Hilary Mantel: how I came to write Wolf Hall
Show up at the desk" is one of the first rules of writing, but for Wolf Hall I was about 30 years late. When I began writing, in the 1970s, I thought of myself simply as a historical novelist; I can't do plots, I thought, so I will let history do them for me. I had an idea that, after the French revolution was done and dusted, Thomas Cromwell might be the next job. Blacksmith's boy to Earl of Essex – how did he do it? The story seemed irresistible. I thought someone else would write it.
Mar 26, 2025, 20:43 IST
The 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's accession fell in 2009. Dimly aware of this, but not yet focused, in 2005 I proposed to my publisher a novel – just one, mind – about his great minister. Still no one had told the story. The Tudor scholar GR Elton had established Cromwell as a statesman of the first rank, but Elton's work had done nothing for his popular image. Holbein's portrait shows a man of undistinguished ugliness, with a hard, flat, sceptical eye. In A Man for All Seasons, he is the villain who casually holds another man's hand in a candle flame.
Hilary Mantel, the renowned British author, shared insights into how she came to write Wolf Hall, the first book in her acclaimed Thomas Cromwell trilogy. The novel, published in 2009, reimagines the rise of Cromwell, a blacksmith’s son who became one of the most powerful figures in the court of Henry VIII.
Mantel’s fascination with the Tudor period began in childhood, sparked by history lessons and books about the era. However, she was particularly drawn to Cromwell because of his complex character—often vilified as a ruthless schemer, yet undeniably brilliant and pragmatic. Unlike the usual portrayals of him as a villain, Mantel saw him as a man of intelligence, resilience, and vision.
The writing process for Wolf Hall was long and demanding. Mantel spent years researching, immersing herself in historical records, biographies, and letters. She sought to bring Cromwell’s world to life with depth and accuracy, avoiding the clichés of historical fiction. One of her key innovations was the novel’s unique narrative style, written in the present tense and offering a deeply immersive, almost cinematic experience.
The success of Wolf Hall exceeded expectations. It won the 2009 Booker Prize and was followed by Bring Up the Bodies (2012), which also won the Booker, making Mantel the first woman to win the prize twice. The trilogy was completed with The Mirror & the Light (2020).
Mantel described writing Wolf Hall as an attempt to "rescue Cromwell from history" and present him as a man shaped by his turbulent times. Her work not only redefined historical fiction but also reshaped how people perceive one of history’s most enigmatic figures.