*. He had previously been awarded £500,000 in damages in the case. He was released in 2003 and later returned to the House of Lords, where he remained until retiring in 2024.
Archer and his wife Mary celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this year, HarperCollins said.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch described his death as a “huge shock”. She said Archer had sent her a message on the morning of his death and had been “a great source of encouragement” to her personally.
Kate Elton, HarperCollins UK CEO and Archer’s editor, called working with him “one of the great privileges” of her publishing life. She praised his dedication to writing, describing him as “phenomenally hard-working” and “utterly committed” to perfecting every draft.
Former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi also paid tribute to Archer, describing him as a “dear friend and extraordinary human being” whose storytelling was matched by his “wit, warmth and boundless energy”.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
