Jeffrey Archer

With over two dozen books and international sales passing 250 million, Jeffrey Archer is a publishing and cultural phenomenon. Former Deputy Chairman of England’s Conservative Party, he served five years in the House of Commons, fourteen years in the House of Lords and two in Her Majesty’s prisons.

In Australia to promote his latest book Only Time Will Tell, Archer is joined in conversation by Jennifer Byrne. In his hour-long appearance, he discusses his resilience and the lessons he learned in jail, as well as his relationship with the media and the challenge of having his personal history portrayed and discussed in an even, proportionate manner.

The divisive bestseller also talks about his first love — politics — and his respect for Margaret Thatcher, whom he describes as one of three women who have profoundly affected and influenced him.

Describing himself as “an old fashioned storyteller”, he details what he sees as the difference between being a writer and a storyteller, and explains why he thinks e-books are terrible: even if they may be financially rewarding for writers.