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‘I never wanted to be a writer'

21 June 2014

‘I never wanted to be a writer. At first I wanted to be a violinist but I just wasn't good enough. My love of stories came, I suppose, from my father, who used to read books to me like King Solomon's Mines. I've loved adventure books ever since.

Writing historical fiction means I do lots of research, so my study's covered in notes and bits of paper. It helps me get under the skin of my subjects. I also do lots of practical research. My latest book, Citadel, for example, is set during the Second World War, so I felt it necessary to learn how to shoot a gun. It was horrifyingly good fun. I actually felt guilty for finding it quite so exciting.'

Kate Mosse, author of Labyrinth, Sepulchre and Citadel in The Times