Anthony Horowitz: The book that changed his life

Q: What inspired you to write?

“I began writing when I was ten years old. I loved telling stories. I think I was born a writer. There was never any sense of choice.”

Q: Which 10 books would you recommend that everyone read?

“Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

Candide, Voltaire

The Caine Mutiny, Herman Wouk

Don Quixote, Cervantes

The Odyssey, Homer

Lord of the Flies, William Golding

Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronté

If this is a Man, Primo Levi

David Copperfield, Charles Dickens

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee”

Q: Which book do you think every teenager should read?

“Animal Farm, George Orwell.”

Q: Which is the one book that changed your life?

“Stormbreaker (the first Alex Rider).”

Q: Is there any author who has greatly inspired you?

“Charles Dickens.”

Q: Share 5 hacks to write better.

“Read.

Write what you know.

Enjoy your writing. If you’re not enjoying it, something is wrong.

Get out, have adventures. You need something to write about.

Believe in yourself.”

Q: What’s the one phrase from a book you read, that stands out in your memory?

““Nobody knows anything.” William Goldman – Adventures in the Screen Trade.”

— The author will be a part of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2016, which will be held in Dubai from March 1 - 12.