International bestselling author Kate Mosse is preparing to take to the stage at the Kingsmead Book Fair, where she’ll discuss the epic conclusion to her sweeping historical series — and the deep South African connections that inspired it.

Speaking ahead of her visit, Mosse shared the personal and emotional journey behind The Map of Bones, the final installment in a quartet that spans more than 300 years. The story, which began with the French Wars of Religion in 1562, traces the fate of two families — one Catholic, one Protestant — and concludes in Southern Africa, where Mosse found the spark that would define the series.

“I fell in love with the Hugo diaspora when I first visited the Franschhoek Book Festival in 2012,” she said. “Standing in that graveyard, I imagined what it must have felt like to arrive on the other side of the world and find a landscape that mirrored stories passed down for generations.”

With The Map of Bones, Mosse not only concludes a globe-spanning family saga but also elevates the voices of women in history — a recurring theme in her work. “There have always been extraordinary women, but the history books often left them out,” she said. “This novel is about women discovering other women’s stories, so they’re never forgotten.”

Her research took her across France, Amsterdam, the Canary Islands, and South Africa — with local names and stories deeply woven into the narrative.

Now, as she returns to the country that inspired her, Kate Mosse brings with her a message of courage, storytelling, and the power of fiction to make history feel alive.

Catch Kate Mosse in conversation at Kingsmead Book Fair — it promises to be a moving and memorable session!