AUTHOR VISITS:
Availability: Any time if given sufficient notice. Will attend evening-only events if nearby.
Sessions: I will always try to fit in with your timetable / schedule. I have found though that 50-75 minute sessions work best for talks, Q/A, or stand-alone workshops; more time, about 2 hours, works best if a talk and workshop are combined.
Activities: Storytelling, talks / discussions on writing, SF / Fantasy / Horror; Question & Answer, book signings, readings, more formal lectures, creative writing workshops on poetry or prose, short residencies, INSET presentations and adult workshops.
One Day Visits: If workshops are required, a model that has worked well in the past is for Steve to meet all of the children at the start of the day for a 'warming up' session to talk about his books and writing, take questions, perhaps do some storytelling, etc. Workshop time is then maximised.
Age Range: KS2 upwards, inc. adult.
Group Size: Any number for talks or storytelling (at the discretion of staff): max. class size preferred for workshops if children are to participate and work in groups. If audience is larger, Steve will demonstrate w/s activities for children to try out subsequently, in smaller groups with staff in attendance. As a rule, the smaller the group and the longer the timespan, the more useful the workshop will be.
Travelling: I prefer to travel by train and use local taxis, journeying to destinations more than a couple of hours from home on the evening prior to the visit. (Occasionally reaching the venue on the day of the visit requires travelling by taxi from the nearest mainline station, rather than a suburban local station. This can be costly, but cheaper than accommodation the night before. Steve will discuss these details with you prior to the visit).
Accommodation: I usually use a local Hotel / B&B and I'm happy to make booking arrangements unless you have some useful 'insider knowledge'. Typically I will choose a two-star hotel or equivalent. Lunch: I will opt for a school lunch where possible (Food: Will consume virtually anything in quantity, but allergic to shellfish). If you want me to bring sandwiches, etc, please let me know in good time.
Book Sales: click here 
If you want me to bring books please publicise the event well in advance and advise children to bring money on the day. Books tend to sell best immediately after an author event. A formally arranged signing session would be appreciated. If a child wants a book but hasn't brought the money, the best plan is for me to sign a sticker, which can be put in the book if / when it's purchased!
If you would like some more general advice in planning for a writer to visit,
click here
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Terms & Conditions.Prices - click here 
Administration time: Occasionally contracts issued by the Contractor involve me in time consuming form filling. I therefore reserve the right to make a charge of £10 per hour or part thereof for time spent in such adminstration.
Travel Costs :- By train, standard class (off peak where possible), and local taxis. By car, 40ppm.
Contractual Arrangements:- No formal contract is issued on my part, but please confirm the details of the visit in writing (email is fine). I will then send some display materials, and will be in touch closer to the time of the visit to check any final arrangement. The correspondence between Steve and his hosts is assumed to be an arrangement between these parties that the terms stated have been agreed. Payment of fees within 30 days of the event is appreciated. An invoice plus schedule D references will be sent shortly after the visit. Note that I am not VAT registered. Some contractors now insist on paying 'suppliers' by BACS (directly into a bank account). If this is the case please send me the appropriate pro forma well in advance.Occasionally contractors class visiting authors, artists, etc, as employees and are deducting tax and national insurance contributions at source. Reclaiming these deductions has in the past proven to be a time consuming and largely fruitless process. Steve is not prepared to waste his time with such bureaucratic pointlessness, and will not undertake a visit if it is not possible for him to be paid gross.
Public Liability Insurance: I carry public liability insurance arranged through the Creative insurance scheme of the Arts Council England, on behalf of Royal & Sun Alliance plc. Details on request.
ACTIVITIES OFFERED:
Storytelling: 1-hour story telling session based loosely around SF / Fantasy genres and my Double Dare Gang stories; using SF, Fantasy and Horror motifs as metaphors for real-life themes. Tone, a mixture of the serious and light-hearted, incorporating personal experiences and how these can be woven into fiction.Workshops: See below for general notes on workshops in schools. Creative thinking / writing activities also offered for adults; general or based around particular themes, or with a certain age- ability-range of children in mind.
Poetry: 1-hour poetry readings interspersed with anecdotes and personal experiences leading to the creation of the poems. Tone varies between serious, light-hearted, reflective. NOTE: that I can offer genre-based poetry (SF/Fantasy oriented, mainstream or both. Please specify).
Talks: 1-hour talks on writing, SF, horror, the world of publishing, etc. Including some storytelling / readings where appropriate, usually punctuated by Question /Answer sessions. 
For student comments on my visits - click lamp.
WORKSHOPS.
I offer a wide range of workshop activities for children of all abilities, and with ages ranging from 7-years upwards. These and other activities are contained in my books ALPS StoryMaker and StoryMaker Catch Pack (see Publications). Unless I have previously done a storytelling session with participants, each workshop is preceded by an 'ice breaking' session, where Steve talks about his books and his love of writing.
Most schools target a year group and want me to work with each class during the day. Time constraints mean that such workshops are around an hour long. In this case, the basic prose-based workshop is in two phases:-
: Playing games that generate enthusiasm, ideas and confidence
: Doing story-making activities using counters, dice, pictures, music, etc.
These two phases represent the generation and early organisation of ideas.
Writing might take place during a workshop, although this is not planned to be of a polished re-drafted nature: rather, the workshops aim to stimulate ideas orally and begin planning on paper, thus laying the groundwork for future writing - although outcomes have included artwork, drama, as well as a variety of written forms. When several workshops run through the day, Steve will do a different workshop with each group.
However, if you want me to work more intensively with fewer classes, click on the dot
for guidance on how to get the most out of the extended workshop
Poetry-based workshops focus on becoming more aware of sense impressions, uncovering themes, exploring motivations to write, and gathering ideas into a range of poetical structures. Techniques for stimulating poetry writing include open-ended questioning, music and picture stimulus, and the creation of group poems.
An informal setting is preferred, with tables or suitable floorspace available for the writing/drawing that forms the second part of the workshop.
The choice of activities offered is to some extent determined by the age, ability and number of the children in the group, and by the facilities available. In every case the principal aim of the workshop is to give each and every child the confidence and enthusiasm to have ideas in a safe environment and the advice and framework to begin formatting those ideas in a creative yet systematic way. No judgements are made on the quality of the ideas or work produced: I am always happy to see the 'finished products', though will only mark and comment on these for a fee of £20ph, plus SAE for return of the work.
I am happy to structure workshop sessions around my own books, or within a particular theme, if he is advised of this well in advance.
INSET:
Check the Contents page for INSET sessions currently available. If you want a more detailed overview please email for this information.
steve@sbowkett.freeserve.co.uk
