Hilary Mantel ebook sales spike following 'plastic princess' front page furore

Sales of Wolf Hall doubled on Tuesday after the press storm about the double Booker winner's opinions about the media representation of the Duchess of Cambridge

Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies are at numbers two (up from 17) and four of Amazon's historical fiction chart. The digital edition of Wolf Hall is at number three, and ebook sales have doubled. 'In ebook sales, we noticed around 100% increase in sales of Wolf Hall yesterday (19th February) as compared to the day before. We’re pleased that many people are still keen to see what Hilary has to say, and have not been put off by the negative press attention,' Fourth Estate associate publisher Minna Fry told The Bookseller.

The Royal Bodies lecture given by Mantel, reproduced in full in the London Review of Books, sparked controversy after observations about the media representation of Kate Middleton appeared on the front page of The Daily Mail, presented to make it appear as if the writer had launched a personal attack upon the Duchess of Cambridge. Prime Minister David Cameron weighed in, saying that Mantel was 'completely wrong' and 'misguided.'

Oxford University announced today that Hilary Mantel will be awarded the prestigious Bodley Medal, given for outstanding achievement in literature, at the Oxford Literary Festival on 24 March.

For all the latest publishing news, subscribe to Writing Magazine or download our app

Register and sign up for our newsletter for late-breaking news, more competitions and exclusive content