There are two very different visions of the future in Philip Reeve’s epic sci-fi series Railhead and Simon Mayo’s tense, dystopian thriller Blame, but both explore themes of freedom, responsibility and what it takes to make the perfect society. This special event with these two top authors promises to be exciting, energetic and thought-provoking – don’t miss.

Mayo is best known for his BBC Radio 2 Drivetime show. He began writing four years ago, when he decided to create something for his son Joe, an avid reader and science nut. The nail-bitingly taught suspense thriller Blame is his first young adult novel, and was written originally as a World War I short story about his great uncle, who was a deserter.

Reeve worked in a bookshop before illustrating and providing cartoons and jokes for around 40 books, including the best-selling Horrible Histories series. Mortal Engines was the first of his books to be published and won many awards including the Smarties Prize. The second book in that quartet won the Guardian Children’s Book Award. Mortal Engines is now being made into a feature film. He won the Carnegie Medal for Here Lies Arthur.

Discussions will be chaired by children’s writer S F Said, author of the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize-winning Varjak Paw and whose most recent book, Phoenix, was shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.

Age 11-adult