Hilary Mantel Reading Order

2 books (2010–2014)

Hilary Mantel's two-book anthology collection spans from 2010 to 2014 and is now complete. These works should be read in publication order, beginning with Best European Fiction 2011 followed by By the Book. The series combines Mantel's interests in historical fiction and non-fiction through curated anthology selections.

Start with Best European Fiction 2011 and read in order.

#	Title
1	Best European Fiction 2011 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	By the Book 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (1985–1986)

Hilary Mantel's Axon Family series comprises two complete works published in the mid-1980s that should be read in publication order. Every Day is Mother's Day launched the series in 1985, followed by Vacant Possession in 1986. These historical fiction novels explore interconnected family narratives and domestic life across the span of their publication.

Start with Every Day is Mother's Day and read in order.

#	Title
1	Every Day is Mother's Day 1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Vacant Possession 1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2003–2023)

Hilary Mantel's two-book memoir series spans two decades of publication, beginning with Giving Up the Ghost in 2003 and concluding with A Memoir of My Former Self: A Life in Writing in 2023. These works should be read in publication order, as they represent distinct periods of reflection from the acclaimed author. The series combines personal narrative with literary insight, offering readers an intimate look at Mantel's life and creative development across her distinguished career.

Start with Giving Up the Ghost and read in order.

#	Title
1	Giving Up the Ghost 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	A Memoir of My Former Self: A Life in Writing 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

2 books (2014–2015)

Hilary Mantel's two-book collection of short stories and novellas was published between 2014 and 2015, beginning with How Shall I Know You? followed by The School of English. This complete series should be read in publication order. The works showcase Mantel's expertise in historical fiction and narrative craft across shorter fictional forms.

Start with How Shall I Know You? and read in order.

3 books (2003–2020)

Hilary Mantel's three short story collections span nearly two decades, beginning with Learning to Talk in 2003 and concluding with Mantel Pieces in 2020. These collections should be read in publication order to appreciate the evolution of her craft across the years. The series is now complete and offers readers a comprehensive view of Mantel's work in the shorter fiction form alongside her acclaimed historical novels.

Start with Learning to Talk and read in order.

#	Title
1	Learning to Talk 2003Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	Mantel Pieces 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

7 books (1988–2005)

Hilary Mantel's seven standalone novels span from 1988 to 2005 and should be read in publication order. The complete series includes Eight Months on Ghazzah Street, Fludd, A Place of Greater Safety, A Change of Climate, An Experiment in Love, The Giant, O'Brien, and Beyond Black. Each novel stands alone as an independent work, though reading them in order provides insight into Mantel's evolving style across historical fiction and contemporary settings.

Start with Eight Months on Ghazzah Street, the first of 7 books in the Standalone Novels series.

#	Title
1	Eight Months on Ghazzah Street 1988Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Fludd 1989Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	A Place of Greater Safety 1992Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	A Change of Climate 1994Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	An Experiment in Love 1995Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The Giant, O'Brien 1998Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	Beyond Black 2005Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

15 books (2010–2024)

The BBC National Short Story Award is an annual anthology series featuring winning and shortlisted stories from the prestigious BBC competition. Spanning fifteen volumes published from 2010 to 2024, the series showcases contemporary short fiction from both established and emerging writers. Each yearly collection presents multiple stories selected through the award's rigorous judging process, offering readers diverse voices and styles in short form. The series is ongoing and should be read in publication order, beginning with the 2010 edition, to experience how the award has evolved and which authors have been recognized across its fifteen-year history.

Start with The BBC National Short Story Award 2010(By: Helen Oyeyemi,David Constantine,Sarah Hall,Aminatta Forna,Jon McGregor), the first of 15 books in the The BBC National Short Story Award series.

#	Title
1	The BBC National Short Story Award 2010(By: Helen Oyeyemi,David Constantine,Sarah Hall,Aminatta Forna,Jon McGregor) 2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	The BBC National Short Story Award 2011(By: Alison MacLeod,M.J. Hyland,Jon McGregor,K.J. Orr,Sue MacGregor) 2011Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The BBC International Short Story Award 2012(By: Miroslav Penkov,Carrie Tiffany,Deborah Levy,M.J. Hyland,Clive Anderson,Lucy Caldwell,Henrietta Rose-Innes,Julian Gough,Chris Womersley,Krys Lee,Adam Ross) 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
4	The BBC National Short Story Award 2013(By: Lionel Shriver,Sarah Hall,Lavinia Greenlaw,Lucy Wood) 2013Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
5	The BBC National Short Story Award 2014(By: Tessa Hadley,Lionel Shriver,Zadie Smith,Rose Tremain,Francesca Rhydderch,Alan Yentob) 2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
6	The BBC National Short Story Award 2015(By: Jeremy Page) 2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
7	BBC National Short Story Award 2016(With: Claire-Louise Bennett,Lavinia Greenlaw,Tahmima Anam,Jenni Murray,K.J. Orr) 2016Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
8	The BBC National Short Story Award 2017(By: Joanna Trollope,Helen Oyeyemi,Jenni Fagan,Benjamin Markovits,Will Eaves,Cynan Jones) 2017Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
9	The BBC National Short Story Award 2018(By: Kerry Andrew,Sarah Hall,Ingrid Persaud,Nell Stevens,Kiare Ladner,Stig Abell) 2018Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
10	The BBC National Short Story Award 2019(By: Lucy Caldwell,Jo Lloyd,Lynda Clark,Jacqueline Crooks,Nikki Bedi) 2019Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
11	The BBC National Short Story Award 2020(By: Eley Williams,Sarah Hall,Caleb Azumah Nelson,Jan Carson,Jack Houston) 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
12	The BBC National Short Story Award 2021(By: Danny Rhodes,James Runcie,Richard Smyth,Lucy Caldwell,Rory Gleeson,Georgina Harding) 2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13	The BBC National Short Story Award 2022(By: Kerry Andrew,Elizabeth Day,Jenn Ashworth,Anna Bailey,Vanessa Onwuemezi,Saba Sams) 2022Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
14	The BBC National Short Story Award 2023(By: Kamila Shamsie,NickMulgrew,NaomiWood,CheriseSaywell,KPatrick,Reeta Chakrabarti) 2023Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
15	The BBC National Short Story Award 2024(By: Lucy Caldwell,Ross Raisin,Will Boast,Manish Chauhan,Paddy O’Connell,Vee Walker) 2024Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

3 books (2009–2020)

Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy spans more than a decade of publication, from 2009 to 2020, and should be read in publication order: Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror and the Light. This complete historical fiction series examines the life and rise of Thomas Cromwell during the reign of Henry VIII. Each installment builds upon the previous narrative, making sequential reading essential for following the complex political and personal dynamics throughout the trilogy.

Start with Wolf Hall and read in order.

#	Title
1	Wolf Hall 2009Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2	Bring Up the Bodies 2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3	The Mirror and the Light 2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible