Available for
Workshop, Talk, Reading, InterviewAudiences
Age 1 to 3, 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, AdultGenres
Adventure, Drama, Fairy tale, Fiction, Fiction narrative, Folklore, Historical fiction, Literary realism, Mystery, Mythology, Mythopoeia, Non-Fiction, Picture book, Realistic fiction, Short storyBook types
Fiction 4-11, Fiction 5-9, Fiction 8-13, Picture book, Young AdultAwards
- Independent Bookseller's Week, Children's Winner
- Carnegie Medal - shortlisted
- Guardian Chlidren's Book Prize - shortlisted
- Costa Book Award - shortlisted
- Waterstones Children's Book Prize
Details
I have extensive experience of giving school talks and writing workshops and can tailor my event to your needs. However, some of the talks I offer include:
The Button Book (EYFS)
I read from The Button Book, help the children to tell a story together, and run a short craft activity (optional).
Who Makes a Forest? (EYFS, Key Stage 1)
I read from Who Makes a Forest?, share forest facts with the children and run a short craft activity.
Little Gems (Key Stage 1)
I read from my Little Gems (Billy Button: Telegram Boy, All About Ella and The Great Telephone Mix Up). I talk a bit about how I became an author and how I come up with ideas for my stories and help the children to come up with a story idea together.
A Chase in Time (7-9)
Event based around my series of timeslip adventures. I read from the books, talk about how I became an author, and share strange and gruesome historical facts about underwear, strange foods, and how people went to the toilet in different times!
General Author Talk (Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5, adult)
I read from my books, talk about how I became and author and how I come up with my story ideas, and take the children through the genesis of one of my more recent novels.
All Fall Down (Yr 5, Yr6, Key Stage 3)
Talk based around the Black Death. I give a broad historical context, read from the book, and run an interactive Would You Have Survived the Black Death? game.
Things A Bright Girl Can Do? (Yr6, Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5)
Talk based around the suffrage movement in Great Britain. I give a broad historical context, share audio recordings of Suffragettes talking about direct action and hunger strike, and draw links between the suffrage movement and modern activism and feminism.
Story-Building Workshops (4-adult)
An interactive workshop, in which young people build a story together based on audience suggestions.
Creative Writing Workshops (8+)
I run a variety of workshops including, but not limited to, creating stories based around objects, exploring the senses, writing riddle poems, and creating a story based on creative prompts.
I charge £200 for an hour-long session or £400 for three hours, plus VAT and travel from Liverpool. I can run sessions for an entire primary school, and will speak to as many young people as you can fit in a hall! I have run writing workshops with as many as 200 children, but these tend to work best with smaller groups, as young people have more opportunity to share and discuss their work. If you have something specific you'd like me to do, get in touch!
Event feedback
A wonderful event, Sally gave interesting, inspiring talks for our younger students and a brilliant creative writing workshop for our GCSE students. Many thanks!