Anthony Horowitz
Encyclopedia
Anthony Craig Horowitz is an English novelist and screenwriter. He has written many children's novels, including The Power of Five
, Alex Rider
and The Diamond Brothers
series and has written over fifty books. He has also written extensively for television, adapting many of Agatha Christie's
Hercule Poirot
novels for the ITV series
. He is the creator and writer of the ITV
series Foyle's War
, Midsomer Murders
and Collision
.
in Harrow
, Middlesex
. There, he entertained his peers by telling them the stories he had read. Horowitz described his time in the school as "a brutal experience", recalling that he was often beaten by the headmaster.
Horowitz's father acted as a "fixer" for prime minister Harold Wilson
. Facing bankruptcy, he moved his assets into Swiss numbered bank accounts. He died from cancer when his son Anthony was 22, and the family was never able to track down the missing money despite years of trying. Horowitz adored his mother, who introduced him to Frankenstein and Dracula. She also gave him a human skull for his 13th birthday. Horowitz said in an interview that it reminds him to get to the end of each story since he will soon look like the skull. From the age of eight, Horowitz knew he wanted to be a writer, realising "the only time when I'm totally happy is when I'm writing". He graduated from the University of York
with a BA
in English literature
in 1977.
In at least one interview, Horowitz claims to believe that H. P. Lovecraft
based his fictional Necronomicon
on a real text, and to have read some of that text.
Horowitz now lives in Central London with his wife Jill Green, whom he married in Hong Kong on 15 April 1988. Green produces Foyle's War
, the series Horowitz writes for ITV
. They have two sons, Nicholas Mark Horowitz (born 1989) and Cassian James Horowitz (born 1991). He credits his family with much of his success in writing, as he says they help him with ideas and research. Horowitz is a patron of child protection charity Kidscape
.
In between writing these novels, Horowitz turned his attention to legendary characters, working with Richard Carpenter on the Robin of Sherwood
television series, writing five episodes of the third season. He also novelized three of Carpenter's episodes as a children's book under the title Robin Sherwood: The Hooded Man (1986). In addition, he created Crossbow
(1987), a half-hour action adventure series loosely based on William Tell
.
In 1988, Groosham Grange
was published. This book went on to win the 1989 Lancashire Children's Book of the Year Award. It was partially based on the years Horowitz spent at boarding school. Its central character is a thirteen-year-old "witch", David Eliot, gifted as the seventh son of a seventh son
. Like Horowitz's, Eliot's childhood is unhappy. The Groosham Grange books are aimed at a slightly younger audience than Horowitz's previous books.
This era in Horowitz's career also saw Adventurer (1987) and Starting Out (1990) published. However, the most major release of Horowitz's early career was The Falcon's Malteser
(1986). This book was the first in the successful Diamond Brothers
series, and was filmed for television in 1989 as Just Ask for Diamond
, with an all star cast that included Bill Paterson, Jimmy Nail, Roy Kinnear, Susannah York, Michael Robbins and Patricia Hodge, and featured Colin Dale and Dursley McLinden as Nick and Tim Diamond. It was followed in 1987 with Public Enemy Number Two
, and by South by South East in 1991 followed by The French Confection
, I Know What You Did Last Wednesday
, The Blurred Man
and most recently The Greek Who Stole Christmas
. Horowitz also released Myths and Legends, a collection of retold tales from around the world, in 1991.
and explores the rumour of Elizabeth I
's secret son.
In 1999, The Unholy Grail was published as a sequel to Groosham Grange
. The Unholy Grail was renamed as Return to Groosham Grange in 2003, possibly to help readers understand the connection between the books. Horowitz Horror
(1999) and More Horowitz Horror (2000) saw Horowitz exploring a darker side of his writing. Each book contains several short horror stories. Many of these stories were repackaged in twos or threes as the Pocket Horowitz series.
novels. These books are about a 14-year-old boy becoming a spy
. He is a member of MI6. Currently, there are nine Alex Rider books: Stormbreaker
(2000), Point Blanc
(2001), Skeleton Key
(2002), Eagle Strike
(2003), Scorpia (2004) Ark Angel
(2005) , Snakehead
(2007) , Crocodile Tears
(2009) and Scorpia Rising
(2011). The seventh Alex Rider
novel, Snakehead, was released on 31 October 2007, and the eighth, Crocodile Tears
, was released in the UK on 12 November 2009. The final Alex Rider book, Scorpia Rising
, was released on 31 March 2011. It is uncertain when Yassen, the book detailing the adventures of assassin Yassen Gregorovitch, Alex Rider's old nemesis, will be released, if at all.
In 2003, Horowitz also wrote three novels featuring the Diamond Brothers: The Blurred Man, The French Confection
and I Know What You Did Last Wednesday
, which were republished together as Three of Diamonds in 2004. The author information page in early editions of Scorpia and the introduction to Three of Diamonds claimed that Horowitz had travelled to Australia to research a new Diamond Brothers book, entitled Radius of the Lost Shark. However, this book has not been mentioned since, so it is doubtful it is still planned. A new Diamond Brothers "short" book entitled The Greek who Stole Christmas was later released. It is hinted at the end of The Greek who Stole Christmas that Radius of the Lost Shark may turn out to be the eighth book in the series.
In 2004, Horowitz branched out to an adult audience with The Killing Joke
, a comedy about a man who tries to track a joke to its source with disastrous consequences. Horowitz's second adult novel, The Magpie Murders, was due out on 18 October 2006. However, that date passed with no further news on the book; all that is known about it is that it will be about "a whodunit writer who is murdered while he's writing his latest whodunit" and "it has an ending which I hope will come as a very nasty surprise". As the initial release date was not met, it is not currently known if or when The Magpie Murders will be released.
In August 2005, Horowitz released a book called Raven's Gate
which began another series entitled The Power of Five
(The Gatekeepers in the United States). He describes it as "Alex Rider with witches and devils". The second book in the series, Evil Star
, was released in April 2006. The third in the series is called Nightrise
, and was released on 2 April 2007. The fourth book Necropolis was released in October 2008.
The Power of Five
is a rewritten, modern version of the Pentagram series from the 1980s. Although Pentagram required five books for story development, Horowitz completed only four: The Devil's Door-bell (Raven's Gate
), The Night of the Scorpion (Evil Star
), The Silver Citadel (Nightrise
) and Day of the Dragon (Necropolis). Horowitz was clearly aiming for the same audience that read the Alex Rider
novels with these rewrites, and The Power of Five
has gained more public recognition than his earlier works, earning number 1 in the top 10 book chart.
In October 2008, Anthony Horowitz's play Mindgame opened Off Broadway at the Soho Playhouse in New York City. Mindgame starred Keith Carradine
, Lee Godart, and Kathleen McNenny. The production was the New York stage directorial debut for Ken Russell
. Recently he got into a joke dispute with Darren Shan
over the author using a character that had a similar name and a description that fitted his. Although Horowitz considered suing, he decided not to.
In March 2009 he was a guest on Private Passions
, the biographical music discussion programme on BBC Radio 3
.
On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled The House of Silk
. It was both published in November 2011 and broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
. His association with murder mysteries began with the adaptation of several Hercule Poirot
stories for ITV
's popular Agatha Christie's Poirot
series during the 1990s.
Often his work has a comic edge, such as with the comic murder anthology Murder Most Horrid
(BBC Two, 1991) and the comedy-drama The Last Englishman (1995), starring Jim Broadbent
. From 1997, he wrote the majority of the episodes in the early series of Midsomer Murders
. In 2001, he created a drama anthology series of his own for the BBC, Murder in Mind, an occasional series which deals with a different set of characters and a different murder every one-hour episode.
He is also less-favourably known for the creation of two short-lived and sometimes derided science-fiction shows
, Crime Traveller
(1997) for BBC One and The Vanishing Man (pilot 1996, series 1998) for ITV
. While Crime Traveller received favourable viewing figures it was not renewed for a second season, which Horowitz accounts to temporary personnel transitioning within the BBC. It has, however, attracted somewhat of a cult following. The successful 2002 launch of the detective series Foyle's War
, set during the Second World War, helped to restore his reputation as one of Britain's foremost writers of popular drama.
He devised the 2009 ITV crime drama Collision
and co-wrote the screenplay with Michael A. Walker
.
Horowitz is the writer of a feature film screenplay, The Gathering, which was released in 2002 and starred Christina Ricci
. He wrote the screenplay for Alex Rider's first major motion picture, Stormbreaker
.
In an interview with BBC Radio 5
on 6 April 2011, Horowitz announced that he was writing the sequel to Steven Spielberg
's Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn. The sequel will be based on the Tintin
graphic album Prisoners of the Sun
and directed by Peter Jackson
.
Yassen (TBA)
The Power of Five
The Power of Five is a series of fantasy and suspense novels, written by British author Anthony Horowitz. Four installments have been published to date but another one is to be released...
, Alex Rider
Alex Rider
Alex Rider is a series of spy novels by British author Anthony Horowitz about a 14-15 year old spy named Alex Rider. The series is aimed primarily at young adults. Nine novels have been published to date, as well as three graphic novels, three short stories and a supplementary book...
and The Diamond Brothers
The Diamond Brothers
The Diamond Brothers is a series of humorous children's detective books by Anthony Horowitz, the first of which was published in 1986. The books tell the adventures of the world's worst private detective, Tim Diamond, and his little brother, Nick Diamond, who is considerably more intelligent...
series and has written over fifty books. He has also written extensively for television, adapting many of Agatha Christie's
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE was a British crime writer of novels, short stories, and plays. She also wrote romances under the name Mary Westmacott, but she is best remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections , and her successful West End plays.According to...
Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. Along with Miss Marple, Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-lived characters, appearing in 33 novels and 51 short stories published between 1920 and 1975 and set in the same era.Poirot has been portrayed on...
novels for the ITV series
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Agatha Christie's Poirot is a British television drama that has aired on ITV since 1989. It stars David Suchet as Agatha Christie's fictional detective Hercule Poirot. It was originally made by LWT and is now made by ITV Studios...
. He is the creator and writer of the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
series Foyle's War
Foyle's War
Foyle's War is a British detective drama television series set during World War II, created by screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz, and was commissioned by ITV after the long-running series Inspector Morse came to an end in 2000. It has aired on ITV since 2002...
, Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
and Collision
Collision (TV series)
Collision is a five-part television drama miniseries, which debuted on ITV in November 2009. In the same month, it was also on PBS as a series in two parts. It tells the story of a group of strangers whose lives intertwine following a devastating car crash...
.
Background and personal life
Anthony Horowitz was born in 1956 in Middlesex, into a wealthy Jewish family, and in his early years lived an upper-class lifestyle.Orley Farm School
Orley Farm School is a fee paying school in the London borough of Harrow, at the foot of Harrow Hill on South Hill Avenue. It was founded as the preparatory school for Harrow School, although now only a few leavers go on there. It currently has a little under 500 pupils, and ages range from 4 to...
in Harrow
London Borough of Harrow
The London Borough of Harrow is a London borough of north-west London. It borders Hertfordshire to the north and other London boroughs: Hillingdon to the west, Ealing to the south, Brent to the south-east and Barnet to the east.-History:...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. There, he entertained his peers by telling them the stories he had read. Horowitz described his time in the school as "a brutal experience", recalling that he was often beaten by the headmaster.
Horowitz's father acted as a "fixer" for prime minister Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
. Facing bankruptcy, he moved his assets into Swiss numbered bank accounts. He died from cancer when his son Anthony was 22, and the family was never able to track down the missing money despite years of trying. Horowitz adored his mother, who introduced him to Frankenstein and Dracula. She also gave him a human skull for his 13th birthday. Horowitz said in an interview that it reminds him to get to the end of each story since he will soon look like the skull. From the age of eight, Horowitz knew he wanted to be a writer, realising "the only time when I'm totally happy is when I'm writing". He graduated from the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
with a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
in 1977.
In at least one interview, Horowitz claims to believe that H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
based his fictional Necronomicon
Necronomicon
The Necronomicon is a fictional grimoire appearing in the stories by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his followers. It was first mentioned in Lovecraft's 1924 short story "The Hound", written in 1922, though its purported author, the "Mad Arab" Abdul Alhazred, had been quoted a year earlier in...
on a real text, and to have read some of that text.
Horowitz now lives in Central London with his wife Jill Green, whom he married in Hong Kong on 15 April 1988. Green produces Foyle's War
Foyle's War
Foyle's War is a British detective drama television series set during World War II, created by screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz, and was commissioned by ITV after the long-running series Inspector Morse came to an end in 2000. It has aired on ITV since 2002...
, the series Horowitz writes for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. They have two sons, Nicholas Mark Horowitz (born 1989) and Cassian James Horowitz (born 1991). He credits his family with much of his success in writing, as he says they help him with ideas and research. Horowitz is a patron of child protection charity Kidscape
Kidscape
The London-based charity Kidscape was established in 1985 by child psychologist Michele Elliott. Its focus is on children’s safety, with an emphasis on the prevention of harm by equipping children with techniques and mindsets that help them stay safe....
.
1979–1993
Anthony Horowitz's first book, The Sinister Secret of Frederick K Bower, was a humorous adventure for children, published in 1979 and later reissued as Enter Frederick K Bower. In 1981 his second novel, Misha, the Magician and the Mysterious Amulet was published and he moved to Paris to write his third book. In 1983 the first of the Pentagram series, The Devil's Door-Bell, was released. This story saw Martin Hopkins battling an ancient evil that threatened the whole world. Only three of four remaining stories in the series were ever written: The Night of the Scorpion (1984), The Silver Citadel (1986) and Day of the Dragon (1986).In between writing these novels, Horowitz turned his attention to legendary characters, working with Richard Carpenter on the Robin of Sherwood
Robin of Sherwood
Robin of Sherwood , was a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 1984 to 1986 on the ITV network. In America it was retitled Robin Hood and shown on the premium cable TV channel...
television series, writing five episodes of the third season. He also novelized three of Carpenter's episodes as a children's book under the title Robin Sherwood: The Hooded Man (1986). In addition, he created Crossbow
Crossbow (TV series)
Crossbow is a 1987 action/adventure television series that aired on The Family Channel. The series was produced by Steven North and Richard Schlesinger for Robert Halmi Inc., in co-production with French television network FR3, and filmed entirely on location in France.-Synopsis:Crossbow follows...
(1987), a half-hour action adventure series loosely based on William Tell
William Tell
William Tell is a folk hero of Switzerland. His legend is recorded in a late 15th century Swiss chronicle....
.
In 1988, Groosham Grange
Groosham Grange
Groosham Grange is a 1988 children's fantasy book by best-selling British author Anthony Horowitz. It received the French Prix Européen du Roman Pour Enfants in 1993...
was published. This book went on to win the 1989 Lancashire Children's Book of the Year Award. It was partially based on the years Horowitz spent at boarding school. Its central character is a thirteen-year-old "witch", David Eliot, gifted as the seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
The seventh son of a seventh son is a concept from folklore regarding special powers given to, or held by, such a son. The seventh son must come from an unbroken line with no female children born between, and be, in turn, born to such a seventh son...
. Like Horowitz's, Eliot's childhood is unhappy. The Groosham Grange books are aimed at a slightly younger audience than Horowitz's previous books.
This era in Horowitz's career also saw Adventurer (1987) and Starting Out (1990) published. However, the most major release of Horowitz's early career was The Falcon's Malteser
The Falcon's Malteser
The Falcon's Malteser is a comic mystery for children by Anthony Horowitz. The first of the Diamond Brothers series, it was first published in 1986. The title is a spoof of the The Maltese Falcon, to which there are various allusions throughout the story...
(1986). This book was the first in the successful Diamond Brothers
The Diamond Brothers
The Diamond Brothers is a series of humorous children's detective books by Anthony Horowitz, the first of which was published in 1986. The books tell the adventures of the world's worst private detective, Tim Diamond, and his little brother, Nick Diamond, who is considerably more intelligent...
series, and was filmed for television in 1989 as Just Ask for Diamond
Just Ask for Diamond
Just Ask for Diamond is a 1988 British comedy crime film directed by Stephen Bayly and starring Colin Dale, Saeed Jaffrey and Dursley McLinden. A pair of brothers are paid to take care of a confectionary box, but soon come under pressure from various people seeking its contents...
, with an all star cast that included Bill Paterson, Jimmy Nail, Roy Kinnear, Susannah York, Michael Robbins and Patricia Hodge, and featured Colin Dale and Dursley McLinden as Nick and Tim Diamond. It was followed in 1987 with Public Enemy Number Two
Public Enemy Number Two
Public Enemy No.2 is a novel written by Anthony Horowitz, the second in the Diamond Brothers series. The main character in the book is Nick Diamond, His older brother Herbert Simple - who goes by the name Tim Diamond - is an unsuccessful private detective. The novel is particularly known for its...
, and by South by South East in 1991 followed by The French Confection
The French Confection
The French Confection is a children's novel by British author Anthony Horowitz, writer of the successful Alex Rider series, first published on 6th January 2003. It is the fourth in the Diamond Brothers series...
, I Know What You Did Last Wednesday
I Know What You Did Last Wednesday
I Know What You Did Last Wednesday is a short story in the Diamond Brothers series of comedy thrillers by Anthony Horowitz...
, The Blurred Man
The Blurred Man
"The Blurred Man" is the fifth story in the Diamond Brothers series of comedy mysteries, written as a short story by Anthony Horowitz and published as a book on 6 January 2003 by Walker Books. It was included in the omnibus Three of Diamonds in 2004....
and most recently The Greek Who Stole Christmas
The Greek Who Stole Christmas
The Greek Who Stole Christmas is a short Diamond Brothers story by Anthony Horowitz, first published in 2007. It tells the tale of the two Diamond brothers meeting a fictional pop star who is only referred to as "Minerva". It features an increased amount of the comedy from the other books and all...
. Horowitz also released Myths and Legends, a collection of retold tales from around the world, in 1991.
1994–2000
Horowitz wrote many stand-alone novels in the 1990s. 1994's Granny, a comedy thriller about an evil grandmother, was Horowitz's first book in three years, and it was the first of three books for an audience similar to that of Groosham Grange. The second of these was The Switch, a body swap story, first published in 1996. The third was 1997's The Devil and His Boy, which is set in the Elizabethan eraElizabethan era
The Elizabethan era was the epoch in English history of Queen Elizabeth I's reign . Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history...
and explores the rumour of Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
's secret son.
In 1999, The Unholy Grail was published as a sequel to Groosham Grange
Groosham Grange
Groosham Grange is a 1988 children's fantasy book by best-selling British author Anthony Horowitz. It received the French Prix Européen du Roman Pour Enfants in 1993...
. The Unholy Grail was renamed as Return to Groosham Grange in 2003, possibly to help readers understand the connection between the books. Horowitz Horror
Horowitz Horror
Horowitz Horror and More Horowitz Horror are two collections of short horror stories written by Anthony Horowitz, published in 1999 and 2000 respectively. A third set of stories is awaiting release.-Horowitz Horror:...
(1999) and More Horowitz Horror (2000) saw Horowitz exploring a darker side of his writing. Each book contains several short horror stories. Many of these stories were repackaged in twos or threes as the Pocket Horowitz series.
2000–present
Horowitz began his most famous and successful series in the new millennium with the Alex RiderAlex Rider
Alex Rider is a series of spy novels by British author Anthony Horowitz about a 14-15 year old spy named Alex Rider. The series is aimed primarily at young adults. Nine novels have been published to date, as well as three graphic novels, three short stories and a supplementary book...
novels. These books are about a 14-year-old boy becoming a spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
. He is a member of MI6. Currently, there are nine Alex Rider books: Stormbreaker
Stormbreaker (novel)
Stormbreaker is the first novel in the Alex Rider series by British author Anthony Horowitz. It was released in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2000 and in the United States on 21 May 2001...
(2000), Point Blanc
Point Blanc
Point Blanc is the second book in the Alex Rider series, written by British author Anthony Horowitz...
(2001), Skeleton Key
Skeleton Key (novel)
Skeleton Key is the Third book in the Alex Rider series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2002 and in the United States on April 28, 2003.-Plot:...
(2002), Eagle Strike
Eagle Strike
Eagle Strike is the fourth book in the Alex Rider series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2003 and in the United States on April 12, 2004.-Chart performance:-Plot:...
(2003), Scorpia (2004) Ark Angel
Ark Angel
Ark Angel is the sixth book in the Alex Rider series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2005 and in the United States on April 20, 2006.- Plot summary:...
(2005) , Snakehead
Snakehead (novel)
Snakehead is the seventh novel in the Alex Rider series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in Australia on 28 September 2008, in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2007, and in the U.S. on 13 November 2007. The title comes from the name given to Asian gangs involved in...
(2007) , Crocodile Tears
Crocodile tears
Crocodile tears are a false or insincere display of emotion such as a hypocrite crying fake tears of grief. The phrase gives its name to crocodile tears syndrome, an uncommon consequence of recovery from Bell's palsy where faulty regeneration of the facial nerve causes sufferers to shed tears...
(2009) and Scorpia Rising
Scorpia Rising
Scorpia Rising, the ninth novel in the Alex Rider series, was released March 2011. In the book, Scorpia is hired to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece. Their plan includes the laying of a false trail to Cairo, Egypt, killing Alex Rider, and blackmailing London into returning the Marbles...
(2011). The seventh Alex Rider
Alex Rider
Alex Rider is a series of spy novels by British author Anthony Horowitz about a 14-15 year old spy named Alex Rider. The series is aimed primarily at young adults. Nine novels have been published to date, as well as three graphic novels, three short stories and a supplementary book...
novel, Snakehead, was released on 31 October 2007, and the eighth, Crocodile Tears
Crocodile Tears (novel)
Crocodile Tears is the eighth novel in the Alex Rider series by British author Anthony Horowitz. It was released in the UK on 12 November 2009, published by Walker Books, and in the U.S. on 17 November 2009. On 17 December 2008, the title was revealed to be Crocodile Tears...
, was released in the UK on 12 November 2009. The final Alex Rider book, Scorpia Rising
Scorpia Rising
Scorpia Rising, the ninth novel in the Alex Rider series, was released March 2011. In the book, Scorpia is hired to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece. Their plan includes the laying of a false trail to Cairo, Egypt, killing Alex Rider, and blackmailing London into returning the Marbles...
, was released on 31 March 2011. It is uncertain when Yassen, the book detailing the adventures of assassin Yassen Gregorovitch, Alex Rider's old nemesis, will be released, if at all.
In 2003, Horowitz also wrote three novels featuring the Diamond Brothers: The Blurred Man, The French Confection
The French Confection
The French Confection is a children's novel by British author Anthony Horowitz, writer of the successful Alex Rider series, first published on 6th January 2003. It is the fourth in the Diamond Brothers series...
and I Know What You Did Last Wednesday
I Know What You Did Last Wednesday
I Know What You Did Last Wednesday is a short story in the Diamond Brothers series of comedy thrillers by Anthony Horowitz...
, which were republished together as Three of Diamonds in 2004. The author information page in early editions of Scorpia and the introduction to Three of Diamonds claimed that Horowitz had travelled to Australia to research a new Diamond Brothers book, entitled Radius of the Lost Shark. However, this book has not been mentioned since, so it is doubtful it is still planned. A new Diamond Brothers "short" book entitled The Greek who Stole Christmas was later released. It is hinted at the end of The Greek who Stole Christmas that Radius of the Lost Shark may turn out to be the eighth book in the series.
In 2004, Horowitz branched out to an adult audience with The Killing Joke
The Killing Joke (novel)
The Killing Joke is a novel written by Anthony Horowitz first published in 2004 by The Orion Publishing Group. It is a comedy thriller about a man called Guy Fletcher, who tries to track down the source of a joke.-Plot summary:...
, a comedy about a man who tries to track a joke to its source with disastrous consequences. Horowitz's second adult novel, The Magpie Murders, was due out on 18 October 2006. However, that date passed with no further news on the book; all that is known about it is that it will be about "a whodunit writer who is murdered while he's writing his latest whodunit" and "it has an ending which I hope will come as a very nasty surprise". As the initial release date was not met, it is not currently known if or when The Magpie Murders will be released.
In August 2005, Horowitz released a book called Raven's Gate
Raven's Gate
Raven's Gate is the first book in The Power of Five series, written by Anthony Horowitz. It was published and released in the UK on 1 August 2005, by Walker Books Ltd and in the United States by Scholastic Press under the adjusted series title The Gatekeepers...
which began another series entitled The Power of Five
The Power of Five
The Power of Five is a series of fantasy and suspense novels, written by British author Anthony Horowitz. Four installments have been published to date but another one is to be released...
(The Gatekeepers in the United States). He describes it as "Alex Rider with witches and devils". The second book in the series, Evil Star
Evil Star (novel)
Evil Star is the second book in The Power of Five series by British author Anthony Horowitz. It was published and released in the UK on April 1, 2006 by Walker Books Ltd and in the United States on June 1, 2006 by Scholastic Press under the adjusted series title, The Gatekeepers...
, was released in April 2006. The third in the series is called Nightrise
Nightrise
Nightrise is the third book in The Power of Five series, written by Anthony Horowitz. It was published and released in the UK on April 2, 2007 by Walker Books Ltd. It is preceded by Evil Star, released in 2006, and followed by Necropolis, which was released on October 30, 2008...
, and was released on 2 April 2007. The fourth book Necropolis was released in October 2008.
The Power of Five
The Power of Five
The Power of Five is a series of fantasy and suspense novels, written by British author Anthony Horowitz. Four installments have been published to date but another one is to be released...
is a rewritten, modern version of the Pentagram series from the 1980s. Although Pentagram required five books for story development, Horowitz completed only four: The Devil's Door-bell (Raven's Gate
Raven's Gate
Raven's Gate is the first book in The Power of Five series, written by Anthony Horowitz. It was published and released in the UK on 1 August 2005, by Walker Books Ltd and in the United States by Scholastic Press under the adjusted series title The Gatekeepers...
), The Night of the Scorpion (Evil Star
Evil Star (novel)
Evil Star is the second book in The Power of Five series by British author Anthony Horowitz. It was published and released in the UK on April 1, 2006 by Walker Books Ltd and in the United States on June 1, 2006 by Scholastic Press under the adjusted series title, The Gatekeepers...
), The Silver Citadel (Nightrise
Nightrise
Nightrise is the third book in The Power of Five series, written by Anthony Horowitz. It was published and released in the UK on April 2, 2007 by Walker Books Ltd. It is preceded by Evil Star, released in 2006, and followed by Necropolis, which was released on October 30, 2008...
) and Day of the Dragon (Necropolis). Horowitz was clearly aiming for the same audience that read the Alex Rider
Alex Rider
Alex Rider is a series of spy novels by British author Anthony Horowitz about a 14-15 year old spy named Alex Rider. The series is aimed primarily at young adults. Nine novels have been published to date, as well as three graphic novels, three short stories and a supplementary book...
novels with these rewrites, and The Power of Five
The Power of Five
The Power of Five is a series of fantasy and suspense novels, written by British author Anthony Horowitz. Four installments have been published to date but another one is to be released...
has gained more public recognition than his earlier works, earning number 1 in the top 10 book chart.
In October 2008, Anthony Horowitz's play Mindgame opened Off Broadway at the Soho Playhouse in New York City. Mindgame starred Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
, Lee Godart, and Kathleen McNenny. The production was the New York stage directorial debut for Ken Russell
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell was an English film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. He attracted criticism as being obsessed with sexuality and the church...
. Recently he got into a joke dispute with Darren Shan
Darren Shan
Darren O'Shaughnessy , who commonly writes under the pen name Darren Shan, is an Irish author. Darren Shan is also the main character in Shan's The Saga of Darren Shan young-adult fiction series. He also wrote The Demonata series as well as the stand-alone books, Koyasan and The Thin Executioner...
over the author using a character that had a similar name and a description that fitted his. Although Horowitz considered suing, he decided not to.
In March 2009 he was a guest on Private Passions
Private Passions
Private Passions is a weekly music discussion programme which has been running for over 10 years on BBC Radio 3, presented by the composer Michael Berkeley...
, the biographical music discussion programme on BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
.
On 19 January 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced Horowitz was to be the writer of a new Sherlock Holmes novel, the first such effort to receive an official endorsement from them and to be entitled The House of Silk
The House of Silk
The House of Silk is a Sherlock Holmes novel written by author Anthony Horowitz, published on November 1, 2011 in the United States and Europe...
. It was both published in November 2011 and broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
Writing for television and film
Horowitz began writing for television in the 1980s, contributing to the children's anthology series Dramarama, and also writing for the popular fantasy series Robin of SherwoodRobin of Sherwood
Robin of Sherwood , was a British television series, based on the legend of Robin Hood. Created by Richard Carpenter, it was produced by HTV in association with Goldcrest, and ran from 1984 to 1986 on the ITV network. In America it was retitled Robin Hood and shown on the premium cable TV channel...
. His association with murder mysteries began with the adaptation of several Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. Along with Miss Marple, Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-lived characters, appearing in 33 novels and 51 short stories published between 1920 and 1975 and set in the same era.Poirot has been portrayed on...
stories for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's popular Agatha Christie's Poirot
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Agatha Christie's Poirot is a British television drama that has aired on ITV since 1989. It stars David Suchet as Agatha Christie's fictional detective Hercule Poirot. It was originally made by LWT and is now made by ITV Studios...
series during the 1990s.
Often his work has a comic edge, such as with the comic murder anthology Murder Most Horrid
Murder Most Horrid
Murder Most Horrid is a BBC dark comedy anthology series starring comedian Dawn French. It ran for four series runs, in 1991, 1994, 1996 and 1999....
(BBC Two, 1991) and the comedy-drama The Last Englishman (1995), starring Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
. From 1997, he wrote the majority of the episodes in the early series of Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders
Midsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
. In 2001, he created a drama anthology series of his own for the BBC, Murder in Mind, an occasional series which deals with a different set of characters and a different murder every one-hour episode.
He is also less-favourably known for the creation of two short-lived and sometimes derided science-fiction shows
Science fiction on television
Science fiction first appeared on a television program during the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Special effects and other production techniques allow creators to present a living visual image of an imaginary world not limited by the constraints of reality; this makes television an excellent medium...
, Crime Traveller
Crime Traveller
Crime Traveller is a 1997 science fiction detective television series produced by Carnival Films for the BBC based on the premise of using time travel for the purpose of solving crimes....
(1997) for BBC One and The Vanishing Man (pilot 1996, series 1998) for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. While Crime Traveller received favourable viewing figures it was not renewed for a second season, which Horowitz accounts to temporary personnel transitioning within the BBC. It has, however, attracted somewhat of a cult following. The successful 2002 launch of the detective series Foyle's War
Foyle's War
Foyle's War is a British detective drama television series set during World War II, created by screenwriter and author Anthony Horowitz, and was commissioned by ITV after the long-running series Inspector Morse came to an end in 2000. It has aired on ITV since 2002...
, set during the Second World War, helped to restore his reputation as one of Britain's foremost writers of popular drama.
He devised the 2009 ITV crime drama Collision
Collision (TV series)
Collision is a five-part television drama miniseries, which debuted on ITV in November 2009. In the same month, it was also on PBS as a series in two parts. It tells the story of a group of strangers whose lives intertwine following a devastating car crash...
and co-wrote the screenplay with Michael A. Walker
Michael A. Walker
Michael A Walker is a writer of film and television. Winner and nominee of over fifteen awards for his produced work, he recently collaborated with Anthony Horowitz on a new five part ITV drama Collision ....
.
Horowitz is the writer of a feature film screenplay, The Gathering, which was released in 2002 and starred Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci is an American actress. Ricci received initial recognition and praise as a child star for her performance as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values , and her role as Kat Harvey in Casper...
. He wrote the screenplay for Alex Rider's first major motion picture, Stormbreaker
Stormbreaker (film)
Stormbreaker is a 2006 British spy film based on Anthony Horowitz's novel of the same name, the first novel in the Alex Rider series. It stars newcomer Alex Pettyfer as the teenage spy alongside actors Mickey Rourke and Bill Nighy...
.
In an interview with BBC Radio 5
BBC Radio 5
BBC Radio 5 may refer to the following United Kingdom radio stations:* BBC Radio 5 , on air from 1990 to 1994.* BBC Radio 5 Live, the current station, which replaced BBC Radio 5 in 1994....
on 6 April 2011, Horowitz announced that he was writing the sequel to Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn. The sequel will be based on the Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin
The Adventures of Tintin is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist , who wrote under the pen name of Hergé...
graphic album Prisoners of the Sun
Prisoners of the Sun
Prisoners of the Sun is the fourteenth of The Adventures of Tintin, a series of classic comic-strip albums written and illustrated by Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé, featuring young reporter Tintin as a hero. It is a continuation of The Seven Crystal Balls, and is one of very few Tintin...
and directed by Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
.
Groosham Grange
- Groosham GrangeGroosham GrangeGroosham Grange is a 1988 children's fantasy book by best-selling British author Anthony Horowitz. It received the French Prix Européen du Roman Pour Enfants in 1993...
(1988) - The Unholy Grail (also released as Return To Groosham Grange) (1990)
Alex Rider
- StormbreakerStormbreaker (novel)Stormbreaker is the first novel in the Alex Rider series by British author Anthony Horowitz. It was released in the United Kingdom on 4 September 2000 and in the United States on 21 May 2001...
(2000) - Point BlancPoint BlancPoint Blanc is the second book in the Alex Rider series, written by British author Anthony Horowitz...
(U.S. title: Point Blank) (2001) - Skeleton KeySkeleton Key (novel)Skeleton Key is the Third book in the Alex Rider series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in the United Kingdom on July 8, 2002 and in the United States on April 28, 2003.-Plot:...
(2002) - Eagle StrikeEagle StrikeEagle Strike is the fourth book in the Alex Rider series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2003 and in the United States on April 12, 2004.-Chart performance:-Plot:...
(2003) - Alex Rider: Secret WeaponAlex Rider: Secret Weapon"Alex Rider: Secret Weapon" is a short story by British author Anthony Horowitz.Like Horowitz's Alex Rider series, it is about a fourteen-year-old boy named Alex Rider, who is a spy for MI6 against his will.Secret Weapon is canon...
(short story, 2003) - Scorpia (2004)
- Ark AngelArk AngelArk Angel is the sixth book in the Alex Rider series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in the United Kingdom on April 1, 2005 and in the United States on April 20, 2006.- Plot summary:...
(2005) - SnakeheadSnakehead (novel)Snakehead is the seventh novel in the Alex Rider series written by British author Anthony Horowitz. The book was released in Australia on 28 September 2008, in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2007, and in the U.S. on 13 November 2007. The title comes from the name given to Asian gangs involved in...
(2007) - Crocodile TearsCrocodile Tears (novel)Crocodile Tears is the eighth novel in the Alex Rider series by British author Anthony Horowitz. It was released in the UK on 12 November 2009, published by Walker Books, and in the U.S. on 17 November 2009. On 17 December 2008, the title was revealed to be Crocodile Tears...
(2009) - Scorpia RisingScorpia RisingScorpia Rising, the ninth novel in the Alex Rider series, was released March 2011. In the book, Scorpia is hired to return the Elgin Marbles to Greece. Their plan includes the laying of a false trail to Cairo, Egypt, killing Alex Rider, and blackmailing London into returning the Marbles...
(2011)
Yassen (TBA)
The Diamond Brothers
- The Falcon's MalteserThe Falcon's MalteserThe Falcon's Malteser is a comic mystery for children by Anthony Horowitz. The first of the Diamond Brothers series, it was first published in 1986. The title is a spoof of the The Maltese Falcon, to which there are various allusions throughout the story...
(1986/96) - Public Enemy Number TwoPublic Enemy Number TwoPublic Enemy No.2 is a novel written by Anthony Horowitz, the second in the Diamond Brothers series. The main character in the book is Nick Diamond, His older brother Herbert Simple - who goes by the name Tim Diamond - is an unsuccessful private detective. The novel is particularly known for its...
(1987) - South By South EastSouth By South EastSouth by South East is a children's comedy adventure written by Anthony Horowitz, first published in 1991. It is the third book in the Diamond Brothers series about the incompetent detective Tim Diamond and his smart younger brother Nick. A television series based on the book was broadcast on...
(1991/2002 - The Blurred ManThe Blurred Man"The Blurred Man" is the fifth story in the Diamond Brothers series of comedy mysteries, written as a short story by Anthony Horowitz and published as a book on 6 January 2003 by Walker Books. It was included in the omnibus Three of Diamonds in 2004....
(2003) - The French ConfectionThe French ConfectionThe French Confection is a children's novel by British author Anthony Horowitz, writer of the successful Alex Rider series, first published on 6th January 2003. It is the fourth in the Diamond Brothers series...
(2003) - I Know What You Did Last WednesdayI Know What You Did Last WednesdayI Know What You Did Last Wednesday is a short story in the Diamond Brothers series of comedy thrillers by Anthony Horowitz...
(2003) - The Greek Who Stole ChristmasThe Greek Who Stole ChristmasThe Greek Who Stole Christmas is a short Diamond Brothers story by Anthony Horowitz, first published in 2007. It tells the tale of the two Diamond brothers meeting a fictional pop star who is only referred to as "Minerva". It features an increased amount of the comedy from the other books and all...
(2008) - The Radius of the Lost Shark (2011)
Pentagram
- The Devil's Door-Bell (1983)
- The Night of the Scorpion (1983)
- The Silver Citadel (1986)
- Day of the Dragon (1989)
The Power of Five (The Gatekeepers)
- Raven's GateRaven's GateRaven's Gate is the first book in The Power of Five series, written by Anthony Horowitz. It was published and released in the UK on 1 August 2005, by Walker Books Ltd and in the United States by Scholastic Press under the adjusted series title The Gatekeepers...
(1 August 2005) - Evil StarEvil Star (novel)Evil Star is the second book in The Power of Five series by British author Anthony Horowitz. It was published and released in the UK on April 1, 2006 by Walker Books Ltd and in the United States on June 1, 2006 by Scholastic Press under the adjusted series title, The Gatekeepers...
(2 April 2006) - NightriseNightriseNightrise is the third book in The Power of Five series, written by Anthony Horowitz. It was published and released in the UK on April 2, 2007 by Walker Books Ltd. It is preceded by Evil Star, released in 2006, and followed by Necropolis, which was released on October 30, 2008...
(3 April 2007) - Necropolis (30 October 2008)
- Oblivion (November 2012)
Other novels
- Enter Frederick K Bower (1978)
- The Sinister Secret of Frederick K Bower (1979)
- Misha, the Magician and the Mysterious Amulet (1981)
- Robin of Sherwood: The Hooded Man (1986) (with Richard Carpenter)
- Adventurer (1987)
- New Adventures of William Tell (1987)
- Starting Out (1990)
- Granny (1994)
- The Switch (1996)
- The Devil And His Boy (1998)
- Half-Life (2001)
Adult novels
- William S. (1999)
- MindgameMindgame (novel)Mindgame is a thriller novel written by Anthony Horowitz. It was written in 2001, and was adapted for the stage in the West End.- Plot :...
(2001) (adapted later as a play) - The Killing JokeThe Killing Joke (novel)The Killing Joke is a novel written by Anthony Horowitz first published in 2004 by The Orion Publishing Group. It is a comedy thriller about a man called Guy Fletcher, who tries to track down the source of a joke.-Plot summary:...
(2004) - The Magpie Murders (2006)
- The House of SilkThe House of SilkThe House of Silk is a Sherlock Holmes novel written by author Anthony Horowitz, published on November 1, 2011 in the United States and Europe...
(Nov, 2011)
Collections
- Myths and Legends (1991)
- Horowitz HorrorHorowitz HorrorHorowitz Horror and More Horowitz Horror are two collections of short horror stories written by Anthony Horowitz, published in 1999 and 2000 respectively. A third set of stories is awaiting release.-Horowitz Horror:...
(1999) - More Horowitz Horror (2001)
- The Kingfisher Book of Myths and Legends (2003)
- Three of DiamondsThree of Diamonds (collection)It follows as the sixth book in the Diamond brothers series about a fourteen year old boy called Nick and his brother Tim who works as a private detective....
(2004) - More Bloody Horowitz (2009)
Edge: Horowitz Graphic Horror
- The Phone Goes Dead (2010)
- Scared (2010)
- Killer Camera (2010)
- The Hitchhiker (2010)
Graphic novels
- The Power Of FiveThe Power of FiveThe Power of Five is a series of fantasy and suspense novels, written by British author Anthony Horowitz. Four installments have been published to date but another one is to be released...
1: Raven's GateRaven's GateRaven's Gate is the first book in The Power of Five series, written by Anthony Horowitz. It was published and released in the UK on 1 August 2005, by Walker Books Ltd and in the United States by Scholastic Press under the adjusted series title The Gatekeepers...
(2010) - Alex RiderAlex RiderAlex Rider is a series of spy novels by British author Anthony Horowitz about a 14-15 year old spy named Alex Rider. The series is aimed primarily at young adults. Nine novels have been published to date, as well as three graphic novels, three short stories and a supplementary book...
: StormbreakerStormbreakerStormbreaker may refer to:*Stormbreaker , a novel by Anthony Horowitz*Stormbreaker , a film based on the novel by Anthony Horowitz*Alex Rider: Stormbreaker, a video game based on the above film... - Alex RiderAlex RiderAlex Rider is a series of spy novels by British author Anthony Horowitz about a 14-15 year old spy named Alex Rider. The series is aimed primarily at young adults. Nine novels have been published to date, as well as three graphic novels, three short stories and a supplementary book...
: Point BlancPoint BlancPoint Blanc is the second book in the Alex Rider series, written by British author Anthony Horowitz... - Alex RiderAlex RiderAlex Rider is a series of spy novels by British author Anthony Horowitz about a 14-15 year old spy named Alex Rider. The series is aimed primarily at young adults. Nine novels have been published to date, as well as three graphic novels, three short stories and a supplementary book...
: Skeleton KeySkeleton KeySkeleton Key is a rock band based in New York City. The band is the brainchild of bassist and singer Erik Sanko, who is the only constant member of the band...