Festival events

Festival of Chichester president Kate Mosse will be appearing at two events at this year’s Festival of Chichester.

An Evening with Felix, Greg and Kate Mosse will be at Edes House, Chichester on June 18 at 19:00 with tickets available on https://libraries.westsussex.gov.uk/chichester-library

Kate then joins Celebrate Women Writers on June 20 from 09:30-18:30.

Kate Mosse is the author of Labyrinth and many other best-sellers. Her husband Greg is a ‘writer and encourager of writers’, a prolific author of thrillers and crime novels. Their son, Felix, has just published his first epic-fantasy novel The Mistral.

Together at Edes House, they will tell you how they do it.

In Felix’s book, The Mistral has long bestowed Roots – magical abilities to people destined to shape the future. But as the Mistral falters and fear of war consumes the realms, a peace delegation sets out from Terrius to Eron.

Swan, daughter of an assassinated queen, holds the powerful and rare Root of Revelation. She must seek answers to her mother’s murder. Meanwhile, Fenne, a feared fighter, comes to the attention of one city ruler who sees in her an opportunity. As the city prepares to host the Peace Pledge, Swan and Fenne catch glimpses of dark conspiracies – ones in which they may prove expendable pawns.

Felix, who grew up in Chichester and was a member of Chichester Festival Youth Theatre, is hugely excited to find out what readers will think: “It's my debut in two ways. It is my first novel being published and it's the first novel I have ever written. Coming from the family that I do, it would have felt strange if I hadn't given it go… but equally I could have run for the hills away from the family profession!”

Celebrate Women Writers is on June 20 from 09:30-18:30 in The Assembly Rooms, North Street with tickets available on https://www.chichesterwomenshistorygroup.org/talks-and-events/women-writers-fest-2026

It offers a celebration of women writers from Sussex and beyond – an all-day event with a chance to meet the authors for a book signing. Jess Brown-Fuller starts the day, followed by Kate Mosse, Tessa Boase, crime writers Elly Griffiths & Lesley Thomson, then Daisy Dunn in conversation with Kate Mosse.

10am – Welcome by Patron, Jess Brown-Fuller MP.

10-11am – From Carcassonne to Chichester. International bestselling author and Cicestrian Kate Mosse talks about the inspiration behind her multi-million selling fiction and non-fiction, including Labyrinth and The Taxidermist’s Daughter.

11.30am-12.30pm – Who’s Who in the West Sussex Record Office Collections. Discovering the women writers in their archives.

2–3pm – Fashion, Fury and Feathers. Tessa Boase, author of Mrs Pankhurst’s Purple Feathers, shares insights into how fashion endangered birds and led to the founding of the RSPB.

3.30–4.30pm – Making Crime Pay. Sussex-based bestselling crime writers Elly Griffiths and Lesley Thomson share their working practices and how to make crime pay.

5–6pm – The Missing Thread. Novelist and non-fiction author Daisy Dunn in conversation with Kate Mosse, discussing her fascinating new history of the Ancient World.

6.30pm – Close.