Kate Mosse to open new museum in Chichester

Kate is the author of the No 1 bestselling novels Labyrinth, Sepulchre and The Winter Ghosts. Her books have sold millions of copies in over 40 countries. Labyrinth - staring John Hurt and Janet Suzman - has been filmed as a mini-series by Ridley Scott for broadcast this Autumn and The Winter Ghosts has just gone into production. The Founder and Honorary Director of the Orange Prize for Fiction, Kate has judged many literary and arts awards. Now on the board of the National Theatre in London, she was Administrative Director at CFT from 1998 -2001. Her celebration of CFT - Chichester Festival Theatre at Fifty - has just been published and the third in her Languedoc Trilogy, Citadel, will publish in October 2012.

Kate attended Chichester High School for Girls and she continues to live in Chichester with her family.

She will officially open the museum at a private preview on Wednesday 4 July.

The Novium opens to the public at 10am on Sunday 8 July.

Councillor Myles Cullen, Chichester District Council's Cabinet Member for Economy, Property, and Tourism, says: "We are delighted that Kate Mosse will be officially opening the museum as she has such strong links with Chichester. The countdown has truly begun as we are now just a few days away from opening the museum."

The museum service has about 150,000 artefacts, both on display, in store. Among the many other fascinating exhibits include the Chilgrove Mosaic and the Jupiter Stone, a portion of Roman sculpture base dated between the late first and early third century AD.

Many of the items have never been on display to the public before. The building is very modern and spacious and the second floor reveals breath-taking views of Chichester Cathedral. The Novium building was designed by the award winning Keith Williams Architects, whose projects include the Wexford Opera House in Ireland and the Unicorn Theatre in London.

Galleries will look at continuity and change across places in the district and influences from different people, as well as to wider technological and social developments.

The museum will also contain a shop with a wide range of local and unique gifts, souvenirs and books and the city's Tourist Information Centre.

The Novium will be open:

• Summer: Monday to Saturday 10am- 5pm, Sunday 10am-4pm; and,
• Winter: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 10am-4pm.

Admission fee applies.

Date: 02 July 2012

Reference: 3134