If you would like an author talk or a creative writing workshop for your library, school, book club or writers' group, the way to arrange one with me is to send a note with roughly where and when. I live and travel Australia full-time in my campervan, Trevor, so there is no fixed timetable. If your town is somewhere I am headed, a talk or workshop can often be folded into the trip, and the earlier you ask, the easier it is to arrange.
What I offer
Everything is arranged by enquiry, and falls into four kinds of session. The workshops, talks and mentoring page has the detail.
- Courses and workshops. Writing courses and workshops for adults and children, across different forms and stages of writing, as a one-off session or a short course.
- Author talks. Talks and readings about Called to Coddiwomple, Time Like Coins, van life and writing from the road.
- Mentoring and brainstorming. One-to-one support for a piece of writing, a project, or a habit you are trying to build.
- Writers' groups. I have established, organised and taken part in writers' groups, and I am glad to talk to anyone starting one.
Who the sessions are for
I have delivered courses, workshops, mentoring and creative-writing sessions for adults and for children. The groups listed on the workshops page are:
- libraries, community groups and writers' groups
- schools and young writers
- adult learners and arts organisations
- book clubs and readers' groups (for author talks)
The writing behind a talk
Author talks cover the books, van life and writing from the road. My writing also runs wider than the two books. Poetry was my first love and remains at the centre of my work, but I also write memoir, travel writing, short fiction, crime and horror. My poems and short stories have appeared in dozens of anthologies and magazines, and my work has been adapted for radio, podcast and audiobook, including a narrated reading on Tales to Terrify and the Well Versed audiobook project with PBA FM. The full list is on the books and published work page.
Workshops and mentoring
Workshops cover different forms and stages of writing. Mentoring can help with:
- finding a direction, or starting a project when you know you want to write something but not yet what
- opening up a stalled piece or working through a block
- choosing a form that suits the material
- strengthening a piece you have already written
- honest, constructive feedback
I completed studies in Professional Writing in 2013, followed by certificates in Freelance Writing and Non-Fiction Writing. I have also spent years on the less glamorous end of the craft, writing blogs, newsletters and business documents, which is where I think a writer really learns to be clear.
What to put in your enquiry
- Where: your town or region.
- When: a rough window of dates is enough to start with.
- What: an author talk, a workshop or short course, mentoring, or help with a writers' group.
- Who: the kind of group it is for.
Send that through the contact form and we can go from there.