Anupam Kher Remembers Jeffrey Archer: A Dubai Photo, a First Book and a Lesson on Memory and Imagination

Actor and author Anupam Kher has paid tribute to British novelist Jeffrey Archer, who died on 5 October 2026 at the age of 86, according to reports from IANS and other outlets. Kher shared a photograph from a meeting with Archer and a long note on Instagram on 7 October.

Kher said he met Archer at the Emirates Literature Festival in Dubai, where he presented the author with his first book, The Best Thing About You Is You. He described the encounter as short but very important to him, and called it one of the highlights of his life.

Kher, who is 71, said the photograph now means a great deal to him because it shows Archer holding his book. He wrote that a writer whose books he had admired for years was now holding one of his own, and that, standing beside Archer, he felt less like an actor and first-time author and more like an excited admirer.

Kher said the two had a pleasant chat and that he asked Archer what he thought was the most important thing for a writer. What stayed with him from the answer, Kher wrote, was the importance of memory and imagination. He added that his own memory now takes him back to that meeting, while Archer's imagination lives on through his stories.

Kher called himself a lifelong admirer of Archer's writing and named Kane and Abel and Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less as books that showed the author's ability to draw readers into worlds they did not want to leave.

He also reflected on loss more broadly. Everyone has to go one day, Kher wrote, yet when someone admired is suddenly gone, there is a vacuum that knowledge cannot fill. An old photograph becomes more precious, he said, and a short conversation returns with unexpected clarity. He thanked Archer for his stories, his warmth and the kindness with which he held the book, and ended with "Rest in peace."

Archer was one of Britain's best-selling novelists, known for thrillers and sagas such as Kane and Abel. He also had a prominent career in public life as a Conservative member of parliament and later a member of the House of Lords, though he was convicted of perjury in 2001. Reports of his death so far have focused on tributes, and the cause has not been highlighted in the coverage we reviewed.

The post struck a chord with readers because it combines a fan's admiration with a practical writing lesson. It also reflects how literary festivals bring authors and public figures from different fields into direct contact, creating moments that can matter long after the event.

Details come from reports by IANS, Bollywood Hungama and other outlets quoting Kher's Instagram post.