I live in London. I am willing to travel to give lectures, talks or presentations anywhere within Southeast England.
Children's Fiction
I have spoken about my book The Secret in the Tower to groups of both children and adults - as set out below. Please contact me if you would like me to do a talk at your school about this book or my second work of historical fiction for children, The Angel Player.
The Secret in the Tower is a work of historical fiction and I have a thirty-minute powerpoint presentation about how historical themes are presented in the book - including the Tower of London, medieval medicine (including the use of leeches!), Richard III and the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower.
Themes covered in The Angel Player, which is set during the Black Death, include medieval travelling players and the Black Death itself; I can talk about this book on its own, with a powerpoint presentation, or I can talk about both books together.
October 2022
Talk (with powerpoint presentation) to a class of Year Six pupils at Southern Road Primary School, Plaistow, organized through the National Literacy Trust; as part of a project organized by the NLT I was also interviewed (on camera) by Year Six librarians at the school on the importance of school libraries.
February 2023
Talk to a small group of eight pupils from years 6 and 7 at Eltham College on how a book is written, edited and published.
March 2023
Two separate talks (with powerpoint presentations) to pupils in Years 7/8 and 5/6 at Eltham College and Eltham College Junior School as part of World Book Day (total audience at both talks around 250).
April 2023
Talks (with powerpoint presentations) to three Year Six classes of local primary school children at the Merthyr Tydfil Children's Literary Festival.
June 2023
Talk at Eltham College about the importance of children's historical fiction to Heads of History of various independent senior schools in London and Southeast England.
June 2024
Workshop sessions with Year Seven pupils at Eltham College on adapting novels for the screen, focusing on The Secret in the Tower
December 2024
Workshop sessions with Year Seven and Eight pupils at Eltham College on The Angel Player, culminating in tasks for pupils that involved rewriting scenes from different perspectives etc.
History Books and Cultural Guides
I am available to talk or lecture about places I have written about in my travel and history books. Past engagements include:
March 2010
Contributor (on air) to The Alps (BBC Radio 4, Presenter Misha Glenny) - relating to my book The Alps: A Cultural History
September 2019
Contributor (on air) to a programme on BBC Radio Shropshire relating to my book Following in the Footsteps of the Princes in the Tower
September 2023
Lecture (with powerpoint presentation) given at Southwark Cathedral about Greenwich Palace, organized by Tudor Places magazine - relating to my book Henry VIII: A History of His Most Important Places and Events
April 2024
Second lecture given at Southwark Cathedral for Tudor Places magazine - this time about Eltham Palace
May 2024
Talk at Church Street Library, Marylebone: "A Journey with Henry VIII along the River Thames" - looking at the great palaces and houses associated with the king, from Greenwich Palace to Windsor Castle
The talk on Henry the Vlll and the palaces he visited throughout his life, was very interesting. Andrew engaged the audience, they seemed fascinated with all the places and his life. The audience had a kind of history lesson and were intrigued by new facts that they never knew. Andrew was very chilled and made the talk relaxing and interesting. He was also very open to questions and answered them in away that made you want to ask more questions and for it not to end. It was fantastic and the audience loved it.