AUTHOR TALKS & CREATIVE WORKSHOPS

I can tailor an event to fit with your curriculum or class topics. Here are examples of what I currently offer:
DOWNLOAD an info sheet here: RACHEL DELAHAYE SCHOOL VISITS 
ALL-SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES

After a noisy introduction, I use my own story to explain how and why story-telling is in our DNA, and why anyone can do it. Expect silliness. 

Author talks can last 25-45 minutes, to include a reading and Q&A session.

SPARK-A-STORY WORKSHOP KS2

"I just can't think of anything to write."

The aim of this workshop is to illustrate how easy it is to come up with story ideas. And there's no such thing as 'no imagination'.

After a short talk I'll get them building story-lines and creating characters from thin air. We talk, we draw, we write and we create! This is a light-hearted approach to story creation, but children will come away with lots of tools in their mind-sheds, armed and ready for their next piece of Creative Writing homework!

Workshops can last 45 - 90 minutes. Reading and Q&A optional. 

WORLD-BUILDING WORKSHOP years 5, 6, 7
​
"How do I make my story come alive?"

Well, first of all you need to build your world or worlds - it's the scenery against which your story will play out. And sometimes the scenery is just as important to the story as the characters.

In this workshop we're going to play some games and complete written exercises to bring the background to the front, and breathe life into the world you're creating. 

Workshops can last 45 - 90 minutes. Reading and Q&A optional. 

CHARACTER WORKSHOP 
years 5, 6, 7, 8

"It's about a boy who saves the world."

And? ... Would we care about a story if we felt nothing for the characters in it? Probably not. Good, bad, kind, selfish, wicked or vulnerable, most characters are complex - a mix of many things - and the more three-dimensional you can make them, the better.

Just like stories, characters need a starting point, a moment in the middle, and a satisfying end. Whether your character is an animal, item or personality, we'll take a look at the journey it must embark on to drive your story forward.  

We'll be building characters: creating back-stories and up-to-date profiles, stress-testing them with exercises and teasing them with games... And by the time we're finished, we should know exactly who we're dealing with!

Workshops can last 45 - 90 minutes. Reading and Q&A optional.

WRITING FOR REASONS WORKSHOP
years 5,6,7,8

We'll be looking at how a story can make a real change, and then we'll be working out how to put into words what matters to us for maximum impact. This is full of fun and playful elements, but ultimately about the power of the word and its effect on the world. 

Workshops can last 45 - 90 minutes. Reading and Q&A optional.
 
SPAG  IS FUNNY! 
(spelling & grammar) years 5 & 6

This brand new workshop was built on the back of writing The Daily Joker. SPAG is the cornerstone of every joke, so what better way to encourage kids to learn it than joke-creation?

This educational workshop is a lot of fun. Kids will be writing their own jokes using the basic rules of SPAG, with plenty of tips and tricks to keep it fresh in their minds.

The workshop is 90 minutes, but it can be tailored to shorter timings if necessary. 

WRITING FOR A FUTURE WORKSHOP YRS 6,7,8

This is a workshop that involves a presentation about futuristic stories. How have so many predictions and inventions in literature turned out to come true? And why is it so important that we keep on imagining our future.

After a chat, we'll be getting out pens and paper and seeing if we can predict the future too. Some creativity and some home truths about human nature will see brilliant futuristic stories evolve before our eyes!

LAUGHTER IN THE DARK WORKSHOP years 4, 5, 6

Come with me on a trip through Brutalia, the most 'orrible place ever imagined. Along the way we'll be looking a dark humour - why it's actually not all that creepy, and why mastering it will help in life as well as laughter. 

This is very silly, but enlightening, too. And at the end, children will emerge with light hearts and no fear of the dark.
PLANNING A VISIT
I will fit as many talks or workshops as you require into a given time, although the longer the workshop the more the children will get out of it. Four one-hour workshops a day is standard, but I will work around requests for more or less. Some schools ask me to do an author talk assembly, followed by four workshops, which works well.
MATERIALS
For talks I usually require a laptop-powered projector screen. And for workshops I need a screen plus access to a whiteboard or a flipchart. Children will need large pieces of paper and pens.

*if you don't have these items, I can work around it or bring my own, given enough notice.
HOW MUCH?
I do charge for talks and workshops, but rates are super dooper reasonable. There is no fixed rate as it is dependent on time and distance. I'm happy to discuss over the phone any special requests or information that might affect pricing, or I can supply a quote.

​If you email me an idea of what you are looking for, along with details of your school and location, I'll respond within 12hrs (approx) with a quote and a suggested plan for the day.
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WHAT THE TEACHERS SAY

"The assembly was a huge hit and children and staff are still buzzing about it.
The workshops were fantastic too.
I hope you don't mind if I recommend
​you to other schools!"
Paragon School, Bath

“The children are still talking about the visit from Rachel weeks later. The children were truly inspired by Rachel and there was a real sense of awe and wonder around her visit.” 
T.Hinkley, Interim Head
Woodthorne Primary School, Wolverhampton

"What a wonderfully inspirational
afternoon for our KS2 pupils,
but don't take my word for it; this is what one of our Year 5 pupils said:
"Rachel Delahaye was the best author visits ever - it was very exciting! Rachel didn't just tell us how important books are, she released our inner story tellers."
I don't think I could put it any better myself! Miss Cleveland, HLTA & School Librarian
Cannon Park Primary School, Coventry 

The children are still buzzing -
many of them went away over the weekend and wrote up stories which emerged from the sessions with you. Here are some quotes from Year 5 : "Thank you for coming - you inspired us to write stories."
"You gave us lots of ideas and we thought you were really funny!"
"I can't wait to read your new book,
​The Glove of Death!"
Cirencester Primary School
 
Rachel's visit was entertaining and inspiring. Our key stage two  pupils loved hearing about her stories and how her
ideas evolve. She taught them how
to create funny and exciting stories from random starting points. A few children started the day as 'aliens'
​(non readers/writers) and ended the day
bursting with ideas!
Cumnor Primary School, Oxon

The pupils' feedback: 
'exciting to do a workshop with'; 'fun and inspiring'; 'really thought about what she taught us'; 'she made me understand how to write a story'. So, I think you could call them 'happy customers'!
Wells Cathedral School 

You were excellent, as many of the teachers have told me. "Inspirational" to quote one, "pitched just right" said another.
St John's Primary School, Bath