What started as a project to get his bored teenage nephew into reading has turned Robert Muchamore into a multi-million selling author, published in 28 countries, with a feature film in the works.

But the 41-year-old, who grew up in Junction Road and still lives just around the corner in Crouch End, will be back at his old school, Acland Burghley in Tufnell Park, on March 6 to mark World Book Day.

Proving his popularity, he has been chosen as one of just ten authors to write a special short book for the literary celebration, which will be sold for £1, and his appearance at his old school will be live streamed to 150 other schools around the country.

The Audition is an introduction to his new series, published by Hodder Children’s Books, and will be launched along with the first full-length book Rock War on Thursday next week at Lockside Lounge in Camden.

“It’s the story of three characters who all want to be rock stars,“ says the Arsenal fan who has based the four-part series on the tears, tantrums and triumphs from programmes such as X Factor and The Voice.

“Jay is a kid from a big family and just wants to get away, Dylan is a posh boy and it gets him out of having to play rugby, and Summer has a hard life and cares for her mum but has an amazing singing voice.“

The former private investigator found fame with his 16-book CHERUB series, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, about a division of the British Security Service, which employs minors, predominantly orphans, as intelligence officers. He followed it with spin-off Henderson’s Boys about the creator of the special spy division.

So why such a departure with Rock War?

“I have online fans and noticed there was more talk of X Factor on the website than there was of my books, so I cottoned on pretty quickly!“ he laughs.

The former pupil of St John’s Upper Holloway CofE Primary School worked in Jessops as a teenager and then got a job as an heir hunter, but grew bored of it after 12 years and decided to try his hand at writing.

It was only when his 16-year-old nephew Jared complain there were no books for boys his age to read that he hit upon the idea of writing for teenagers.

“He was really sociable and sporty but didn’t read. Quite often in the holidays he was bored and it struck me there weren’t any books for regular boys,“ says Robert.

“I wanted to write something that was very attainable but still fantasy.

“Rock War has got that as well. It’s about normal kids going off and becoming singers.“

Ironically Jared has never read one of the books he inspired as he was 20 by the time the first one The Recruit, which has won eight literature awards, was published.

“It’s become a running joke,“ says Robert.

“And if he did read one now the joke would be ruined.“ Robert gets plenty of feedback from his fans though, receiving endless emails every day, and says it is vital to keep in touch with his audience.

“You really have to put yourself in the minds of children and that’s so hard to do.

“You have to make sure you are not using the wrong phrases because kids can be quite blunt and will tell you straight away if they don’t like something.

“Using slang and trends can be tricky too as you have to pick stuff that will last. If it’s uber trendy it will date incredibly quickly.

“Flappy Bird is around now but will it be in five years? Whereas Minecraft probably will be, so I would mention that.“ He also likes to skate pretty close to the edge, throwing in some swear words and sexual references to his books as he said it makes his readers “feel grown up“.

“I got one funny email from a boy who said my books had really taken off like wildfire in his school since they had been banned. That made me laugh.“

His books are aimed at ages ten and over, although he has met children as young as eight who are fans, and he says: “When you are writing for boys aged 12 or 13 you are not competing against CBeebies or Harry Potter, you are competing against Grand Theft Auto and Avengers Assemble.

“You get the odd parent who feels books should be polite, but I’m very comfortable with my writing.“

Details: muchamore.com, worldbookday.com