Hilary Mantel, a Dame of the British Empire, was an illustrious writer known for her exceptional historical fiction, personal memoirs, and captivating short stories. Her literary debut came in 1985 with Every Day Is Mother's Day. Over her prolific career, she authored 12 novels, two collections of short stories, a personal memoir, and numerous articles and opinion pieces.

Mantel's mastery in historical fiction was particularly showcased in her Thomas Cromwell trilogy, starting with Wolf Hall, followed by Bring Up the Bodies, and concluding with The Mirror and the Light. The trilogy, which vividly paints the rise of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII, has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. Her unparalleled skill earned her the Booker Prize twice, first for Wolf Hall in 2009 and then for its sequel Bring Up the Bodies in 2012, making her the only woman to have won the award twice for novels focused on the same historical figure.

Aside from her trilogy, Mantel's oeuvre includes titles such as A Place of Greater Safety, Beyond Black, and her memoir Giving Up the Ghost. Throughout her career, she received numerous accolades including the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction and the Costa Book Award. An influential voice in literature, her essays and reviews graced the pages of The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, and the London Review of Books.