Author and former politician Jeffrey Archer dies aged 86
Bestselling author and former Conservative politician Jeffrey Archer has died at the age of 86. His career was marked by both massive literary success and a high-profile perjury conviction that led to his imprisonment.
Why it matters
Archer was a prominent figure in both British literature and politics, and his life story remains a notable example of public scandal and professional redemption.
Image source, Getty Images Published 5 October 2026, 21:30 BST Updated 2 minutes ago Bestselling author and former politician Jeffrey Archer has died at the age of 86.
Archer sold more than 300 million books in his five-decade writing career, including the Clifton Chronicles and Kane and Abel, and often set the novels in his home town of Wellington, Somerset.
In a statement, Archer's publisher HarperCollins said the author died "suddenly and peacefully at home" on Monday between writing sessions.
The former Conservative MP was jailed for perjury in 2001 after being found guilty of lying and cheating in his 1987 libel case against the Daily Star.
Jeffrey Archer obituary: successful novelist, disgraced politician and convicted liar
Published 26 minutes ago Archer was born in north London on 15 April 1940 but would quickly move to Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, where his family bought a house from John Cleese's mother.
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