Tim Collins

Tim Collins

Children's author

www.timcollinsbooks.com
Booking enquiry
Tim Collins - author tools

Audiences

Age 7 to 11

Genres

Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Fairy tale, Fiction, Fiction narrative, Folklore, Historical fiction, History, Horror, Humour, Legend, Magical realism, Mythology, Narrative non-fiction, Non-Fiction, Reference, Science fiction, Suspense-thriller

Book types

Fiction 5-9, Fiction 8-13, Fiction for young-adults

Awards

  • Manchester Fiction City - Winner
  • The Lincolnshire Young People's Book Award - Winner
  • The Kalbacher Klapperschlange - Winner
  • The Northern Ireland Book Award - Shortlisted
  • The Worcestershire Teen Book Award - Shortlisted
  • The Spark Book Award - Shortlisted
  • The Hampshire Book Award - Shortlisted
  • Southampton's Favourite Book Award - Shortlisted
  • The Redbridge Book Award - Shortlisted
  • Coventry Inspiration Book Awards - Shortlisted

Details

I have worked full-time as an author for over ten years, and have published over 100 books that have been translated into over 40 languages.

 

My books include the Sherlock Bones series, the Wimpy Vampire series, the Cosmic Colin series, the Dorkius Maximus series, the Monstrous Maud series, the Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst series, as well as many books aimed at reluctant readers.

 

I have written in genres such as humour, detective, historical, horror, science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction.

 

I have visited countless schools to give talks and run workshops.  

 

I love talking to students about how I became a reader, and how it inspired me to become a writer.

 

I am currently visiting schools with my ‘Sherlock Bones Puzzle Quest’ event, in which I get the audience to help me solve the kind of puzzles and riddles found in my Sherlock Bones books. I’ve found that the combination of storytelling and puzzles can really help children get into reading for pleasure.

 

I’m also happy to offer events based on the subjects of my previous books, such as ancient Rome, pirates, knights and vampires.

 

My talks are usually around 45 minutes long, leaving 15 minutes for questions, but content and length can be tailored to the audience.

 

I am based in Didcot, Oxfordshire, and am willing to travel.

Books by Tim Collins

‎ 1780557507
Sherlock Bones and the Case of the Crown Jewels

Sherlock Bones and the Case of the Crown Jewels

When the crown jewels go missing from Kennel Palace, it's up to super-sleuth Sherlock Bones and his trusty sidekick Dr Catson to solve the crime. But with multiple suspects and a trail that's starting to run cold, will they be able to catch the culprit in time?  
1843174588
Diary of a Wimpy Vampire

Diary of a Wimpy Vampire

Like Edward Cullen in Twilight, Nigel Mullet was transformed into a vampire when he was still a teenager, and will remain this age forever. Unfortunately, Nigel became a vampire at the awkward age of fifteen, and must spend eternity coping with acne, a breaking voice, and an ineptitude with girls . . .  
9781780550282
Diary of Dorkius Maximus

Diary of Dorkius Maximus

Dorkius Maximus is a young boy growing up in ancient Rome. This hilarious diary recounts his exploits as, desperate to become a great Roman hero, Dorkius enlists the help of his father's friend, Stoutus, to teach him the noble art of fighting. But heroism doesn't come naturally to Dorkius. Plus, his dad doesn't listen to him, his friends pick on him, and his mum is more interested in her sacred chickens. Dorkius knows there's a mighty warrior inside him, just waiting to get out ... isn't there?  
1780551711
Cosmic Colin: Stinky Space Race

Cosmic Colin: Stinky Space Race

When curious Colin dives into the bin after Harry one day, he doesn't find banana peel and custard in there. Rows of lights flicker on, and the bin begins to hum. Colin's day is about to turn Cosmic! With silliness and mayhem, doodles and disasters - this book is perfect for engaging younger readers. 
1912904942
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Olympic Athlete

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Olympic Athlete

Alexander is a fourteen-year-old boy living in Athens in the 5th century BC. He wants to be a great warrior like his father, but he can barely lift a spear. When he is tasked with accompanying a great Greek warrior, Dracon, to the Olympic Games in Olympia, he might just get his chance to prove himself in the sporting arena instead of on the battlefield. Will he become an Olympian legend or will the Greek poets be composing songs about how terrible he is? 
1631631373
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Knight

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Knight

Meet Roderick--a scrawny, unremarkable teenager keeping a diary of his life in the Middle Ages. When he's chosen to become a knight on a quest to find a holy relic (the fingers of St. Stephen), Roderick is determined to prove his honor and graduate from zero to hero. 
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Viking

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Viking

Halfdan is a 14-year-old boy living in Denmark in 1000 AD. His father wants him to stay at home and learn how to carve wooden tools, but Halfdan is determined to become a brave and strong Viking raider, pillaging villages in England. Unfortunately, the raid is a disaster, and Halfdan and his friend Astrid find themselves embarking on an unexpected and perilous trip with the famous Viking explorer Leif Erikson to a strange new land… 
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst Tomb Hunter

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst Tomb Hunter

Ahmed is an apprentice photographer in Egypt who becomes involved in Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon’s hunt for the final resting place of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun and his treasures. Will Ahmed help the team to uncover Tutankhamun’s tomb? And will he fall victim to the tomb’s supposed curse? Come to think of it, given all the disasters he keeps causing, is he cursed already? 
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst Shakespearean Actor

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst Shakespearean Actor

Robert, a boy living in Southwark in early 17th century London, finds himself employed as an actor in the Globe theatre, playing roles written by the greatest playwright of the age: William Shakespeare. But when the coronation of a new king, James I, threatens the future of the theatre, Robert has to come up with a cunning plan to save the company.  
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst Samurai Warrior

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst Samurai Warrior

Suki is a 14-year-old girl in 16th century Japan who wants to become a samurai warrior like her father and brother. Despite her disastrous training, when a party of bandits threaten her village whilst the men are away at war, Suki has to defeat them. Will she prove herself a legendary samurai, or will it all end in disaster? 
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Astronaut

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Astronaut

In this diary, we follow the experiences of a girl who finds herself in the running to be selected for a milestone manned voyage to Mars. Will she get through the rigorous training in one piece? Will she survive the journey to the red planet? And what historic words should she say when she first steps foot on its soil? 
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Dinosaur Hunter

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Dinosaur Hunter

Anne Mansfield is a 14-year-old girl in Victorian England obsessed with collecting dinosaur fossils and frustrated by the lack of respect she receives from scientists. Seizing the opportunity to search for fossils in the USA, she finds herself being sucked into the notorious Bone Wars, a rivalry between American professors wanting to be the first to make new discoveries by whatever means necessary. Can Anne overcome her mistakes, the dangers of the West and the prejudices and petty infighting of her male peers to make a name for herself as Britain’s greatest dinosaur hunter? ‘Get Real’ fact boxes feature throughout, providing historical context and further information, as well as a timeline, historical biographies and a glossary in the end matter.  
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst Roman Gladiator

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World’s Worst Roman Gladiator

Marcus is a 15-year-old boy living in Pompeii in 79 AD. During a trip to Rome with his merchant dad, he finds himself tricked into becoming a gladiator and forced to fight deadly warriors in the arena. 
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Pirate

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Pirate

Meet Thomas - a boy sailing with his parents aboard a merchant ship in the 18th century and prone to daydreaming about living an exciting life as a pirate on the high seas. When the ship is boarded by a pirate crew led by Captain Bartholomew Morgan, Thomas stows away and is accepted into their motley gang. However, life as a pirate proves far less romantic than he was expecting... 
The Long-Lost Secret Diaries of the World's Worst Engineers

The Long-Lost Secret Diaries of the World's Worst Engineers

Malik and Leila are two Algerian children living in 19th-century Paris who become apprentices to the famous engineer, Gustave Eiffel, helping him to construct the iconic Statue of Liberty as a gift to America. When he’s searching for his next project, Malik and Leila help to inspire Gustave to construct the Eiffel Tower – the tallest tower in the world – and then face the dangers and disasters of making their boss’ dream a reality. 
‎1912904667
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Hollywood Director

The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Hollywood Director

Clara is a girl living in Los Angeles, California, in 1915, at the beginning of the Hollywood era. Suddenly, she finds herself working behind the scenes in the film industry for a big-shot producer called Mr Cheeseman. Can she make it to the top in showbiz and become a renowned director, or will her new career end in disaster?