World Book Day 2024 with Anthony Mosawi

To celebrate World Book Day 2024, we asked Anthony Mosawi (1992, Law)—author of Penguin thrillers “Trust No One” and “In Harm’s Way” and executive producer of Brad Pitt’s “Ad Astra”—a few questions about Catz’s influence on his writing and his advice for aspiring writers amongst the College community.

How, if at all, did your studies at Catz influence the world of espionage you created for Sara Eden?

Although I was a lawyer, I was a bit of a manqué one. A lot of my friends were studying English and philosophy and I grazed liberally from their reading lists as well as my own. As an education, it was a mash-up, which was great because those are the stories I tend to love too. Sara Eden, the psychic MI6 agent comes from that.

Do you have any books that you read while at Catz that you would recommend to others in the Catz community?

I envy those who remember the dates they read books. I read a lot but, unfortunately, the books don’t become neatly filed in my memory. I did love Gilbert Adair’s “The Death of the Author,” a mischievous literary thriller with a meta-spin, that I have a vague recollection reading around the time I was at Catz but couldn’t swear it wasn’t just before or after.

Do you have any tips for aspiring Catz authors on how to get started writing?

Writing is a mental game and, like most mental games, it’s all to easy to psych yourself out. My advice to aspiring authors is to be cautious of any messaging others give you or (more likely) you give yourself that tries to disqualify you from writing. If you want to write, write. You don’t need to wait for better experiences, more time, better talent, or more encouragement. You probably already have a cool idea, so try 500 words on it today.

Are there any books that you would recommend to the Catz community? Tag or message us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook to share your answers!