Wow, that was a shock
Massive stroke apparently.
Brilliant author and at just 70 still comparatively young
Hilary Mantel RIP
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Musings on the byways of popular culture
Musings on the byways of popular culture
Wow, that was a shock
Massive stroke apparently.
Brilliant author and at just 70 still comparatively young
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Shit. She was at the height of her powers too.
I read one of her earlier books a while ago and to be honest didn’t enjoy it. But the Wolf Hall trilogy is, I think, one of the genuinely great works of fiction of our time – just a fantastic read from start to finish. She’d had health problems most of her life but this is still a dreadfully premature loss.
Elderly publisher alert: I edited her first two books, Every Day is Mother’s Day and Vacant Possession. She was lovely, a joy to work with.
Wow, that’s impressive, Mike.
She sounds great; must be a sad day for you to see her much-too-young passing announced.
Yes. I was surprised to see that she’s some years younger than me – she seemed older than me at the time.
After her second novel she left us (Chatto & Windus) for a fancier publisher, Viking Penguin I think. Disappointing. She was living in Dubai at the time, and she sent me a local writing pad with a plane and the words AIR MAIL WRITHING PAD on the cover. Inside on the first page she wrote, ‘Seems appropriate. Sorry! x’ Still got it somewhere.
Good story, thanks for sharing it.
@mikethep
Are you sure it wasn’t from Jeddah (in Saudi Arabia), Mike?
HM lived there in the late 70s (an experience she wrote about in 1988’s Eight Months on Ghazza Street) and I remember buying and sending/bringing home the very same note pads when I lived there a couple of years later. May even still have one although not sadly autographed by her!
While an earlier, slighter work than what came later, EMOGS is an excellent read for anyone who’s either ever experienced the surreal absurdity of living and working in Saudi. or is keen to find out what it’s like to spend time there.
You’re right, senior moment…
Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies were fantastic. I still have The Mirror And The Light in the ‘unread’ pile. I was leaving it till I had time to take a good run at it…RIP.
I’m in the same boat.
I need time to really dig inot it. Knowing how it ends has also induced a bit of reluctance. I grew to really like her characterization of Cromwell.
I too have been saving ‘Part 3’ for a time when I just need to bathe in that perfect combination of fabulous writing & historical insight.
It’s a dreadful loss, but if there is any consolation it’s that the body of work is just so damned good.
I would jump in. I enjoyed all three but for me The Mirror and the Light was the best. A wonderful climax to the series
I’m going through a patch of emotional disregulation (long story) and the ending, as I imagine it, might not be good for me.
Her French Revolution doorstop “A Place Of Greater Safety” is also astonishingly good.
This is very sad news. Condolences to family, friends and fans.
I was fortunate enough to meet her briefly in the foyer of the RSC a few years ago. She was indeed very friendly and a lovely person to chat to while my wife was in the loo.
Very poignant insight into the woman herself:
https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2022/09/hilary-mantel-dies-wolf-hall-legacy/671554/