Talks

Workshops

Talks

Topics

I can give talks on the following topics:

	The writer’s life
	Getting published
	How to be successful in learning a foreign language

Talks can be adapted for any group – school, primary and secondary, scouts and guides, for example, and can be up to two hours long.

Free Work in Schools

I can visit your school free of charge to talk about my latest book, whatever it is at the time. Talks are tailored to your age group, and can last up to two hours. You might like to use me for an hour each with two different year groups or classes. I usually talk about writing generally, the current book in particular, read one or two extracts and then take questions. I can leave time at the end for any students who have bought any of my books to have them signed.

The following terms and conditions apply:

	I do ask you to pay travel (40p per mile) and subsistence (breakfast £.6.00, lunch £10.00. dinner £20.00, overnight stay £35.00). I can give you a firm quote for this. Travel is from Southampton or Manchester, whichever is the nearest, but there are restrictions about which days I can travel from which location. I’m happy to go anywhere, but I realise that could work out expensive for you. However, why not combine with a couple of other schools in your area and share costs?
	I will bring copies of my latest book for sale for cash, or cheques made out to G. James.
	I will bring order forms so that parents can order books directly from me. The school will not have to process any money.
	Each child will receive a postcard with the picture of my latest book, or a selection of six of my books, on one side, and details of how to obtain them and my autograph on the other.

Please email me at gill.james@btinternet.com for more information.

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Workshops

The Gift Child

The Gift Child, a short story appearing in Lines in the Sand, the anthology edited by Mary Hoffman and Rhino Lassiter and published by Frances Lincoln, is based on the habit which warring tribes in Papua New Guinea had of giving each other a peace child who could negotiate if a future conflict arose.

It would, of course, be lovely if workshop participants would buy the book. I cannot give away copies, but I can bring some with me to sell on the day or you could, if preferred, order them through me, direct with Frances Lincoln or Amazon. I would, of course, be happy to sign copies.

Work shops can

	take the form of an assembly, where I would read out my contribution and say how I came to write it
	give a Citizenship lesson on handling conflict (up to one hour)
	give a Citizenship lesson on becoming involved (up to one hour)
	be a whole day with pupils putting together their own anthology for their own good cause. (I have experience of teaching Creative Writing)
	be a day or half day on putting together a “gift child” story.

This can include art work.

Make a Book in a Day

This can be offered to a whole class, a whole year group, a whole school or a few cherry-picked students, and my time is absolutely free of charge, though I do ask you to cover any travel and subsistence costs.

Your students spend two thirds of the day working on writing and editing. Each student will produce one or two longer pieces, or three or four short ones, or some combination of the two. Most students will get at least one piece of their work in the book and all of them will be involved in producing the book. The remainder of the day is spent editing, illustrating, designing and marketing the book. You may opt to support a charity thought the sale of your book – that charity could be your own school.

Students benefit by:

	working with a published writer
	writing with a real purpose
	understanding the way a book is produced
	understanding the way a book is marketed
	learning to work with others
	producing a beautiful book which sits on a shelf and has an ISBN number. A copy is deposited with the British Library.
	learning to raise funds for a charity.

The books usually retail at £4.00 and the school may buy them at £3.00, leaving 25% to go the charity of your choice. The book will be in your hands four to six weeks after the visit. Market your book well, and if your charity is your own school, you may easily cover my expenses.

Creative Writing

This can take the form of one and a half hours, a half day of a full day.

Hour and a half workshop

This involves:

	warm up exercises
	writing with the senses
	writing pieces for presentation.
	presentation of writing to small groups or whole groups.

Half day workshop

This involves:

	warm up exercises
	writing with the senses
	looking at writing stories or poems
	writing pieces for presentation
	presentation of writing to small groups or whole groups.

Whole day workshop

This involves:

	warm up exercises
	writing with the senses
	looking at writing stories
	poems and evocative prose
	building characters
	sharpening language
	writing pieces for presentation
	evaluating your work
	presentation of writing to small groups or whole groups.

Please click here if you would like to fill in an application form.

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Creative Writing in Other Languages

Free author visit. – have a whole day of my time in school, absolutely free of charge.
Travel and subsistence expenses are payable. A quote will be given on request.

Often, when we learn a new language, we get a sense that we know very little. However, by leaning to make the most of what we do know, we can surprise ourselves. This workshop shows the language learner how to write creatively, at whatever level they are working.

I can work with several classes throughout the day, or one year group, one class, or a smaller group of selected students. Each student produces one or more finished pieces of work. The best pieces are included in an anthology of students’ work. This will be a book with a spine and an ISBN number, and a copy of it will be lodged with the British Library. They retail at £4.00. £1.00 of this is donated to The Hunger Project.

Using Foreign Languages as a Means to Better Creative Writing

When we use a language other than our own, our writing is often fresher, because we write more simply and can often be more interesting because we transpose idioms from one language to another.

Workshops can be any length from one hour to two days. Activities include:

	using the senses
	using a diary
	working without props
	using translation.

Please click here if you would like to fill in an application form.

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Your own workshop

All the above details are just for guidance; I can build something to fit your exact requirements. It is always useful to have a particular theme for your workshop, and it is possible to bring in other subjects, so that Creative Writing becomes the means of exploring a topic.

Performance - Dickens’ Women

This is a performance of three dramatic monoluges from figures in David Copperfield:

	Mrs Micawber
	Peggotty
	Miss Trotwood.

The total performance, including costume change, takes about one hour, and can be split over a whole evening or afternoon.

Other characters from other Dickens’ novels are in development.

Modern Language Workshops

Master Classes in Language Learning

GCSE, AS, A2 – making the most of your course

Please email bridgehouse@btinternet.com for a quotation. Prices are in line with the cost of supply teachers, though extra is charged if I have to travel or stay overnight.

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