Anthony Horowitz Event Information
LIVE VIRTUAL EVENT WITH ANTHONY HOROWITZ
Friday 15th May 2009
10.30 am
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS EVENT FOLLOWS - PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THIS CAREFULLY
This is a pilot event. We have never used this live streaming technology before. We are working very hard to try and ensure it goes smoothly but please be patient with us if all does not go to plan!
Link to view the event
To view both the test and actual events you will need to go to http://www.gginternet1.co.uk/sac01 and enter your name, school name, email address and postcode to register. You do not need a password. If you return to this page once you have entered these details all you need to do is enter your email address to log in.
If you have any problems accessing this link, please speak to your IT department as soon as possible to ask them to unblock it. If you are still having problems, please get in touch with us and we will do our best to help. A reminder of the technical requirements is included near the bottom of this page.
Test event for adults – Wednesday 6th May, 4pm.
This was streamed live for five minutes at 4pm on Wednesday 6th May and is now available as a video on the site to view on demand from http://www.gginternet1.co.uk/sac01 Many people had no problems viewing the test ... a few people reported issues which we have addressed below:
Full screen:
We've now put on the site an alternative link for full screen on Windows Media, which enables viewers (once the video has started playing) to open the video themselves in Windows Media player and then right click and select ‘full screen’. If you had problems seeing the full screen please try the video on the site again now. Hopefully it will work!
Sound:
Some people mentioned they could see the video but didn’t get any sound.
The audio was a bit quiet to start with, simply because Helen started talking quieter than the rehearsal, so we boosted the sound levels after about 10 seconds. Do go back and watch the video again to check the sound.
For those who reported hearing no sound at all we have checked and this it seems that this must be because you are watching on an old version of Windows Media Player – older than version 7 – or because you don’t have a sound card in your computer. Check this, try the test video again and let us know if you still can’t get sound.
Lighting:
A few people commented on the poor quality of the lighting. This was a test event to check you can receive live streaming and was done in an office with a Sony Handycam and far from the production values of an event webcast - the lighting quality for the actual event on the 15th May will be top notch!
Can't access the video
Some people are reporting that although they can access the link to the event, they can't view the test video. Our streaming company say that this sounds like the firewalls are being locked down, and ask you to forward the below information on to the relevant people the IT departments at the school can make the changes.
For FLASH :
When playing a video stream, Adobe Flash Player initiates communications with Akamai Streaming on port 1935 using either RTMP (Real Time Messaging Protocol) or RTMPE (Encrypted Real Time Messaging Protocol). If traffic is in some way blocked (an interceding firewall blocks the port, for example), Flash Player will make successive attempts on different ports using different protocols.
• RTMP (or RTMPE) on port 1935
• RTMP (or RTMPE) on port 443
• RTMP (or RTMPE) on port 80
• RTMPT1
(or RTMPTE) on port 80
For Windows Media Streaming it will be best for the IT departments to have a look at this link :
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/serve/firewall.aspx#PortAllocation
For a direct link to the file to be used on the day of the live event I can give you the primary and backup urls that they can put into their players but these will not show anything when we are not broadcasting (ie there will only be somethign to see on these at 4pm on Wed 6th May and from 10.30 on Friday 15th May)
Primary link : mms://a1244.l2074841243.c20748.g.lm.akamaistream.net/D/1244/20748/v0001/reflector:41243
Secondary link : mms://a1384.l2074843383.c20748.g.lm.akamaistream.net/D/1384/20748/v0001/reflector:43383
If you cannot access the event through Scottish Book Trust's streaming site remember the event will also be available on GLOW Meet and if you have access to GLOW you will be able to watch it there instead.
Click here for more information about watching the event through GLOW Meet
Actual event for pupils and adults – Friday 15th May, 10.30am
The event will take place at 10.30 am and will last about an hour. Again, all you should need to do to watch it is go to the above link. Scroll to the bottom of this mail for more details about the event content and a brief biography of Anthony Horowitz.
Notes to accompany the first chapter of Necropolis (scroll to the end of this page to download them with the first chapter)
The first chapter of Anthony’s latest book, Necropolis, is available to download from this page together with teachers notes to accompany it. It would be ideal if you could spare an hour’s class/library time before the event to go over the first chapter with your pupils to give them a taster of Anthony’s work before they watch the event. You can also view the book jacket of Necropolis on the right, and at this link – you may want to have a look at it with your pupils for one of the suggested tasks in the attached notes. Extract from THE POWER OF FIVE: NECROPOLIS by Anthony Horowitz Text © 2008 Anthony Horowitz Reproduced by permission of Walker Books Ltd, London SE11 5HJ www.walker.co.uk
Submit your pupil’s questions by 11th May!
We want to make sure our virtual audience is heard during the event and are inviting each school/library to submit two questions from their pupils per organisation. We’ll make sure a good selection of these are put to Anthony during the event. We have decided to remove the post a question feature from the site as we had feedback that it might distract pupils from listening to Anthony if they are busy submitting questions while he is speaking. Please submit your questions to chris.newton@scottishbooktrust.com by 11th May.
Post-event online chat
We’re delighted that from 12pm onwards (the event finishes at 11.30 am) Anthony will be available in the GLOW chatroom to answer any further pupil questions.
If you intend to join Anthony in the Glow Chat room for a live discussion at 12:00, please make sure you have tried to access the chat room at least a day in advance. The chat room can be found under the picture of Anthony in the Glow Group. If you have any problems accessing the room, contact k.barrowman@ltscotland.org.uk for advice.
You'll need a GLOW user name and password. To find your GLOW contact in your authority go to http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/glowscotland/localauthorities/index.asp
Click here for more information about the GLOW chat
Feedback
Your feedback about this event is vital! We are applying for funding from Scottish Arts Council’s Inspiring Communities Fund to continue the project – if it does continue we need to make sure we tailor it to best suit the needs of you and your pupils, and we can only do this if we get your feedback. You will find a feedback form at the below link – kindly fill it in as soon as possible after the event on the 15th.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=eCWjoVpxW3gEw6i0r9yukA_3d_3d
Tech details:
• Each school/organisation taking part will need a 512kbps broadband connection - and their connection may need to be bigger if they are logging on to watch it from multiple computers, rather than one screen. We recommend, where possible, that schools watch it on a screen rather than individual computers
• You will also need either Windows Media Player or FLASH on the computer. We recommend you use the FLASH option if you are watching from a Mac.
Tech problems
Finally if you have yet to give us the number of pupils you will have watching the event, and whether you will be watching on big screen/smartboard etc, please send this info as soon as possible.
For any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch with Anna Gibbons at Scottish Book Trust, anna.gibbons@scottishbooktrust.com, tel 0131 524 0171.
We hope you enjoy watching!
With all best wishes
The Scottish Book Trust Children’s Team
This event is organised by Scottish Book Trust and funded by the National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council Inspiring Communities Fund
Detailed event description and author information
Age group: P6-S2
Join bestselling author Anthony Horowitz in a unique event, hosted in Edinburgh and connecting him up with schools throughout Scotland. As the UK’s most popular male children’s author, Anthony has plenty to talk about, but he REALLY wants to answer as many of YOUR questions as possible. So why not ask him about his travels to Hong Kong to research his latest book, THE POWER OF FIVE: NECROPOLIS? Or how he’s getting on writing ALEX RIDER’s eighth mission ahead of the 10th anniversary of the series next year? You might just get him to reveal some inside secrets about his collection of horror stories, MORE BLOODY HOROWITZ, published for Halloween 2009. And how does he feel about two of his bestselling titles, ALEX RIDER: SKELETON KEY and THE POWER OF FIVE: RAVEN’S GATE debuting as graphic novels this summer? Then again, if you’re a FOYLE’S WAR fan, you might want to know about the new series, which is being filmed right now! And you may also have heard about COLLISION, Anthony’s new TV show which hits ITV prime time later this year… don’t miss this rare opportunity to quiz one of the UK’s most successful and prolific writers about his work and life.
More about Anthony
Anthony Horowitz is the UK’s most popular male children’s author, with not just one but three bestselling book sequences to his name! Born in North London, he was only 23 when his first novel, ENTER FREDERICK K BOWER, was published in 1979. But it was in 2000, that the Horowitz phenomenon really exploded, with his creation of ALEX RIDER - the reluctant teenage superspy. Alex Rider’s seven missions to date have sold over ten million copies worldwide. Anthony’s work has been translated into 28 languages. In 2006, Alex’s first mission, STORMBREAKER hit movie screens worldwide, scripted by Anthony himself. In addition to the ALEX RIDER missions, Anthony writes two other bestselling sequences – the supernatural POWER OF FIVE novels and the comic detective adventures featuring THE DIAMOND BROTHERS. All three sequences top the book charts.
Anthony has an unrivalled reputation for getting boys, especially reluctant readers, into books. In 2007, Anthony was singled out by then Education Secretary Alan Johnson as the not-so-secret weapon to get boys reading. In 2008, Anthony was made the National Year of Reading’s first Champion Author due to his regular outreach work to Youth Offenders and Looked After Children throughout the UK.
2009 is a particularly busy year for Anthony. Following hard on the heels of publication of THE POWER OF FIVE: NECROPOLIS, Summer 2009 sees graphic novel editions of two of his bestselling titles – THE POWER OF FIVE: RAVEN’S GATE and ALEX RIDER: SKELETON KEY. Then, in October, Anthony is planning a brutal assault on Halloween with a new collection of horror stories for the whole family, cheekily titled MORE BLOODY HOROWITZ. Think TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED with a slash of Tarantino. Meanwhile, he is hard at work on Alex Rider’s eighth mission, to be published next year – which happens to be the 10th anniversary of the ALEX RIDER phenomenon. Anthony Horowitz redefines busy.
He enjoys parallel success as an award-winning screenwriter. He is the writer/creator behind MIDSOMER MURDERS (now in series 11 and screening in an incredible 167 countries) and the BAFTA award-winning FOYLE’S WAR, for which he has written 17 out of the 19 two-hour episodes. FOYLE’S WAR returns for its seventh series in 2009. Autumn 2009 will also see Anthony’s new five-part drama, COLLISION hit ITV’s prime time schedules. This “State of the Nation” piece promises to be one of the most talked about event dramas of the year.
Anthony is a regular guest critic on BBC TV’s NEWSNIGHT REVIEW and writes journalism on a wide range of issues for a variety of national newspapers.
You can find out more about Anthony by visiting www.anthonyhorowitz.com and www.walker.co.uk. You can also track Anthony on http://twitter.com/AnthonyHorowitz
Things you may not know about Anthony Horowitz
• Anthony began writing because he wanted to be like Tintin.
• He has travelled to all the places in the Tintin books (except the moon).
• Snatchmore Hall (in The Switch) is based on the house where Anthony lived as a child. He had a nanny, two cooks, two gardens, a chauffeur … and he hated it.
• He was sent to a revolting boarding school, Orley Farm, in north London. The headmaster and his wife featured by name in one of his TV episodes. He depicted them as mad Nazis!
• Anthony’s book GRANNY was based on his own grandmother – but he toned the real person down for the book!
• He takes research for his books very seriously – whether it’s climbing a 150 metre crane for POINT BLANC, watching Pete Sampras from BENEATH Centre Court at Wimbledon for SKELETON KEY or visiting Hong Kong and the Andes for NECROPOLIS.
• He spent a year working as a cowboy in Australia. This was for fun – not for a book.
• His passion is scuba-diving. He has dived all over the world, including Sipadan in the South China Sea, where he saw hammerhead sharks.
• He has a chocolate-coloured labrador called Lucky. Lucky by name, but not by nature – the dog has been run over three times!
• He is a major film fan and goes to the cinema three or four times a week. His favourite film is The Third Man. He is also a big fan of Alfred Hitchcock’s mysteries.
Photo copyright Des Willie.
Teachers resources download here
Necropolis first chapter download here
