Author Visits

Hi there! If there’s one thing I love more than hearing from readers, it’s meeting them (virtually or in real life). I have a number of workshops and presentations that I do for readers (and writers!) both young and old. As I write for both kids and teens, I can cover from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4 (ages 8 to…well, 80, really).

One thing I can promise is that a) most of the audience, no matter the age, will probably be taller than me and b) I am bound to be silly. Back eons ago in high school, I competed in improvisation. I’ve since thrown out the trophies, but I can assure you I still think fast on my feet and I have no fear of making fun of myself.

PLEASE NOTE: I am accepting only a very limited number of events this year, so if you want to book me, please contact me as soon as you have a date in mind.

She had my students enthralled when she walked in sporting vampire teeth and a mischievous grin! She kept the magic going through writing games, and when we Skyped with her even my most jaded reader begged to read more of her new book!
—Josh Newhouse, Librarian and Reading Advocate

Assemblies for both large and small groups

Live in Your Pyjamas!

All about working in your pyjamas, the writing process, and how the industry works. Includes an overview of my background and books. Suitable for all ages, including adults (content may differ depending on the audience). Even though this is a group talk, I like to make it as interactive as possible, which means I like to take questions throughout and let the attendees help direct the course of the talk. Some groups really like to get into the esoteric and creative aspects of writing, while others really want to know about the nitty-gritty details of the business.

Workshops

I have some standard workshops that I do, but am always open to customising a talk to work with your group.

Character Building
How to build believable and engaging characters. This is an interactive workshop and will provide writers with some different methods for building characters as well as how to use what you know about your characters in plotting your novel. Learn about what’s in a name and what types of things you can ask yourself to create characters that leap off the page.

Fantasy Mapmaking and/or World Building
An interactive workshop featuring map making and fantasy world building. Uses real world examples from my own research and books. Suitable for all ages and lots of fun! Here’s where you get a chance to get a glimpse into my (very random) notebooks and see what makes an author tick.

Dungeons & Dragons & Writing
Does your school or library have a D&D club? Then they’re halfway on the way to becoming writers already! As I also write TTRPG encounters and adventures and have a particular interest in encouraging both writing AND playing, I would love to talk with your students about both. This is a new workshop for me (even though I’ve been playing and writing for years), so I am happy to work with you on what you’d like to see–what fantastical place do your players need to go and how can I help you get there?

Virtually Yours

I also offer Teams, Skype, or Zoom Q&A “Ask Me Anything” sessions if you’re not able to have me visit in person and can even provide some example questions if you need some help getting started. These sessions can either be live or recorded (if you’d rather just send the questions to me to respond to).

I have conducted some of my workshops in online-only sessions during the pandemic and it isn’t impossible (or even improbable) BUT the interactive ones are much more fun in person.

We had a fantastic author event and Map Making session from Kimberly Pauley to launch Bromley Libraries Virtual Chatterbooks Group. Kimberly told us about her book The Accidental Wizard and a little about herself and life as an author and then proceeded to take us through an amazing workshop on map making. They were totally engaged and I would even say spellbound by her session. The whole session and the effect it had on the children was marvellous and I would highly recommend that you invite Kimberly to your school or library. — Jenny Hawke, Children’s Librarian

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a visit cost?

For in person visits, I charge £150 for a single session and £300 for a half day or £400 for an entire day, plus travel (train tickets and/or hotel costs, as necessary). Virtual Visits can vary depending on what you are after, so it’s best to contact me to discuss it.

Where will you travel to?

I am located in Coventry in the West Midlands, but will travel throughout the UK (or potentially beyond, depending on, you know, the state of the world). However, it’s best to contact me for availability as soon as possible. If you’re located 2+ hours away and are only after a single session, it’s possible I can still work something out if there are other schools or libraries in the area that might also want a visit at the same time.

What age groups do you cover?

I honestly love to chat with anyone of any age about the stuff I’m passionate about and I modify my workshops depending on who is attending. But, I’m probably best suited for Years 3 to 10. My books are for both middle grade and young adult readers, while my short stories & D&D work are all ages.

How big a group will you talk to?

Well, how big a group do you have? Only slightly kidding! I have given assembly-style talks for hundreds of people (and some virtual ones for thousands). However, workshops work best with smaller groups of maybe 20-30 so that everyone gets a chance to participate.

You sound cool, but what if we want you to talk about something different?

Let me know what it is and we can talk about it. I’m comfortable speaking about a wide range of topics to do with writing, fantasy, role playing games and more. But if you want me to talk horror or screenwriting or the tumultuous political situation of anywhere, I’m not your gal.