Available for
Workshop, Talk, Reading, Interview, Commission a bookAudiences
Age 11 to 14, Age 14 to 16, Age 16 to 18+, Further Education, University, AdultGenres
Fiction, Fiction narrative, Narrative, Realistic fictionBook types
Fiction for young-adultsAwards
- Shortlisted for the 2024 KPMG Children's Books Ireland Award
- Longlisted for the Children's and YA Jhalak Prize 2024
- Shortlisted for the YA category of the Diverse Book Awards 2024
Organisations
Details
IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS AND VISITS
I'm a Manchester based author available for half-day school visits.
I offer an interactive talk about my journey to becoming an author, my inspirations and the themes explored in my writing (this is then followed by a Q&A.) As ‘My Life as a Chameleon’ explores some challenging issues this is recommend for Year 9 and above.
Talks can then be followed by creative writing workshops. I offer workshops on: using your memories and experiences in your fiction, writing about identity, and how to create a compelling story.
Prices:
£300 (plus travel expenses and accommodation if outside Manchester) for half day visit including an author talk and up to two creative writing sessions.
I also offer 30 minute virtual Q&A’s for £75
Testimonial from school librarian at St Peter's High School Manchester:
'Diana’s talk was inspiring and highly informative, especially for those pupils who wish to become a writer in the future or want to know about the process of writing a book. I cannot recommend her enough (Claudia Conerney, Learning Resource Manager at St Peter’s RC High School).'
Testimonial from school librarian at William Hulme Grammar
'Diana was fantastic, her organisation and communication before the event was thorough and enabled the visit to run smoothly. Diana was amazing. She pitched her well organised and meaningful presentation at the correct level for our students and delivered it faultlessly. It was fantastic to have someone, not only local, as an inspirational speaker but also someone who's life experiences are so relatable to many of our students. Its always great to see our students so engaged. It was an important opportunity for them to find out about the creative process behind being an author and to inspire our young writers.' (Martha O'Brien)
Feedback from students at St Bede's Academy, Manchester:
What did you like about the author talk?
'I liked seeing her family, it made it feel a lot more real.'
'Learning about her inspiration and her life as an author.'
'The process of her becoming an author.'
'I really enjoyed how Diana explained the small but significant details that came into her novel.'
'She had lot's of visuals for the themes in her novel for example the wildlife for the nature theme.'
What did you enjoy about the workshops?
' I loved them because i was thinking about my family and where i came from and it was the same with the talk I just love that it made me more interested in my own family history.'
'The level of the students’ poetry.'
'It was a very pleasurable experience, especially with an author.'
Reviews of my book:
A tender and vivid portrait. Suzi Feay, Financial Times, 'Best Books of the Summer 2023'
Event feedback
Diana was fantastic, her organisation and communication before the event was thorough and enabled the visit to run smoothly. Diana was amazing. She pitched her well organised and meaningful presentation at the correct level for our students and delivered it faultlessly. It was fantastic to have someone, not only local, as an inspirational speaker but also someone who's life experiences are so relatable to many of our students. Its always great to see our students so engaged. It was an important opportunity for them to find out about the creative process behind being an author and to inspire our young writers.