Simon James Green

Simon James Green

Children's author, YA author

simonjamesgreen.com
Booking enquiry
Simon James Green - author tools

Available for

Workshop, Talk, Reading, Interview

Audiences

Age 3 to 5, Age 5 to 7, Age 7 to 11, Age 11 to 14, Age 14 to 16, Age 16 to 18+, Further Education, University, Adult

Genres

Comedy, Fiction, Humour, Picture book, Short story

Book types

Fiction for children, Fiction 8-13, Fiction for young-adults, Picture book

Awards

  • Yoto Carnegie Medal 2024 - long listed
  • Yoto Carnegie Medal 2023 - nominated
  • Nominated for the Carnegie Medal 2020
  • Blue Peter Book Award 2021 - Shortlisted
  • YA Book Prize - shortlisted
  • Leeds Book Awards - shortlisted
  • Cheshire Schools Book Award - shortlisted
  • Diverse Book Awards - Longlisted
  • Highgate Wood Book Award - shortlisted
  • Bristol Teen Book Awards - WINNER
  • Branford Boase Award - Longlisted
  • Wirral Schools Paperback of the Year - Winner
  • Teen Book Awards - Longlisted
  • Amazing Book Awards - Bronze

Organisations

Details

*Fully booked for World Book Week 2025 – sorry!*

 

"Simon's visit was fantastic! The pupils were in stitches during the year group talks and got so much out of the workshops. He is definitely the most popular author we've had in to date." - LRC Manager, Cavendish School

 

I regularly visit primary and secondary schools giving author talks and workshops based around my books. I was Head of Acting at one of the UK's leading performing arts colleges, and have facilitated workshops for children and teenagers with East Side Educational Trust, Ambassador Theatre Group and the Young Vic. My sessions are fun, interactive, high energy, flexible and can be tailored to your needs. 

 

"Goofy, histrionic, hysterically teenage fun... as hapless as Adrian Mole and as awkward as Bridget Jones... highly entertaining." - Imogen Russell Williams, Times Literary Supplement.

 

From KS1 to KS4, I offer talks and workshops that your students will love. My picture books celebrate difference, being your authentic self, and promote kindness. In middle-grade, Life of Riley and Sleepover Takeover, as well as being madcap adventures, feature boys who smash gender stereotypes, and themes of friendship, teamwork and learning to look for the positives in life. My YA books all deal with the awkward ups and downs of teenage life, and include hilarious LGBTQ+ characters who always get their happy ending. Noah Can't Even was selected by WHSmith as one of the most important LGBT books of the last 50 years, and was described by The Guardian as, "Side-splitting comedy... a riotous, real-feeling YA debut." Alex in Wonderland was picked as a top 100 holiday read by The Guardian, selected as one of the Best New Kids Books 2019, and nominated for the Carnegie Medal 2020.  

 

"...it takes an amazing author to capture the imagination of so many students that they want him back for a visit only months after the last." - Laura Ferguson, Librarian, Wirral Grammar School for Girls

 

Just like my books, my talks and workshops have laughter and joy at their heart. I'm a great believer in the power of comedy, not just to make life better, but to help students embrace topics that are sometimes hard to talk about. 

 

For the full list of talks and workshops I offer, including prices and bookings details, please head to my website: www.simonjamesgreen/schools

 

"So funny... Year 10 are buzzing!" - King's College School

 

Fees

Up to 2 hours of talks / workshops - £350

Up to 4 hours of talks / workshops - £500

Travel expenses and overnight accommodation (when required) are charged on top of the fee. 

Please visit www.simonjamesgreen.com/schools for all the latest information, details of sessions and information about booking. 

 

"Simon's visit and books have ignited great conversations here, as well as helping many children return to reading for pleasure." - Jane Earley, LRC Manager, Cavendish School.

 

"Simon's engaging and entertaining writing style is equalled in his vibrant and enthralling presentation skills... several 'hard to reach' students loved getting copies of his novels and have been avidly reading and telling their friends about the books and their experience meeting a real live author." - Sally Baker, LRA Manager, Durrington High School. 

 

Event feedback

Simon was amazing. He had a great presentation and the students were really engaged. His "Welcome to Gay Club" assembly was a great mix of humour and serious issues. We would love to have him back some time in the future.

Monica Carmichael (Harris Academy Battersea)

Books by Simon James Green

I'm the author of twelve books for children and young adults, all published by Scholastic.
9780702303630
Sleepover Takeover

Sleepover Takeover

For Otis, this was a sleepover to remember - if only he could! When dorky, unpopular 11-yr-old Otis wakes up in the morning at a sleepover birthday party, he's in for a shock. At the marquee where the sleepover took place, it's a scene of carnage and mayhem: there's a donkey drinking at the chocolate fountain, a huge inflatable helium sausage looms above, doves everywhere, one of the kids has a tattoo, and there's a suitcase of bratwurst on the floor! But what's weirdest of all, neither Otis nor the other kids can remember what happened! The party was in the back garden of popular kid Rocco Rococo's huge house, and Otis was only there because his mum forced an invitation. Otis realizes that makes him Prime Suspect for causing the mess, and he needs to clear his name. Meanwhile, Rocco just needs to keep his parents from finding out! So while everyone else makes a befuddled exit, Otis and Rocco reluctantly team up to hide the evidence. They decide to retrace their steps in the hope of solving the mystery...  
9780702303623
Life of Riley: Beginner's Luck

Life of Riley: Beginner's Luck

A hilarious middle-grade novel about one boy's quest to get rid of a ridiculous amount of bad luck! After a traumatic run-in with the fortune teller from a visiting funfair - thanks to an unfortunately-timed sneeze - Riley finds himself CURSED. Life as he knows it quickly becomes a catalogue of disasters - from wetting himself onstage during the school show, accidentally supergluing himself to his classmates and ruining the school football team's sponsorship deal, to flooding his house and losing class 4's pet rabbit - Riley knows the bad luck is out to get him. Enter new kid: Brad Chicago. He's super-cool, well-groomed and stylish, with an excellent stationery collection. And for some reason he wants to be Riley's friend. Can Riley get rid of the curse before Brad discovers he's a walking disaster?  
9780702313677
Gay Club!

Gay Club!

A landmark comedic novel about a group of queer teens at their worst - and ultimately their best - from one of the UK's leading writers of LGBTQ+ teen fiction. Barney's a shoo-in for his school's LGBTQ+ Society President at the club's next election. But when the vote is opened up to the entire student body, the whole school starts paying attention. How low will the candidates go to win? Buckle up for some serious shade, scandals and sleazy shenanigans. 
9781407179940
Noah Can't Even

Noah Can't Even

Poor Noah Grimes! His father disappeared years ago, his mother's Beyonce tribute act is an unacceptable embarrassment, and his beloved gran is no longer herself. He only has one friend, Harry, and school is... Well, it's pure hell. Why can't Noah be normal, like everyone else at school? Maybe if he struck up a romantic relationship with someone - maybe Sophie, who is perfect and lovely - he'd be seen in a different light? But Noah's plans are derailed when Harry kisses him at a party. That's when things go from bad to utter chaos. 
9781407197036
Llama Glamarama

Llama Glamarama

Larry loves to groove and mooooove ... but will the others disapprove? Larry the llama's big secret is that late at night, when no one is watching, he loves to DANCE. Then, one day, he stumbles upon the Llama Glamarama! Will this raucous celebration give Larry the pride he needs to bring his dance back home? A hilarious, rhyming picture book story with a powerful message about celebrating differences. 
9781407194257
Heartbreak Boys

Heartbreak Boys

Faking the best summer ever is a lot harder than it looks... At the start of summer, Jack and Nate find themselves dumped as their respective exes, Dylan and Tariq, start up a new relationship together. Not only that, their exes start posting pics on social media, showing the whole world how fabulous their new life together is! Jack and Nate are reeling. Not to be outdone, they decide to create their own 'highlights reel' and show their exes that they're having an even better time. But between the depressing motorway service station motels, damp campsites, and an ultimate showdown with the exes, something epic really is happening: Jack and Nate are learning to get over their heartache and open themselves up to new possibilities for love. A hilarious story of heartbreaks and hijinks from award-winning author Simon James Green. Publishes June 4th 2020.  
9781407197043
Fabulous Frankie

Fabulous Frankie

From award-winning Simon James Green and bestselling Garry Parsons comes this beautifully-told, gorgeously illustrated picture book about what it REALLY means to be fabulous! All Frankie wants is to be fabulous! But, SIGH!, he's literally surrounded by so many fabulous flamingos, so how on earth can he stand out from the crowd? Maybe, just maybe, Frankie's friends will help him learn the most important thing of all: the best way to be fabulous is to be YOU! 
9781407194240
Alex in Wonderland

Alex in Wonderland

A novel that will have you laughing out loud one minute, and swooning the next! "Simon James Green is one of the most hilarious, heart-flippingly romantic, charmingly observant writers in the game right now." Becky Albertalli, author of Love, Simon. In the town of Newsands, painfully shy Alex is abandoned by his two best friends for the summer. But he unexpectedly lands a part-time job at Wonderland, a run-down amusement arcade on the seafront, where hegets to know the other teen misfits who work there. Alex starts to come out of his shell, and even starts to develop feelings for co-worker Ben... who, as Alex's bad luck would have it, has a girlfriend. Then as debtors close in on Wonderland and mysterious, threatening notes start to appear, Alex and his new friends take it on themselves to save their declining employer. But, like everything in Wonderland, nothing is quite what it seems... 
9780702303654
You're the One That I Want

You're the One That I Want

According to the rule, Freddie has to say "yes". Freddie is unremarkable - too unremarkable. He doesn't stand out in any way, and in fact teachers and fellow students keep forgetting who he is. Even his mum thinks he's a disappointment, and spends almost all her time at work, producing a TV show. After a particularly awful night when he embarrasses himself in front of Jasper Perry (the gorgeous teen star of his mum's new show), Freddie decides to follow a new, proactive philosophy designed to transform his social and romantic life: saying 'yes' to every opportunity. It works! Freddie finds himself auditioning for the school musical (Grease), actually going to parties, and flirting with hot new boy Zach! He's becoming a whole new Freddie - maybe even one that his mum might be proud of. But the path to love is never smooth, and sometimes getting things very wrong is an important part of figuring out what - and who - you really want. 

Upcoming events

Thursday, 27 Mar 2025: School event

School event

Wednesday, 26 Mar 2025: School event

School event

Tuesday, 18 Mar 2025: School event

School event

Friday, 14 Mar 2025: School event

School event

Tuesday, 11 Mar 2025: School event

School event

Photos and videos

Simon James Green - first image
Simon James Green - first image
Simon James Green - first image

Keywords

AWKWARD COMEDY COMING OUT CREATIVE WRITING DRAMA FRIENDSHIP FUNNY GAY HIGH SCHOOL HUMOUR KS1 KS2 KS3 KS4 LGBT LGBTQ PRIMARY RELATIONSHIPS RELUCTANT READERS ROMANCE RSE SCHOOL SECONDARY SECONDARY SCHOOL SEXUALITY TALKS TEEN TEEN FICTION TEENAGERS WORKSHOPS WORLD BOOK DAY WRITING COMEDY YA YOUNG ADULT