So here’s another big one you lucky people. Drum roll please…

Mr Alan Moore. That’s right THE Alan Moore! Writer, mage and counter culture aficionado. The term genius is often bandied around but here at Festival 23 we feel it’s an apt appellation for the man frequently described as the best graphic novel writer in history. His work in the 80s on works such as the ‘Watchmen’ series and ‘V for Vendetta’ made an entire industry shift focus, causing publishers to target comics at adults as well as kids. Always demonstrating the highest integrity, and firmly embedded in the underground, when wider audiences picked up his writing he edged away from the mainstream, developing such an aversion to corporate America that he has since declined large payments for Hollywood adaptations of his work.

Alongside writing, Alan is an occultist, ceremonial magician and anarchist, and these themes feature in such works as ‘Promethea’, ‘From Hell’, and most recently his Lovecraft inspired ‘Neonomicon’. Alan’s work outside the comic world includes novels (Alan is currently finishing the million word novel ‘Jerusalem’) performing avant-­garde spoken word occult “workings” and writing scripts including ‘Show Pieces’, a short film series directed by Mitch Jenkins.

His personal take on art as magic, his concept of ideas space and his passion for speaking his mind mean it’s always a joy to hear his take on the world. Alan is recording an exclusive interview for Festival 23, which will be aired on the weekend. We’re so pleased to have his patronage and can’t wait to hear what he has to say.