When Jeffrey Archer called Bollywood ‘bunch of thieves’ for stealing his bestseller plots

British author Jeffrey Archer, whose novels sold over 300 million copies worldwide, was a frequent visitor to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) throughout his five-decade career. The UAE became a recurring destination for Archer, who appeared at literary festivals in Dubai and Sharjah multiple times, including the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in Dubai in 2013, 2017, and 2023, and the Sharjah International Book Fair in 2013.

In 2017, at the age of 76, Archer admitted he was not fond of traveling, but he cherished the opportunity to meet fans and experience the privilege of seeing large crowds at each festival he attended. A storyteller at heart, Archer believed his gift lay in his ability to captivate readers, not in critical acclaim or clever talk.

His 1976 debut novel was followed by Kane and Abel, which established his international readership. Archer's political career as a Conservative MP and deputy chairman under Margaret Thatcher was marred by scandal, leading to a four-year prison sentence for perjury and perverting the course of justice. However, prison became a source of inspiration for Archer, who wrote three volumes of A Prison Diary.

Despite his setbacks, Archer returned to fiction and continued producing bestsellers for over two decades. In 2023, Archer returned to the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, now in his 80s, and continued to be passionate about storytelling. His final novel, Adam and Eve, was published shortly after his death on Monday at the age of 86.