Echo Freer

Children's author

Available for:
Interview
Talk
Workshop
After dinner speaking
Commission


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

Contact: echoechofreer.co.uk
echofreerhotmail.com or 07806 807404

Awards:
Short-listed for Hillingdon Secondary Schools' Book of the Year 2009

Audiences:
Adults, 8-11 (Key stage 2), 11-13 (Key stage 3), 14-16 (Key stage 4), 11-16 (Key stages 3 and 4), 6th Form and college


Details

Hi,

After spending 23 years squashing my writing into the gaps between  everything else a working mum does and then wondering why I was getting rejection letters by the tonne (durr!), in January 2000, I had a near-death experience that changed my life.

It was the wake-up call I needed: I left my job as a special needs teacher and gave myself one year to focus on my dream to be published. It was a huge risk, but it worked! Four months later I had a contract to write two books and since then, I've written seven other books for the teenage market.  

Five of my books are about a  girl called Magenta Orange who is a walking disaster. And, although the books are aimed primarily at the girls' market, I've had excellent feedback from boy readers too. 

My other books include two teenage gangster comedy books; Blaggers and Diamond Geezers and a time-travel ghost mystery; Mimosa Fortune. I've also written a short ghost story, The Scream, which was published in a teenage anthology and is now being used by Cambridge University Press for KS3 students.

I love visiting schools. It not only keeps me in touch with my target readership but it's also extremely rewarding.

My schools' visits fall into two categories:

• author talks, in which I not only track the story of a book from idea to bookshelf, but I also talk about the difficulties I've overcome in my own life to become a published author - from failing O Level English (twice!) to having the near-death experience that led me to give up my day job and become an author. Both staff and students have described my talks as `inspirational'.
• I also teach creative writing workshops to students from Year 5 right up to adult level. I do several types of workshop, all of which incorporate the SEAL objectives and details of which are on my personal website www.echofreer.co.uk . If you don't see what you're looking for, I am very adaptable. If you have something specific in mind, please contact me and I'll do my  best to accomodate your needs.  

In addition, I have given radio interviews, newspaper interviews, appeared at festivals and given talks to other organisations such as libraries, hospitals, adult reading groups, OAP clubs as well as delivering a speech at a formal dinner.

I live in London, but I'm happy to travel anywhere in the world.

Thank you for reading my page - I hope you've found it useful.

What people have said about my books/talks/workshops:

`...The day was fantastic and the students' outcomes far exceeded expections. This was a powerful experience and these students feel inspired to continue...' Louise Kanolik -  Loxford School of Science and Technology.

`Echo.. has a brilliant comic touch.' (Redbridge Literature Festival)

`Echo was fantastic.' English teacher - Year 8.

`It was brilliant.' Mark - Year 10 student.

`A great communicator.' LK - school librarian.

`It was great!!' Faye -  Year 7  student.

`I loved this book!' John - reader.

`I feel like something's been freed up inside my head.' V.W. adult student.

`I would recommend this to other schools. It was very informative, interesting and supportive.' J.Robertson - Primary Deputy Head Teacher.

`Extemely funny.' Naomi - reader.

`..superbly written. The author knows a lot about teenage girls and their attitude.' Charlotte - reader.

`10/10. It's the best book I've read so far.' Rhianne - reader.

`Hilarious!' Huyana - reader.

 

 

	Magenta Orange (isbn:9780340950739) The life and loves of a disaster-prone teenager. View in Amazon
	Magenta in the Pink (isbn:9780340950746) The accident prone diva gets involved with the schoo play. View in Amazon
	Magenta Goes Green (isbn:9780340950753) Magenta goes to the school summer camp with disasterous results. View in Amazon
	Shades of Magenta (isbn:9780340944172) Holiday havoc with our hazardous heroine. View in Amazon
	Magenta Sings the Blues (isbn:9780340944189) The riotous revels of a rock chick. Published June 2008 View in Amazon
	Blaggers (isbn:0340875682) A comic tale of gangsters, first love and the crooked path to the straight and narrow. View in Amazon
	Diamond Geezers (isbn:0340875720) A comic thriller to die for. View in Amazon
	Mimosa Fortune (isbn:9780340894767) The quirky quest of a pyschic time-traveller. View in Amazon

Organisations:
Scattered Authors Society