Jeffrey Archer , the bestselling British novelist and former politician who was jailed for lying in a high-profile libel case, has died aged 86, his publisher HarperCollins said on Monday.
HarperCollins said he had died suddenly and peacefully, “between writing sessions.”
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.”
Archer was also a prominent Conservative politician, who briefly served as a lawmaker before becoming a senior party official under then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the mid-1980s. Archer’s reputation as one of the most colourful figures in British public life did no harm to his literary career. He spent a total of five-and-a-half years on the New York Times bestseller lists.
His books were sold in 119 countries, HarperCollins said.
