Author Visits!
STOP PRESS: Are you thinking of booking me for an author visit?
Download my NEW Author Events eBook, which tells you everything you need to know about my school and library visits – from organising the day to how to get my books for your pupils on sale or return, with free delivery!
Click here to download your copy!
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Hello and welcome to the information to read before a visit from children’s author, Tommy Donbavand. You’re reading this page because you’ve either booked a visit by Tommy to your school; you’re thinking of booking Tommy for an event; or you’re such an outright fan that you’ll read just about anything with his name on the front. Actually, that last one’s a bit odd – so lets hope it’s not that.
On this page (and in my downloadable Author Events eBook), I’ll tell you exactly how you can make the visit run as smoothly as possible – for your pupils, your staff and for me, too. I’ll also include details of some of the worst events I’ve been booked to run and explain exactly what went wrong – although I’ll be sure to change the names of those involved to protect the innocent…
So, click ‘print’, boil the kettle (mine’s a tea, no sugar) and let’s prepare for a day your pupils will never forget…
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MY EVENTS:
When you book me for a day’s visit to your school, you book me for three, one-hour sessions – plus a book signing, however long that takes.
The one-hour sessions can be creative writing workshops, where I can work with up to 60 pupils at a time, or my exciting and anarchic Vampires vs Werewolves Game Show, which promotes the fun of reading in an action-packed, interactive manner. Details of both sessions follow.
Please don’t take it upon yourself to split the day up into tiny chunks so that I get to work with everyone (“You’re with year 4 for 15 minutes until break, then ten minutes with year 6 – and can you squeeze in a quick story telling session with reception?”) If I can’t get round everyone in school in a single day, you’ll have to decide which pupils you’d like me to work with (remember – you can combine classes up a maximum of 60 pupils), or book me for a second day.
Pupils simply don’t get a lot out of sessions much shorter than one-hour; I can’t teach them anything about creative writing in 20 minutes. But that doesn’t mean I’d like you to give me a single class for the entire morning, either (it’s been done, and it simply doesn’t work!) My one-hour sessions have been fine-tuned so that pupils are excited by the content, but their attentions don’t start to wander.
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The Write Stuff (one-hour, up to 60 pupils per session but better with 30)
Even scarier than the vampires and werewolves in my books is the prospect of facing a blank piece of paper when charged with the task of writing a short story – but I can easily rid your pupils of that fear, freeing their imaginations up and allowing them to invent tales packed with incredible settings, three-dimensional characters and non-stop action.
In The Write Stuff workshop, I take your pupils through the creation of the writers’ most valuable tool – the story plan. With my help, students will:
* Come up with a unique setting and learn how to describe it using all five senses
* Invent rounded, personable characters that readers will want to root for
* Devise a fast-paced plot through a simple, three-step exercise
* Build the story action towards an explosive climax – perhaps with a twist at the end
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Idea Busters (one-hour, up to 60 pupils per session but better with 30)
My Idea Busters workshop is where I teach your pupils new and fun techniques they can use to come up with exciting story ideas. Using these techniques, pupils will:
* Dig deeper than usual within their imaginations to create exceptional stories
* Develop new tales by creating a new, three-dimensional character
* Use the environment around them to think up plots that will really grip their readers
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Vampires vs Werewolves Game Show (one-hour, the entire school, although very young pupils can be scared by the noise as there is a lot of shouting and cheering involved)
Based around the relics in my Scream Street books, the Vampires vs Werewolves Game Show is fast-paced, action-packed and interactive. I split the audience into two teams and play a series of games guaranteed to get them excited about reading!
It’s a noisy session – but is always loved by both pupils and staff alike!
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More more detailed information, testimonials and prices, download my author events eBook here.
