Hilary Mantel The Mirror and the Light talk, Southbank Centre

Since Wolf Hall in 2009 and Bring Up the Bodies in 2012 readers have been eagerly awaiting the final instalment of Hilary Mantel's thrilling Cromwell trilogy. The Mirror and the Light comes out in March 2020, and Mantel is giving and exclusive talk at the Southbank Centre to mark the occasion.

Capturing Cromwell’s fall from grace, the final novel begins with him masterminding Anne Boleyn’s execution in 1536 and ends with his own beheading in 1540.Hilary Mantel promises: 'We walk the last miles of Cromwell’s life, ascending to unprecedented riches and honour and abruptly descending to the scaffold at Tower Hill.'

The double Man Booker Prize winning writer will reflect on piecing together Cromwell's rise and fall, and writing a book that critics and readers around the world have been feverishly anticipating. The 90 minute talk will span Mantel's prodigious career, encompassing the wit, psychological intensity and historical drama for which she has become famous.

Tickets, which range from £28 - £56 include a hardback copy of The Mirror and the Light and are likely to sell out, so we recommend booking in advance.