'Wolf Hall' author Hilary Mantel dies at age of 70

Hilary Mantel has been hailed as "one of the greatest writers of our time" following the news of her death aged 70.
The British writer was best known for the "Wolf Hall" trilogy about the life of Thomas Cromwell, which brought international acclaim and won two Booker Prizes.
Leading British authors and literary institutions were among those to pay tribute after her publisher HarperCollins announced in a statement that she died on Thursday "suddenly yet peacefully," surrounded by close family and friends.
HarperCollins added: "Hilary Mantel was one of the greatest English novelists of this century and her beloved works are considered modern classics. She will be greatly missed."
Harry Potter author JK Rowling said "We've lost a genius" as she paid tribute to the late author on Twitter.
Bernardine Evaristo, president of the Royal Society of Literature, said she was "so sorry" to hear the news and that she felt we have been "so lucky to have such a massive talent in our midst."
Mantel won the Booker Prize first for her 2009 novel "Wolf Hall" and again for its sequel, "Bring Up The Bodies," in 2012.
She concluded her trilogy in 2020 with the publication of "The Mirror & The Light" to critical acclaim, winning the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, which she first won for "Wolf Hall."
The trilogy, which charts the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell in the court of King Henry VIII, has been translated into 41 languages, with sales of more than 5 million worldwide, HarperCollins said.
It was later adapted for the stage and screen, with the BBC developing the story into a TV series which was first broadcast on BBC Two in 2015, starring Mark Rylance as Cromwell.
The series was a critical success and won a string of awards including three BAFTA awards and a Golden Globe.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted "it is impossible to overstate the significance of the literary legacy Hilary Mantel leaves behind." She added: "Her brilliant Wolf Hall trilogy was the crowning achievement in an outstanding body of work. Rest in peace."
Nicholas Pearson, the author's long-term editor, said the news of Mantel's death was "devastating" for all those who knew and worked with her as he hailed her "unique outlook on the world."
Pearson added: "As a person, Hilary was kind and generous and loving, always a great champion of other writers. She was a joy to work with... That we won't have the pleasure of any more of her words is unbearable. What we do have is a body of work that will be read for generations. We must be grateful for that. I will miss her and my thoughts are with her husband Gerald."
Mantel also published a number of other novels and short story collections throughout the years, including the "Every Day Is Mother's Day" series and a memoir, "Giving Up The Ghost," in 2003.
In 1990, the author was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and was made a CBE in 2006 and a dame in 2014.
She leaves her husband, geologist Gerald McEwen, whom she married on September 23 1972.