Hilary Mantel: Nicola Sturgeon and Caitlin Moran lead tributes to ‘astonishing’ Wolf Hall author

Tributes have begun to pour in for the “consistently brilliant” author Hilary Mantel, following her death aged 70.

In a statement shared on Friday (23 September), her publisher HarperCollins announced that the British writer had died “suddenly yet peacefully” on Thursday (22 September).

Mantel was best known for her epic historical drama, the Wolf Hall trilogy, about the life of Thomas Cromwell.

The books have been translated into 41 languages, selling more than five million copies worldwide, and earned Mantel two Booker prizes. Mantel was the first woman and fourth person to receive the award twice.

On social media, messages of reverence and respect were swiftly shared for Mantel.

Publisher 4th Estate tweeted: “We are heartbroken at the death of our beloved author, Dame Hilary Mantel, and our thoughts are with her friends and family, especially her husband, Gerald.

“This is a devastating loss and we can only be grateful she left us with such a magnificent body of work.”

Nicola Sturgeon posted: “Such terribly sad news. It is impossible to overstate the significance of the literary legacy Hilary Mantel leaves behind. Her brilliant Wolf Hall trilogy was the crowning achievement in an outstanding body of work. Rest in peace.”

Caitlin Moran tweeted: “Hilary Mantel‘s mind was one of the most powerful and magic machines on Earth. We were lucky she wrote as much as she did, but holy hell, it’s devastating that we’ve collectively lost something so astonishing.”

“I cannot believe the news about Hilary Mantel,” author Damian Barr commented. “With every book she redefined what words can do. She’s the only person I ever interviewed that speaks in whole, flawless paragraphs. I can’t believe we won’t have another book from her. Thinking of her family and friends. Such a loss.”

“Did not expect to burst into tears upon hearing Hilary Mantel is gone, but there it is,” singer Nerina Pallot wrote. “She was one of our finest writers. Consistently brilliant. Insightful. And achieved so much despite long term illness. A true heroine.”

TV personality Robert Rinder wrote: “Hope takes you by the throat like a stranger, it makes your heart leap’… Hilary Mantel…a writer of enduring gifts. RIP.”