Herald Sun - Australia
6 December 2005

Not another false impression, my lord

By Bob Hart

Author and former British MP Lord Jeffrey Archer chatted openly with Melbourne fans yesterday about the prison sentence that was expected to end his career. "A lot has happened to me since I was last with you," said Archer, a regular visitor to Australia before his conviction.

"At the end of my trial, I was rather hoping the judge would send me to Australia for the rest of my life."

Archer was speaking at a literary lunch to mark the release of False Impression (Macmillan) — his first new work of fiction since his release two years ago from a British prison.

He had been found guilty in 2001 of perjury and perverting the course of justice. He was sentenced to a total of four years. He was released on probation after having served two.

Yesterday, Archer described the first six months of his sentence as "fascinating, in the sense that being a writer, I was learning every day.

"It was quite dreadful, of course — the noise, the smell, everything. But I was still learning," he said.

"And the privilege of being able to write, uninterrupted, is not to be underestimated.

"I wrote a million words in the first year, and I could never have done that outside of prison."

Reactions to Archer's new novel, a global thriller woven around the 9/11 terrorist attack, have been favourable.

"If it shoots to number one, my whole life will change again," Archer said.