Hilary Mantel, Southbank Centre

The new collection has, unsurprisingly, creating quite a stir among the literati. The intriguingly titled The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher shows a move away from Mantel’s familiar Tudor territory towards a kind of alternate history. Her editor, Nicholas Pearson offers a tantalizing clue about the stories’ themes: “The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher shows us the country we have become. These stories are Mantel at her observant best.”
We know that the settings of these ten new short stories are diverse – ranging from London to the far East – and we can predict the Mantel’s skill for compelling charaterisation will shape the snippets of narrative.
The audience at the event will gain a fascinating insight into this hotly-anticipated new collection. Mantel will read from The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher. She will also give a sneak peek into the forthcoming final instillment of her acclaimed Thomas Cromwell trilogy, by reading an exclusive extract of The Mirror and the Light (which is not due to be published until 2016).

Then Mantel will join writer, film maker and director James Runcie in a conversation at the Southbank Centre about her dazzlingly successful literary career.