Alice Hemming

Alice Hemming

Bestselling Children's Book Author

Also writes as

Alice Thorp
www.alicehemming.co.uk
Booking enquiry
Alice Hemming - author tools

Available for

Workshop, Talk, Reading, Interview, Commission a book

Audiences

Age 1 to 3, Age 3 to 5, Age 5 to 7, Age 7 to 11, Adult

Genres

Adventure, Comedy, Fairy tale, Fantasy, Fiction, Folklore, Humour, Picture book, Tall tale

Book types

Educational, Fiction for children, Fiction 5-9, Fiction 8-13, Picture book

Details

Booked for World Book Day 2024 and 2025

Recommendations

"I thought Alice was fabulous and really motivated our children! My TA’s are in full agreement.  She was so personal and on their level."

Mrs Palmer, Reception teacher, Barton Seagrave Primary

 

"We liked it when she showed us how she made her books. We got to draw animals and decide what they did that was funny. I really liked when we did a Questions and Answers."

Year 2 student

More references available on request.

About me

I am a children’s author based in Hertfordshire and have written over fifty books for children, including picture books, reading scheme and middle grade. Titles include the bestselling Dark Unicorns series (Scholastic), and picture book, The Leaf Thief with illustrator Nicola Slater (Scholastic 2020), which has sold across the world and been translated into fifteen languages. My school visits (Reception-KS2) tend to include an introductory assembly as well as workshops with individual classes.

I feel passionately about books, stories and writing and would love to come to your school to generate enthusiasm and excitement around the subject.

In the past I have worked as a professional librarian, a website editor and an Outreach manager for a university, so I have a background of working in schools.

I am DBS cleared and have liability insurance through NAWE.

About my author visits

I like to meet as many of the children as possible and will happily work with any Primary School year group, including Nursery and Reception.

A ‘typical’ visit would include a morning assembly, followed by workshops with each year group in their classrooms, but I am happy to work with an individual year group or key stage if you prefer.  Workshops I have given include the following:

Foundation: Book reading, acting out stories, Q&A
KS1: Acting out stories, Creating a class poem, Character Workshop, Magic Story Bag workshop.
KS2:
How an author works, Story Dice, The Cut Ups, Character Workshop.

Maybe you would like me to focus on a particular subject?  Or you currently have a particular focus, such as editing or writing?  Please let me know as I do like to work with individual schools to tailor a suitable programme.

I am also happy to talk to group of adults about writing for children or run a picture book writing workshop.

I am based in East Hertfordshire but happy to travel, particularly in London and north Essex. I will go further afield but may need to charge for an overnight visit. I charge £450 plus expenses for a full day.

Event feedback

Alice was absolutely amazing and the children loved her workshops. I really enjoyed how Alice started the day talking about the journey of writing a book and this definitely inspired some of the children to become authors one day. I have heard praise from every teacher who observed Alice's workshops and they said how engaged the children were during her sessions. Alice catered for a range of ages and the children thoroughly enjoyed her workshops. Thank you again for enriching the children with a love of reading and I would love for Alice come back to us soon!

Jemma Wykes (Springmead Primary School)

What a lovely lady. The children thoroughly enjoyed and engaged in the workshops led by Alice. I would most definitely recommend Alice to others

Dawn Osborne (Larwood School)

Books by Alice Hemming

The author of over eighty books for children, including the bestselling Dark Unicorns series (Scholastic). The award-winning and New York Times bestselling picture book, The Leaf Thief, with illustrator Nicola Slater (Scholastic 2020), has sold across the world and been translated into nineteen languages. The follow up book 'That's MY Flower' is now available. Also writes for guided reading schemes.
9781407191447
The Leaf Thief

The Leaf Thief

Squirrel is so cross! Yesterday there were loads of beautiful leaves on his tree, but today? Today some leaves are missing! There's a LEAF THIEF on the loose! A brilliantly funny tale of one squirrel's enormous surprise at the inevitable change of seasons 
978-0702323614
The Thirteenth Vampire

The Thirteenth Vampire

The town of Valesti was once rumoured to be the home to a family of twelve vampires who wreaked havoc on the towns people. Until, that is, hunters came to kill them all. At least, they thought they'd killed them all ... Years later, the rumours are mostly forgotten but some persist, especially those around Castle Bezna, where a mysterious countess lives. Over the years, the countess has enlisted village girls to be her companions, but none of the girls have returned. But when a girl named Vivi decides that the promise of an education and boarding is too great an opportunity to turn down, she packs up her belongings and starts work in the dusty old castle. But Vivi starts to wonder if the legend of the thirteenth vampire could be true. Can she prove the vampires existence, or will she join the long list of girls never to return from Castle Bezna ...? 
9781848863200
Arlo, Mrs Ogg and the Dinosaur Zoo

Arlo, Mrs Ogg and the Dinosaur Zoo

Things aren't looking good for class 4X. With another teacher running away screaming (literally), Arlo wonders how long the new supply teacher will survive. When Mrs Ogg takes them to the zoo, it is up to Arlo to keep everyone in line. What Mrs Ogg fails to mention is that this is no ordinary zoo... 
1407197711
The Midnight Unicorn

The Midnight Unicorn

In a faraway kingdom, two girls live separate lives. Growing up in the wilderness of the west, Alette is the daughter of a sorcerer. In the warmth of the east, Audrey is the daughter of a baker. The girls could not be more different... and yet something draws them together. Are they connected by the unanswered questions of their pasts? Or by the identical pendants they both wear around their necks? Whatever it is, the girls are on a collision course that cannot be avoided, as a past they never knew they had leaves them hurtling towards a future they could never have dreamed of. Danger, mystery and enchanted unicorns await them. Their story began once upon a time. But how will it end? 
9780702322457
That's MY Flower!

That's MY Flower!

It's spring and the most perfect flower has started to blossom. Squirrel has decided the flower is HIS! After what happened to the leaves in autumn, Squirrel's not taking ANY chances. He must keep the flower safe, and he needs his best friend Bird to help him! 
978-0008251567
The Best Vest Quest

The Best Vest Quest

King Chester has a problem – his vest has a rip and a food splash on it. What can he do? He can go on a quest for a better vest! 
1848864051
Arlo, Miss Pythia and the Forbidden Box

Arlo, Miss Pythia and the Forbidden Box

Arlo is back and this time, his teacher is from Ancient Greece. 
1407196685
Rose Gold and friends

Rose Gold and friends

Friendship, fun and fantastically cute pets - Rose Gold and Friends is the sparkly new book on every child's wish list! 
978-1407196701
Yasmeen's Winter Fun

Yasmeen's Winter Fun

Rose, Amber, Oralie and Yasmeen are the best of friends. They live far away from each other but always make time to keep in touch, and four times a year they all stay at each other's houses. This time the girls reunite at Yasmeen's house at Christmas time. Not all of them celebrate Christmas, but they are all ready for a fun weekend of cheesy films and songs, and cuddles with Yasmeen's dog Mable. Yasmeen's mum even said she'd take them ice skating! But when Yasmeen's mum becomes poorly, she's not able to take the girls anywhere, and Yasmeen is beside herself. She feels bad for her mum, but now the weekend is ruined - and what will the girls say? Well, she needn't have worried, because the girls know that being together is the most important thing of all, and as long as they are, everything will be alright. 
978-1848860964
The Black and White Club

The Black and White Club

The penguins have started their own club but George the giraffe feels left out. He makes his own club, which is a lot more inclusive and a lot more fun! 
0008352011
Map Scraps

Map Scraps

Phonics yellow level 
978-1848861152
Bibble and the Bubbles

Bibble and the Bubbles

Bobby wonders where the bubbles go. 667 million miles away, Bibble wonders where they come from. So he climbs inside a bubble spaceship to find out... 

Photos

Alice Hemming - first image
Alice Hemming - first image
Alice Hemming - first image

Keywords

ASSEMBLY EDITING KS1 KS2 NURSERY PICTURE BOOKS RECEPTION WRITING