Politician, pensmith, (ex-) prisoner - there are many ‘P’ words that come to mind when Jeffrey Archer is in the house. Archer toured Australia recently to promote his latest book Only Time Will Tell. He was joined by Jennifer Byrne for a conversation which turned out, for all intents and purposes, to be more of a soliloquy.
In his hour-long appearance, Archer discussed 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. He touched on 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. In the tug-o'-war he imagines between writers and storytellers, Archer comes down heavily on the side of the latter, describing himself as “an old fashioned storyteller”, with a loathing of ebooks to boot.
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.