Hilary Mantel Reading Order
8 series · 36 books · Born 1952
Hilary Mantel is a renowned British author celebrated for her masterful historical fiction, particularly her critically acclaimed works set in Tudor England. With a prolific career spanning nearly four decades, she has published 36 books across eight series, including the popular Axon Family and notable standalone novels. Mantel's most distinguished achievements include her award-winning novels, *Wolf Hall* and its sequel, *Bring Up the Bodies*, which have captivated readers and audiences alike.
Anthologies Series
Complete2 books (2010–2014)
Start with Best European Fiction 2011 and read in order.
Axon Family Series
Complete2 books (1985–1986)
Start with Every Day is Mother's Day and read in order.
Non-Fiction Series
Likely Complete2 books (2003–2023)
Start with Giving Up the Ghost and read in order.
Short Stories/Novellas Series
Complete2 books (2014–2015)
Start with How Shall I Know You? and read in order.
Short Story Collections Series
Complete3 books (2003–2020)
Start with Learning to Talk and read in order.
Standalone Novels Series
Complete7 books (1988–2005)
Start with Eight Months on Ghazzah Street, the first of 7 books in the Standalone Novels series.
The BBC National Short Story Award Series
Ongoing15 books (2010–2024)
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 🇺🇸 |
| 2 | The BBC National Short Story Award 2011(By: Alison MacLeod,M.J. Hyland,Jon McGregor,K.J. Orr,Sue MacGregor) 2011Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 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 🇺🇸 |
| 4 | The BBC National Short Story Award 2013(By: Lionel Shriver,Sarah Hall,Lavinia Greenlaw,Lucy Wood) 2013Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 | The BBC National Short Story Award 2014(By: Tessa Hadley,Lionel Shriver,Zadie Smith,Rose Tremain,Francesca Rhydderch,Alan Yentob) 2014Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 | The BBC National Short Story Award 2015(By: Jeremy Page) 2015Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 | BBC National Short Story Award 2016(With: Claire-Louise Bennett,Lavinia Greenlaw,Tahmima Anam,Jenni Murray,K.J. Orr) 2016Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 | The BBC National Short Story Award 2017(By: Joanna Trollope,Helen Oyeyemi,Jenni Fagan,Benjamin Markovits,Will Eaves,Cynan Jones) 2017Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 | The BBC National Short Story Award 2018(By: Kerry Andrew,Sarah Hall,Ingrid Persaud,Nell Stevens,Kiare Ladner,Stig Abell) 2018Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 | The BBC National Short Story Award 2019(By: Lucy Caldwell,Jo Lloyd,Lynda Clark,Jacqueline Crooks,Nikki Bedi) 2019Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 | The BBC National Short Story Award 2020(By: Eley Williams,Sarah Hall,Caleb Azumah Nelson,Jan Carson,Jack Houston) 2020Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  The BBC National Short Story Award 2021(By: Danny Rhodes,James Runcie,Richard Smyth,Lucy Caldwell,Rory Gleeson,Georgina Harding) 2021Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 |  The BBC National Short Story Award 2022(By: Kerry Andrew,Elizabeth Day,Jenn Ashworth,Anna Bailey,Vanessa Onwuemezi,Saba Sams) 2022Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 | The BBC National Short Story Award 2023(By: Kamila Shamsie,NickMulgrew,NaomiWood,CheriseSaywell,KPatrick,Reeta Chakrabarti) 2023Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 | The BBC National Short Story Award 2024(By: Lucy Caldwell,Ross Raisin,Will Boast,Manish Chauhan,Paddy O’Connell,Vee Walker) 2024Buy 🇺🇸 |
The Wolf Hall Series
Complete3 books (2009–2020)
Start with Wolf Hall and read in order.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has Hilary Mantel written?
- Hilary Mantel has written 36 books across 8 series. Their published works span from 1985 to 2024.
- What is the first book in each Hilary Mantel series?
- Here are the first books in Hilary Mantel's series: Anthologies: Best European Fiction 2011; Axon Family: Every Day is Mother's Day; Non-Fiction: Giving Up the Ghost; Short Stories/Novellas: How Shall I Know You?; Short Story Collections: Learning to Talk.
- What order should I read Hilary Mantel's books?
- We recommend reading Hilary Mantel's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Is Hilary Mantel still writing new books?
- Yes, Hilary Mantel has 1 ongoing series: The BBC National Short Story Award.