Primary School Visits
A Few Details
The presentations are aimed at Years 5 & 6, although I have happily presented to Year 4 as well. The children are encouraged to participate, which they most certainly do, so a maximum of 60 children per session is recommended. Up to three sessions a day can be accommodated.
The presentations are ideally an hour long, although a shorter version can be delivered in forty-five minutes.
Content
In the presentation, I tell the children a little about my history. I describe how one teacher provided the single spark that encouraged me to read and, in doing so, started me on my literary journey. I speak about the friends, family and environments that have given me the inspiration for so many of my stories, and I tell true anecdotes of being adrift for seventy-two days in the Pacific, of whales, sharks and enormous snakes, along with a few associated, interesting facts. What talk wouldn’t be complete without tales of ghosts and pirates? Finally, I narrate a few extracts from The Pirate Queen and the Half-Plucked Chicken, trying to ignite the same flame in the pupils that was lit within me all those years ago.
Isle of Wight
I am currently working with the former High Sheriff, Dawn Haig-Thomas, and carrying out free school visits on the Isle of Wight. The hope is to encourage pupils to read more, thereby improving literacy levels on the island, which are currently amongst the lowest in the country.