Start the Story
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Issue 1 , June 201 2
THE ULTIMATE
AUTHOR VISIT
How to make the most of every visiting author
Barry and Tommy do over 300 events every year
Inviting an author or illustrator into your school is one of the very best ways to
inspire your pupils to read and write - and yet some schools don't make the best of
these fantastic events. So, we wanted to offer the view from the other side of the
fence, and give you our tips for arranging an author visit that will inspire your pupils
and get them excited about reading and writing.
Where To Find Your Author
Your first port of call in the search for an author is to talk to your pupils. Find out what
they're reading - both at home and from the school library (although you're unlikely to get
JK Rowling popping into your school!) Which author of illustrator do your pupils want to
meet? Their interest will make all the difference to the success of the day.
"Thank you so much for
your recent visit to our
school. All our copies of
your books have been out
on loan ever since your talk,
and one boy who has never
taken a single book out is
now working through the
first three books in your
series! I never thought I'd
see the day!"
RESOURCES:
www.contactanauthor.co.uk
www.scottishbooktrust.co.uk
www.booktrust.org.uk
Another way to find a guest author is to use a website such as the excellent
contactanauthor.co.uk. On this site, you can search for authors, poets, illustrators and more by genre, location, and even the age groups
they prefer to work with. You'll find most of your pupils' favourites are here, and you may even chance across someone new who fits your
requirements exactly. In Scotland, the Scottish Book Trust also maintains a database of authors who will visit your school, and they can
even help cover the costs.
Make That Booking
When you've found the author you would like to visit your school, the next stage is to contact them and ask if they are available on your
preferred date or dates. It's always good to be flexible here; authors' diaries fill up very quickly, and they may already be booked for the
date you have in mind. Give the author as much notice as possible. I receive a vast number of emails asking if I can visit a school the
following week and, 99 times out of 1 00, it can't be done. The earlier you can make your request, the better.
Bear in mind that authors get particularly busy at certain times of the year. World Book Day is a prime example. Every March, just about
every author I know is swamped with requests for school visits which, unfortunately, leads to a large number of disappointed schools. Why
not avoid the crowds and hold your book week at another time of year? It won't take away from your World Book Day celebrations, and
you'll stand a much better chance of getting your author of choice.
For authors of spooky books, such as Barry and myself, the month leading up to Halloween fills up very quickly. But there's no reason why
you can't be fiendish in February or shiver through the summer by writing creepy fiction in June. The schools that plan things a little
differently are more often than not the ones who get to choose the author best suited for them.
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