Hilary Mantel – British novelist, acclaimed as one of the finest writers of historical fiction, twice awarded the Booker Prize for Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. She reimagined Thomas Cromwell with rare depth and humanity. Raised in a Catholic household and enduring lifelong illness, she turned struggle into luminous prose that reshaped the historical novel.
👶 As a child she dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but history stole her heart. 📚 Her true breakthrough came at 57 with Wolf Hall. 🏆 She was the first woman to win the Booker Prize twice for the same historical saga. 🕯️ Evoked Tudor England with extraordinary detail, from scents of kitchens to cadences of speech. ✍️ Known for her slow, meticulous writing process. 🎭 Her novels inspired acclaimed stage plays and a BBC TV series. 🧠 Lived with severe endometriosis, which shaped both her life and themes. 🌍 Spent years in Saudi Arabia, gaining perspective on culture and faith. 📖 She enjoyed imagining the smell of Tudor ink and parchment while writing. 🦉 Preferred the quiet of night as her most faithful companion. 😄 Joked that Thomas Cromwell haunted her dreams, urging: “Finish my story.”