Author and former politician Jeffrey Archer dies aged 86
BBC News 2026-10-05 20:51:30
Context: Bestselling author and former politician Jeffrey Archer passed away at the age of 86, leaving behind a legacy of over 300 million books sold throughout his five-decade writing career. Archer, a former Conservative MP and life peer, died suddenly and peacefully at his home on Monday. His writing often drew inspiration from his hometown of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset.
Key Facts
- Jeffrey Archer sold more than 300 million books throughout his five-decade writing career, including the Clifton Chronicles and Kane and Abel.
- Archer was jailed for four years in 2001 for perjury and perverting the course of justice after being found guilty of lying and cheating in his 1987 libel case against the Daily Star.
- He was made a life peer in 1992 but his political career was paused in 2001 due to his imprisonment, and he returned to the House of Lords until his retirement in 2024.
- Archer's last book, Adam and Eve, is set to be released this month, as confirmed by his publisher HarperCollins.