Reading Order List — Book Series Reading Order Guide
Hilary Mantel

Hilary Mantel Reading Order

8 series · 36 books · Born 1952

Historical FictionNon-Fiction

Hilary Mantel is a celebrated historical novelist who made literary history by winning the Man Booker Prize twice for Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, the first two installments of her acclaimed Thomas Cromwell trilogy set during the reign of Henry VIII. Her meticulously researched narratives bring Tudor England to vivid life through complex characterization and immersive prose, establishing her as one of the most significant voices in contemporary historical fiction. Beyond her bestselling trilogy, Mantel has written numerous other novels and memoirs that demonstrate her range across literary fiction, with works like A Place of Greater Safety and Beyond Black showcasing her ability to blend historical detail with psychological depth.

Anthologies Series

Complete

2 books (2010–2014)

Start with Best European Fiction 2011 and read in order.

Start this series with Best European Fiction 2011

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Best European Fiction 2011
Best European Fiction 2011
2010Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of By the Book

Axon Family Series

Complete

2 books (1985–1986)

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

Start this series with Every Day is Mother's Day

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Every Day is Mother's Day
Every Day is Mother's Day
1985Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
Cover of Vacant Possession
Vacant Possession
1986Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Non-Fiction Series

Likely Complete

2 books (2003–2023)

Start with Giving Up the Ghost and read in order.

Start this series with Giving Up the Ghost

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

Short Stories/Novellas Series

Complete

2 books (2014–2015)

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

Start this series with How Shall I Know You?

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#Title
1
How Shall I Know You?
2014Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
2
The School of English
2015Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

Short Story Collections Series

Complete

3 books (2003–2020)

Start with Learning to Talk and read in order.

Start this series with Learning to Talk

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

Standalone Novels Series

Complete

7 books (1988–2005)

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

Start this series with Eight Months on Ghazzah Street

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

The BBC National Short Story Award Series

Ongoing

15 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.

Start this series with The BBC National Short Story Award 2010(By: Helen Oyeyemi,David Constantine,Sarah Hall,Aminatta Forna,Jon McGregor)

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#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
Cover of 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)
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
Cover of The BBC National Short Story Award 2021(By: Danny Rhodes,James Runcie,Richard Smyth,Lucy Caldwell,Rory Gleeson,Georgina Harding)
The BBC National Short Story Award 2021(By: Danny Rhodes,James Runcie,Richard Smyth,Lucy Caldwell,Rory Gleeson,Georgina Harding)
2021Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
13
Cover of The BBC National Short Story Award 2022(By: Kerry Andrew,Elizabeth Day,Jenn Ashworth,Anna Bailey,Vanessa Onwuemezi,Saba Sams)
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

The Wolf Hall Series

Complete

3 books (2009–2020)

Start with Wolf Hall and read in order.

Start this series with Wolf Hall

Buy Book 1 🇺🇸🎧 Listen free on Audible
#Title
1
Cover of Wolf Hall
2
Bring Up the Bodies
2012Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible
3
Cover of The Mirror and the Light
The Mirror and the Light
2020Buy 🇺🇸🎧 Audible

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.

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