Jeffrey Archer, bestselling UK novelist and scandal-plagued politician, dies aged 86

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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.

Archer sold over 300 million copies worldwide and was known for pacy thrillers like his 1976 debut “Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less” and 1979’s “Kane & Abel.” His final novel, “Adam and Eve,” is due to be published on Tuesday.

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.

But he was as well-known for his very public downfall.

In 1987, Archer sued the Daily Star tabloid for saying he had paid a woman for sex, winning a then-record £500,000 ($660,450) in damages. The case returned to the public eye when he was selected as the Conservative candidate to become London’s first elected mayor in 1999. A former friend accused him of lying and Archer was eventually charged with perjury and perverting the course of justice, convicted and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. He served two years, during which time he wrote “A Prison Diary.”

The trial of Archer’s libel case, which was heard in front of a jury, became notorious for the judge’s summing up of evidence given by Archer’s wife Mary.

“Remember Mary Archer in the witness box,” the judge, Bernard Caulfield, told the jury. “Your vision of her will probably never disappear. Has she elegance? Has she fragrance? Would she have, without the strain of this trial, radiance?”

And, of Archer, he added: “Is he in need of cold, unloving, rubber-insulated sex in a seedy hotel?”

Archer’s reputation as one of the most colourful figures in British public life did no harm to his literary career. His books were sold in 119 countries, HarperCollins said. He spent a total of five-and-a-half years on the New York Times bestseller lists.

He was due to speak about his final novel this weekend at the Cheltenham Literature Festival and had recently appeared on radio shows to promote the book.

HarperCollins said he had died suddenly and peacefully, “between writing sessions.”

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英国畅销小说家、前政治家杰弗里·阿彻因在一桩备受瞩目的诽谤案中撒谎而被判入狱，他的出版商哈珀柯林斯周一宣布，阿彻去世，享年 86 岁。

阿切尔的作品在全球销量超过3亿册，他以节奏紧凑的惊悚小说而闻名，例如1976年的处女作《一分钱也不多》和1979年的《凯恩与亚伯》。他的最后一部小说《亚当与夏娃》将于周二出版。

哈珀柯林斯英国首席执行官兼阿切尔的编辑凯特·埃尔顿在一份声明中表示：“失去一位给几代读者带来快乐的作家，以及一位真正的朋友，我们都感到非常悲痛。”

阿切尔也是一位杰出的保守党政治家，他曾短暂担任议员，之后在 20 世纪 80 年代中期成为时任首相玛格丽特·撒切尔领导下的高级党内官员。

但他同样因其公开的垮台而闻名。

1987年，阿彻起诉《每日星报》小报，指控其报道他曾付钱与一名女子发生性关系，最终获得当时创纪录的50万英镑（约合660,450美元）赔偿。1999年，他被保守党提名为伦敦首位民选市长候选人，此案再次引起公众关注。一位前朋友指控他撒谎，阿彻最终被控作伪证和妨碍司法公正，并被判处四年监禁。他服刑两年，期间撰写了《狱中日记》。

阿切尔诽谤案的审判由陪审团进行，法官对阿切尔妻子玛丽提供的证据进行总结，结果因此臭名昭著。

“请记住证人席上的玛丽·阿切尔，”法官伯纳德·考菲尔德对陪审团说。“你们对她的印象可能永远不会消失。她优雅吗？她芬芳吗？如果没有这场审判的压力，她是否会光彩照人？”

至于阿彻，他还补充道：“他是不是需要在破旧酒店里体验冷冰冰、毫无爱意、像橡胶一样隔绝的性爱？”

阿切尔作为英国公众生活中最具传奇色彩的人物之一，其声誉并未损害他的文学事业。哈珀柯林斯出版社称，他的作品畅销119个国家。他的作品曾连续五年半登上《纽约时报》畅销书排行榜。

他原定于本周末在切尔滕纳姆文学节上谈论他的最后一部小说，并且最近还参加了一些广播节目来宣传这本书。

哈珀柯林斯出版社称，他是在“写作间隙”突然安详去世的。