On 27th June 2024, as part of the Festival of Chichester, Anthony Horowitz and Kate Mosse will be hosting an evening of bookish brilliance in Chichester Cathedral, all in aid of local charity, Children’s BookFest (CBF).

The President of the Festival, best-selling author Kate Mosse, will host an ‘in conversation’ style evening with the wonderful Anthony Horowitz.

Anthony is a prolific author of fiction for both children and adults, as well as a screenwriter, producer and playwright. He is loved by many for his work on tv classics such as Midsomer Murders, Foyle’s War and Poirot, as well as his take on the Sherlock Holmes and James Bond stories, but is equally revered by younger generations for his books and tv series for children; not least those featuring the irrepressible teenage spy, Alex Rider.

On 27th June 2024, Anthony will be talking about his latest book in the Hawthorne and Horowitz series, Close to Death, along with the newest Alex Rider book, Nightshade Revenge.

CBF Fundraiser | Anthony Horowitz and Kate Mosse

placeholder image — CBF Fundraiser | Anthony Horowitz and Kate Mosse

The Hawthorne and Horowitz series is rare in that it features Anthony as a character in his own book; albeit the hapless sidekick rather than the hero. Horowitz has said that writing a whodunnit in this way subverts the form just enough to be original and exciting, but with the same carefully constructed mechanics that are vital to making a murder mystery work. He acknowledges that any kind of metawriting is much more difficult to create than a straightforward narrative, but, luckily for his audience, the effort is hidden beautifully beneath the surface and the reading experience is a delight.

The latest Alex Rider book, Nightshade Revenge, hits the ground running with Alex now prepping for his GCSE’s, safe in the belief that Nightshade, the evil organisation that steals children from their families and trains them to be ruthless assassins, has been disbanded. He has high hopes for his post-exam summer and great plans with his best friend, Tom. But this imaginary idyll doesn’t last, and he’s soon swept up into a ride as crazy as any he’s faced so far and every bit as perilous.

Horowitz is thrilled to be able to support CBF with this event and is passionate about the vital issue of promoting Reading for Pleasure in our children. His Alex Rider series is particularly special to him because it’s led so many young people into the world of reading and listening to books. He’s spoken often about the power of storytelling to bring comfort and connection, and is an ardent advocate for the availability of books for all children - which of course is what CBF, with their BookFests, their work with the FoodBanks and their Outreach activities, is all about.

Horowitz says, ‘Books are much more than the containers of stories. For me, they’re like old friends. Each one of them reminds me of a time in my life – how I found the book, what it meant to me, the pleasure that it brought to me and what I learned. Book ownership is hugely under-rated. They really are the mirror to our lives.’