Damian Harvey

Children's author

Available for:
Interview
Talk
Workshop
Commission


Website: http://www.damianharvey.co.uk

Contact: you can email me authordamianharvey.co.uk or contact me by telephone on 0798 66 56 876.

Audiences:
Adults, 5-7 (Key stage 1), 8-11 (Key stage 2), 5-11 (Key stages 1 and 2)


Details

Being a writer I spend most of my time sat behind a desk in my attic, so it's great when I get the the chance to go out into the world to share stories and poems and talk about writing and being a writer.

My sessions consist of a lively mixture of storytelling and chat, (with lots of questions and answers) suitable for children (and adults) from nursery/reception up to year six. The sessions last from half an hour (for nursery) up to an hour or more for older groups.

Sessions are designed to be both fun and informative -  leaving the children enthused and excited about books, reading, writing and telling stories.

In schools I prefer to work with a year group at a time if possible as I find the children are more relaxed, willing to take part and ask lots of questions when in smaller groups, but I am happy to work with much larger audiences. 

If you have a school assembly I am more than happy to get things started there by introducing myself to the whole school and telling a lively, humorous story. This is a great way of getting the day started and really gets the children looking forward to the sessions to follow.

During the sessions I talk about different aspects of writing - from what it's like being a writer to getting ideas etc. I tell lots of stories and poems from a selection of my books as well as telling stories without pictures... these consist of stories that I am working on and books in the process of being made. This gives the audience a unique chance to see the sort of thing that goes into making a children's book. The drafting, editing, reworking and even the illustrations and layout.

Sessions are very lively and include plenty of audience participation so that children are not just sat there being talked at.

The overall aim of my sessions is to be entertaining, informative and stimulating so that children are left feeling enthusiastic and excited about books, stories and the idea of writing stories for themselves... for this reason I don't generally get the children to do any writing during the sessions, but teachers and children tell me that they feel fired up to go and do some writing afterwards, however, I'm more than happy to do alternative sessions with a class of keen writers.

What do I need?

Somewhere to perform ~ a classroom or library is the best place for this, though a quiet hall can also be used.

A whiteboard or flipchart if I'm doing a writing session.

What do I charge?

£300 for full day plus travel (and accommodation if needed).

I try to keep the cost of my visits reasonable so please ring for a quote. I don’t generally do half-day visits but do try to be flexible and accommodating where possible.

Where will I visit?

I will consider visiting schools and libraries anywhere...  

As well as visiting many schools and libraries in Great Britain I have taken part in the Lancashire Libraries Shout About Books Festival for the last couple of years - sharing stories and poems, and talking about writing and being a writer.

Please feel free to contact me to chat about further details without any obligation...

 

	Robo-Runners - The Tin Man (isbn:0340944846) Book one in this exciting new science fiction adventure series for 7 to 11 year olds. View in Amazon
	Robo-Runners - Tunnel Racers (isbn:0340944862) Book two in this exciting new science fiction adventure series for 7 to 11 year olds. View in Amazon
	Snail's Legs (isbn:1845071123) A picture book illustrated by Korky Paul (published 1st September 2006) View in Amazon
	Snap! (isbn:1843628651) When Mother Duck finds a lost egg, she decides to take it under her wing and raise it as her own. View in Amazon
	Robin and the Silver Arrow (isbn:0749667036) Traditional tale of Robin Hood written for young readers (3 more in the series) View in Amazon
	An Itch To Scratch (isbn:1862335893) Big Gorilla has an itch, right in the middle of his back. How will he get rid of it? find out in this humorous picturebook illustrated by Lynne Chapman View in Amazon

Organisations:
The Federation of Children's Book Groups
The Society of Authors
NAWE - The National Association of Writers in Education
Artscape