Hilary Mantel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dame Hilary Mantel DBE FRSL
Born	Hilary Mary Thompson 6 July 1952 Glossop, Derbyshire, England
Died	22 September 2022(2022-09-22) (aged 70) Exeter, Devon, England
Occupation	Novelist short story writer essayist critic
Language	English
Education	London School of Economics University of Sheffield (LLB)
Period	1985–2020
Notable works	Wolf Hall Bring Up the Bodies Fludd Beyond Black
Notable awards	Booker Prize 2009, 2012 Walter Scott Prize 2010, 2021 Costa Novel Prize 2012
Spouse	Gerald McEwen ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1981)​ ​ ​ (m. 1982)​

Dame Hilary Mary Mantel (born Thompson; 6 July 1952 – 22 September 2022) was a famous British writer. She wrote many books, including historical novels, personal stories, and short stories. Her first book, Every Day Is Mother's Day, came out in 1985. She wrote 12 novels, two collections of short stories, a memoir, and many articles.

Hilary Mantel won the important Booker Prize twice. She won first for her 2009 novel Wolf Hall. This book tells a fictional story about Thomas Cromwell's rise to power with King Henry VIII. She won again in 2012 for its sequel, Bring Up the Bodies. These books are part of a series called the Cromwell trilogy. The trilogy has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.

Early Life and Education

Hilary Mary Thompson was born on July 6, 1952, in Glossop, England. She was the oldest of three children and grew up in a small village called Hadfield. Her family was Roman Catholic.

When Hilary was young, her mother's friend, Jack Mantel, moved in with the family. Later, when she was eleven, her family moved to Romiley, Cheshire. She then took Jack Mantel's last name. She went to Harrytown Convent school in Romiley.

In 1970, she started studying law at the London School of Economics. She later moved to the University of Sheffield and earned her law degree in 1973. After university, she worked in a hospital and then in a department store.

In 1973, she married Gerald McEwen, who was a geologist. In 1977, Hilary and her husband moved to Botswana and lived there for five years. They then lived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for four years.

Writing Career

Hilary Mantel's first novel, Every Day Is Mother's Day, was published in 1985. Its follow-up, Vacant Possession, came out a year later. After returning to England, she became a film critic for The Spectator magazine. She also reviewed books for other newspapers and magazines.

Her third novel, Eight Months on Ghazzah Street (1988), was inspired by her time in Saudi Arabia. It explores the differences between Islamic culture and Western ways of life. Her book Fludd (1989) won an award. It is set in a fictional village in 1956 and tells the story of a mysterious stranger.

A Place of Greater Safety (1992) won the Sunday Express Book of the Year award. This long historical novel follows the lives of three French revolutionaries. It tells their stories from childhood until their deaths in 1794 during the Reign of Terror.

A Change of Climate (1994) is set in rural England. It tells the story of Ralph and Anna Eldred, who raise four children and do charity work. The book also includes parts about their time as missionaries in South Africa.

An Experiment in Love (1996) won the Hawthornden Prize. It is set in 1970 and follows three girls as they leave home for university in London. This novel looks at women's desires and goals.

Her next book, The Giant, O'Brien (1998), is set in the 1780s. It is based on the true story of Charles Byrne, a very tall man who came to London. He earned money by showing himself as a "freak."

In 2003, Mantel published her memoir, Giving Up the Ghost. A memoir is a book about a person's own life experiences. This book won the MIND "Book of the Year" award. That same year, she released a collection of short stories called Learning To Talk. Her 2005 novel, Beyond Black, was nominated for the Orange Prize and the Booker Prize.

The Cromwell Trilogy

The novel Wolf Hall, about King Henry VIII's minister Thomas Cromwell, was published in 2009. It received great praise from critics. The book won the Booker Prize that year. The judges called Wolf Hall an "extraordinary piece of storytelling."

The sequel to Wolf Hall, called Bring Up the Bodies, was published in May 2012. It also received wide praise. It won the 2012 Costa Book of the Year and the 2012 Booker Prize. This made Hilary Mantel the first British writer and the first woman to win the Booker Prize more than once. She was also the first author to win the award for a sequel.

These books were turned into plays by the Royal Shakespeare Company. They were also made into a TV mini-series by the BBC. In 2020, Hilary Mantel published the third novel in the Thomas Cromwell series, called The Mirror and the Light. This book was also nominated for the 2020 Booker Prize.

In 2014, Mantel published a collection of 10 short stories called The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher. She also wrote reviews and essays for newspapers and magazines.

Personal Life

Hilary Mantel married Gerald McEwen in 1973. They divorced in 1981 but remarried in 1982. Her husband later stopped working as a geologist to manage her writing business. They lived in Budleigh Salterton, England.

When she was in her twenties, Hilary Mantel had a very painful illness. Doctors first thought it was a mental illness. But later, she found out she had a severe form of endometriosis. This condition and its treatment meant she could not have children. This experience greatly influenced her writing. She later became a supporter of the Endometriosis SHE Trust, a charity that helps people with this condition.

Hilary Mantel passed away on September 22, 2022, at the age of 70. She died in a hospital in Exeter due to problems from a stroke.

Views and Opinions

During her university years, Hilary Mantel was a socialist. She was a member of the Young Communist League.

Thoughts on Public Figures

In 2013, Hilary Mantel spoke about how the media portrays royal women. She said that Catherine Middleton, then the Duchess of Cambridge, was sometimes presented as a "shop window mannequin." Mantel explained her views in an essay, saying that while monarchy might seem strange, people should not be cruel when looking at it. These comments caused a lot of public discussion.

In 2014, Mantel said in an interview that she had imagined the murder of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She wrote about this idea in a short story called "The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher: 6 August 1983."

Thoughts on Catholicism

Hilary Mantel wrote about her religious views in her 2003 memoir, Giving Up the Ghost. She was raised as a Roman Catholic but stopped believing at age 12. She said the religion left a lasting impact on her. She felt it made her very strict with herself and always feel that nothing was good enough.

List of Works

Novels

• "Every Day Is Mother's Day" series:
  • Every Day Is Mother's Day: 1985
  • Vacant Possession: 1986
• Eight Months on Ghazzah Street: 1988
• Fludd: 1989
• A Place of Greater Safety: 1992
• A Change of Climate: 1994
• An Experiment in Love: 1995
• The Giant, O'Brien: 1998
• Beyond Black: 2005
• Thomas Cromwell series:
  1. Wolf Hall: 2009
  2. Bring Up the Bodies: 2012
  3. The Mirror & the Light: 2020

Short Story Collections

• Learning to Talk (2003)
  • "King Billy Is a Gentleman"
  • "Destroyed"
  • "Curved Is the Line of Beauty"
  • "Learning to Talk"
  • "Third Floor Rising"
  • "The Clean Slate"
• The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher (2014)
  • "Sorry to Disturb"
  • "Comma"
  • "The Long QT"
  • "Winter Break"
  • "Harley Street"
  • "Offences Against the Person"
  • "How Shall I Know You?"
  • "The Heart Fails Without Warning"
  • "Terminus"
  • "The School of English"
  • "The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher"

Memoir

• Giving Up the Ghost (2003)

Awards and Honours

Literary Prizes

Other Honours

Images for kids

• 

  Hilary Mantel

See Also

In Spanish: Hilary Mantel para niños