Now that the Christmas/New Year break is over, and people start to return to work, I’m starting to get emails and phone calls enquiring about my author visits and writing workshops. Hooray! The only thing I love to do as much as write is talk.

I love the variety of sessions I get asked to run, the amazing schools I visit, the even more amazing students and teachers I get to meet and – importantly – I love the feeling when my visit makes a difference to a child (or a while school full of children) –making reading, writing or both just a bit more special. I also love helping teachers to find new ways to teach writing and to instil a love of reading.

The sessions I did in 2017 included:

• Dozens of meet-the-author sessions in schools and at libraries
• Poetry writing workshops in primary schools
• Narrative writing workshops in primary and secondary schools
• A whole day workshop using Do Not Forget Australia as an inspiration to write poetry- every year 5 student present had at least two poems drafted by the end of the day.
• Writing workshops for school children and the public in Sharjah in the UAE
• A visit to a school where year 6 students had spent a term reading my verse novels as an author study
• Leading a Bookweek rap at Bookweek assemblies
• Professional development workshops in teaching narrative and poetry writing
• And more!

In 2018 I look forward to visiting even more schools and libraries, spreading the love of reading and writing. If you’re a teacher, librarian or festival organiser and you’d like me to visit you,  drop me a line.