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Jeffrey Archer will always have ‘a chapter to write,’ ever after he’s gone
Celebrated author Jeffrey Archer, who has been writing since 1975, has finally decided on what would be written on his epitaph.
Celebrated author Jeffrey Archer, who has been writing since 1975, has finally decided on what would be written on his epitaph.
The 76-year-old prolific writer, who has given the world several bestsellers including Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, Kane and Abel and First Among Equals, wants his epitaph to read: “I’ve still got another chapter to write.”
He has just completed a set of 12 short stories which he hopes will be published in April next year.
He was recently in India to promote This Was a Man, the last book of the Clifton Chronicles.
Archer termed his India experience as most exciting.
“The turnouts at my talks and signing sessions (at Gurgaon, Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai) were even higher than in the past, and the requests for interviews far greater. It’s wonderful to see how India progresses from year to year, and it’s easy to see why it’s now one of the most important industrial nations on earth,” Archer said.
Asked when his fans can expect his autobiography, he said, “I have no intention of writing my autobiography. I feel this has been more than covered in 7 volumes of the Clifton Chronicles.”
Archer has a great fan following in India and has been a frequent visitor. He says he enjoys the “cosmopolitan feel of Mumbai, the beauty of New Delhi, the energy of Kolkata, and the friendliness of Hyderabad”.
Asked about the question by fans he never wants to answer, he said, “What’s the ending to your next book?”
He also said that he has become better at his craft all these years. “Although I think the storytelling doesn’t change a great deal over the years, there is no doubt that one becomes better at one’s craft. Though in fact there are still a large group of fans who believe Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less (40 years ago) or Kane and Abel (35 years ago) are the best things I’ve ever done,” he said.
Archer also reads a lot and of the present generation of storytellers, he admires Elena Ferrante, Claire Mackintosh and Peter Swanson.
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