FICTION

KATE MOSSE with PAUL BLEZARD

Kate Mosse is one of those world-class authors who can transport you through time with her beautifully-woven tales and hold you in thrall as she introduces you to unforgettable characters set in captivating landscapes.

In this conversation with Paul Blezard, she explores the importance of a sense of place in her multimillion-selling Languedoc trilogy, explaining why Carcassonne, the city that honoured her with a medal for “Services to Cultures,’ is so important to her and her writing. She also discusses her love of Gothic fiction and her own bestselling Gothic novels, The Taxidermist’s Daughter and The Winter Ghosts. Along the way she ties in the Huguenots of South Africa, the origins of its vineyards and wine industry, the views of the Cape’s mountains and the Pyrenees and of course the Women’s Prize for fiction which she co-founded and which is now such a vital showcase for the finest of novels.

A weaver of tales Kate certainly is. Blezard also likens her to Monet for her ability, while painting vast canvasses, to catch the finest details that make you gasp with delight.