Overview
- HarperCollins confirmed on Monday that Archer died peacefully at home ‘between writing sessions,’ with his final book, Adam And Eve, due for imminent release.
- Archer sold roughly 300 million books worldwide over five decades and was known for titles such as Kane and Abel, the Clifton Chronicles, and his prison memoir A Prison Diary.
- He combined a public political life with writing, serving as a Conservative MP, becoming party deputy chairman, and receiving a life peerage in 1992 before retiring from the House of Lords in 2024.
- His political career was interrupted by a 2001 Old Bailey conviction for perjury and perverting the course of justice related to a libel case; he served a prison term and returned to the Lords after early release.
- Family and publishing colleagues have issued tributes and broadcasters plan to air his final interviews, while HarperCollins has said it will proceed with the scheduled publication and promotion of his last novel.