CONTACTING AUTHORS FOR SCHOOL EVENTS
Johnny O'Brien
Main titles
Day of the Assassins
Day of Deliverance (working title – publishing in 2010)
Age Ranges
10 to 14
Preferred Event
Flexible, but I typically undertake one hour 'plenary session' with a reading, discussion of key themes and Q&A. This works particularly well for people who are interested in history.
Also available to do a half day workshop which can be focused on 'history'-related themes (particularly the First World War) using the materials from the website as a basis and/or English/creative writing focused on plot development, characterisation, structure, etc.
Number of Sessions
Two to three in a day.
Size of Audience
Up to 100 for plenary session; around 30 for workshops.
Home area
Surrey / London
Regions Covered
UK
Fee
Not under £250 per day, plus travel/accommodation expenses
Links
Contact Details
Author's Comments
Types of events you have done:
Typically one hour 'plenary session' with a reading, discussion of key themes (for example 'history'-related: First World War, key turning points, time travel and 'English/creative writing related': plot development, characterisation, structure, together with Q&A.
School's preparation:
Obviously the school needs to take care of the logistics, room set up, etc. It is a bonus if the audience had covered some key points in history – particularly the First World War – but not essential. I don't expect people to have read the books or know who I am. Sale of books is a bonus – but it is obviously great to have a link in with a local book shop.
Your Preparation:
I like to have talked to the event organiser / teacher to ensure that I am tailoring the event to meet their expectations.
The Event:
I usually aim to make the event very interactive with lots of Q&A stimulated by the reading and by the key themes in the book. This usually leads to an energetic discussion and engages the audience around history in an accessible and interesting way.
Materials available:
The film and other worksheet materials are available from the website: www.dayoftheassassins.com