[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-25-tips-for-hosting-an-awesome-author-visit":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Getting an author to visit your school, library or festival is a brilliant way to inspire kids to read and fire up their creativity. I find a lot of kids don’t really understand that the name on a book cover is a real person. (It’s not some sort of box with a button that you push, and out comes a book.) And when they can see right in front of them that a writer or illustrator is a person who walks and talks and laughs and gets excited about stories, and occasionally makes mistakes, they get an inkling of possibilities: \u003Ci>Hey, maybe this is something I could do, too!\u003C/i> \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sarahmcintyre_portway_jr_library_lores_zpsa339cc7c-2ea7f352d7.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nIt’s so much more exciting to read a book by someone they’ve met. And if they get hooked on a story or two by that author, they may go on to read other authors, and it can open up to them a lifetime of reading, drawing, and enjoying books and stories. But any author will tell you that it's \u003Cb>the host's preparation\u003C/b> that can make all the difference between a wildly successful visit and one that makes much less impact. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/jamesallensprep1-26c19874da.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nDuring the past few years, I’ve picked up a few things that could be helpful if you’re thinking of organising your own Author Visit. (And when I say ‘author’, that can mean a writer, illustrator or translator; they’re all authors of creative work.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>1. Book as far in advance as you can.\u003C/b> If you're hoping to book an author for World Book Day, you’ll need to add in extra time, possibly a whole year. Alternatively, you can organise a school book day on another day and have a much better chance of getting an author, particularly at shorter notice.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>2. Expect to pay your author\u003C/b>. You get paid; they should, too. Remember an hour-long school event still can mean several hours of travel, possibly an overnight stay if the author’s coming a long way, preparation time, time away from their regular work, being tired the following day, and the inevitable follow-up head cold. \u003Ca href=\"http://awfullybigblogadventure.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/whats-author-event-worth-by-nicola.html\">You can read a good article by Nicola Morgan on author visit fees.\u003C/a> \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>3. Discuss book sales in advance\u003C/b>. Book sales are important: if kids gets excited about an author and a particular book, it makes perfect sense to put that book into their hands right away so they can read it. A signed book may be something they treasure for their whole lives and it will remind them of the visit. Also, it helps the author to carry on doing their job; publishers don’t have a lot of patience for slow sales and will drop authors quickly. \u003Ca href=\"http://awfullybigblogadventure.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/the-reasons-for-signing-john-dougherty.html\">John Dougherty’s written a good article about books sales.\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for more under the cut!-->\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/m2c12_gobin_covers-3c8077c9ff.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>4. Discuss event format\u003C/b>. Authors are all different; some will prefer working with large assemblies and some will want smaller workshops. You can negotiate over e-mail or by phone with them what kind of sessions will work best with the room sizes and school timetable.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>5. Display your children’s work\u003C/b>. Kids get way more excited about doing something creative if they know their efforts will go up on the walls, not stuffed into a desk and forgotten. If you do this well before the author visits, it will create a good creative atmosphere. (Most teachers do this, but I've visited a few schools with no work on the walls at all.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>6. Don’t worry about CRB checks\u003C/b>. Unless the author is doing long-term work with the group, or one-on-one sessions, this isn’t legally necessary and takes up a lot of time and money. A good reference is much more valuable. (See the \u003Ca href=\"http://societyofauthors.net/soa-news/isa-clearances-childrens-writers\">Society of Authors website\u003C/a> on the subject.) \u003Ci>Authors are advised - but not required - to have Professional Liability Insurance. (This year I got mine for the first time, through the Society of Authors \u003Ca href=\"http://www.societyofauthors.org/insurance\">at a member's rate of £16 per year\u003C/a>.)\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>7. Prepare your kids\u003C/b>. If you whip up excitement in advance, kids will pay far, far more attention on the day and come away much more inspired than if they come into the auditorium wondering, \u003Ci>who is this person, some eccentric supply teacher?\u003C/i> Set projects based on the author’s work. Perhaps create a wall area featuring the author, with photos, book covers, illustrated characters, things the kids have researched about him or her and written or drawn. Let your author know in advance that you've done a project, so the author can tailor their presentation to something more in-depth than a basic introduction to the books. (They will have to assume no one has read the books unless you tell them otherwise.) One of the best schools for this I’ve ever encountered was Green Lane Primary, \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/538411.html\">have a look at their preparation work here\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/green_lane_minicomics_1-b4a72a061f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>8. Check out the author's website\u003C/b>. Besides being good research, he or she may have materials you can use in advance or as follow-up to the session.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/seawig_sheets_zps50b62c39-e475eb6428.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/UHerts_seawigs_group2_zpsc1feac13-bf4b01ec58.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>9. Come up with a good system for book purchases\u003C/b>. Don't expect kids to remember to bring money on the day, have a good pre-order system in place. Your kids WILL want books after a good author visit, and it’s a shame to let them down.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>10. Get back in touch\u003C/b>. Contact the author at least two weeks before the event to pin down any final details. Be sure the author has:\\r\n - your contact name and number; also a contact name and number for the person who's collecting him or her from the station if it's not you\\r\n - School address and nearest rail station\\r\n - If the author is driving, supply information about parking\\r\n - Expected arrival time, and start time for first event\\r\n - Schedule of events with group sizes and age groups, including book signings, breaks and lunch time\\r\n - Any further details about book sales\\r\nIdeally, all this information should all go on a sheet of paper that the author can print out, so they don't have to piece together lots of different information in e-mails, possibly missing an important detail.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>11. Think about photos\u003C/b>. Clear in advance which kids can appear in them: it's great to have a photo of the author with some of your children, perhaps holding up work they've done during the visit. Photos can be useful for the school website, newsletter, perhaps to print and hang up in the classroom as a reminder of the visit, or in the school reception, to show prospective parents. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/Uherts_groupshot_zps0e246ce1-8968461a6c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>12. Local media\u003C/b>: do you want to alert them? It's good publicity for the school and the author!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/norway_newspaper1_zps143ab4e6-166460f5c7.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>13. Assess your supplies\u003C/b>: White board, flip chart or \u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Document_camera\">visualiser\u003C/a>? Remember that if you invite an illustrator to draw on your interactive white board, you won't have original artwork to keep and pin up on the wall; it never looks as good printed out. If the author uses a flip chart, the pictures they draw will be large, like posters; if a visualiser, you'll get notebook-sized drawings. Consider the size of the room: a flip chart can be hard to see from the back of a large auditorium, whereas with a visualiser, you can enlarge the image on-screen.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/visualiser_zpsc8eb3783-fedca69735.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"1\">\u003Ci>Using a visualiser\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>14. Buy new marker pens\u003C/b>. Every author knows the feeling of discovering on-stage that a pen's a dud. Three test swipes of a used pen won't always reveal which ones will work for more than a minute. An author visit is a big deal; invest in a pack of new markers, they don't cost that much. Make sure you have enough unwrinkled flip chart paper if the author wants a flip chart, and check that the flip chart stand isn't broken.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/sarahneill_kingswd1-36bdc54a5c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>15. Check your tech\u003C/b>. If the author has a Powerpoint presentation, try to download it at least a few days in advance and test that it works on the school machines. If you're swapping between Powerpoint and a visualiser, make sure it works. Decide about microphones. If you’re getting the presentation from them on the day (on a USB stick?), be sure you leave enough time for setup before events.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/stage_capnwaffle_zps41c7eba0-07d1e35a3a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>16. Arrange lifts.\u003C/b> Makes sure that, if the author is coming by train, that someone meets them at the station and brings them to the school. There’s nothing more dispiriting to an author to start their day trudging through the rain, any supplies they’ve brought getting soaked, and being late because they can’t find the right entrance. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>17. Make the author feel welcome right away.\u003C/b> Be sure the front receptionist knows the author is coming, and knows their name when they greet them.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>18. Be a guide\u003C/b>. Make sure someone's always around to help the author navigate the staff room, lunch room, setting up Powerpoint, etc, finding the toilet. Staff rooms can be very intimidating places!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/hay_primary_lunch_zps94ad10f4-58a59186af.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>19. Take part in whatever the author is doing with the kids\u003C/b>. Kids take their cue from their teachers: when they see their teachers taking part, they take the activity much more seriously. The worst thing teachers can do is chat in the back, or ignore the author and mark papers. And it's illegal to leave the author alone in the room with the children (It's sad that this law has to exist, but it's also a boon for visiting authors, whom I've heard sometimes used to get abandoned while teachers went out for smoke breaks.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/lanucia_teacher_capnwaffle_zps0bf5b69b-a164158d32.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>20. Remember that authors aren't teachers.\u003C/b> While authors pick up techniques with practice, they're not actually trained in crowd control. You and your teaching assistants need to keep a close eye on the kids at all time, particularly the ones you know have special needs. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>21. Have a book signing system\u003C/b>. If an author is signing hundreds of books, have someone go through the queue, find out who the children want the book dedicated to (usually to themselves, but sometimes to a sibling or friend). Write the dedication name on a post-it note and stick it to the book. Then the author won't get the spelling wrong, or have to wait for the nervous child to spell out slowly his or her name phonetically. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/dubai_gulfnews_photo_zps3411d995-0b2bde338c.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>22. Help out at the signing\u003C/b>. Make sure the author isn't mobbed while signing. If the author is signing lots of books; he or she may not have time or energy to sign little bits of paper, which will probably get crammed into rucksacks and lost. Don't make the author be the bad guy who's refusing to sign things; ask the author what he or she prefers, then let the kids know what they can expect.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>23. Flowers aren't necessary\u003C/b>. If your authors are traveling by train, don't thank them with a flower arrangement that will be cumbersome to carry at rush hour. Instead of budgeting for a gift, just pay the extra into their fee. The author can use that money to buy a drink (or help toward the rent). \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/killer_flowers_zps8caabf1d-f1c7e65743.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>24. Follow up the visit!\u003C/b> Think about ways of following up the visit. Did the author set the kids a challenge? Is there a theme you could take up for a more in-depth project?\\r\n\\r\nHere are some examples of follow-up activities by Portway Junior School (\u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/569241.html\">see more here!\u003C/a>):\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/portway_superhamsters_zps400e4f60-d7813aab9f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd follow up work from James Allen's Prep School (\u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/265086.html\">more here!\u003C/a>):\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/japs_notes1_zps531d8f9b-2287bfe893.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>25. Keep the paperwork simple\u003C/b>. Do everything you can to keep the author from having to fill out reams of forms after the visit. (I’ve occasionally been given up to 50 sheets of paper to go through, including detailed questions about pension schemes!) If you need them to fill out more than the basics, you should expect to pay them at least an extra £100 for their time, possibly more. (Better: just keep it simple.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/geneva_intlschool_frame-eec82baa65.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nDon’t be scared off by the sheer number of tips I’ve given you! Most of these are common sense things, but teachers and librarians are busy people, and it can help to run though a checklist. Remember, \u003Cb>a good Author Visit is one of the best gifts you can give your children, and the effects of it may last a lifetime\u003C/b>.\\r\n\\r\nCheck out Nicola Morgan's \u003Ca href=\"http://www.nicolamorgan.com/heartsong-blog/ten-tips-for-author-event-organisers/\">Ten Top Tips for an Author Visit\u003C/a> and another great post she's done for authors \u003Ca href=\"http://awfullybigblogadventure.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/author-events-from-other-side-by-nicola.html\">from the point of view of the organiser\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\nAnd you can learn more about Author Visits over \u003Ca href=\"http://www.societyofauthors.org/guides-and-articles\">on the Society of Authors website\u003C/a>. Here's a \u003Ca href=\"http://www.societyofauthors.org/sites/default/files/CWIG-Author-Fees-Guide-090514.pdf\">direct link to a Society of Authors guidance sheet\u003C/a> written by Nicola Morgan for the Children's Writers & Illustrators Group. (We were CWIG committee members together, she's ace.)\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.societyofauthors.org/sites/default/files/CWIG-Author-Fees-Guide-090514.pdf\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/soa_advice_zps2b01360b-9df304cc60.gif\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"3\">\u003Cb>If you'd like to print out a text version of my checklist, you can\u003C/b> \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/journal/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/McIntyre_AuthorVisit_Checklist2.pdf\">download it here as a PDF\u003C/a>.\u003C/font> \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/journal/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/McIntyre_AuthorVisit_Checklist2.pdf\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/author_visit_sheet_zps62efad7c-739974191b.gif\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cfont size=\"3\">\u003Cb>Some more fab authors!\u003C/font>\u003C/b>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>Note:\u003C/b> \u003Ca href=\"http://www.philip-reeve.com/index.html\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a> and I are totally booked up for the rest of the year and not taking on any more school visits. But I can recommend some awesome authors! This is by no means a comprehensive list, but some fabulous ones in \u003Cb>England\u003C/b> (and most will travel) include:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://garynorthfield.com/\">Gary Northfield\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://scribblehound.com/\">David O'Connell\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://elissaelwick.co.uk/\">Elissa Elwick\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://gillianrogerson.net/\">Gillian Rogerson\u003C/a> (Leeds), \u003Ca href=\"http://cottringer.wordpress.com/\">Anne Cottringer\u003C/a> (Hereford), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.whodunnknit.com/\">Lauren O'Farrell/Deadly Knitshade\u003C/a> (London), the \u003Ca href=\"http://theetheringtonbrothers.blogspot.co.uk/\">Etherington Brothers\u003C/a> (Bristol), \u003Ca href=\"http://jamielittler.co.uk/\">Jamie Littler\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://lauraellenanderson.co.uk/\">Laura Ellen Anderson\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.neillcameron.com/\">Neill Cameron\u003C/a> (Oxford), \u003Ca href=\"http://jimmedway.com/\">Jim Medway\u003C/a> (Manchester), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/stories-creators/\">The Phoenix Comic\u003C/a> authors, \u003Ca href=\"http://karenrubins.com/\">Karen Rubins\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.sallynicholls.com/\">Sally Nicholls\u003C/a> (Oxford), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.patriceaggs.com/\">Patrice Aggs\u003C/a> (Brighton), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.lizpichon.co.uk/\">Liz Pichon\u003C/a> (Brighton), \u003Ca href=\"http://guyparkerrees.com/\">Guy Parker-Rees\u003C/a> (Brighton), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.stevecolebooks.co.uk/\">Steve Cole\u003C/a> (Buckinghamshire), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jamesmayhew.co.uk/\">James Mayhew\u003C/a> (Hertfordshire), \u003Ca href=\"http://alextsmith.blogspot.co.uk/\">Alex T. Smith\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.philipardagh.co.uk/\">Philip Ardagh\u003C/a> (Tunbridge Wells), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.alexmilway.com/\">Alex Milway\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://laurenstjohn.com/\">Lauren St John\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.kjartan.co.uk/\">Kjartan Poskitt\u003C/a> (York), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.fionadunbar.com/\">Fiona Dunbar\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.candygourlay.com/\">Candy Gourlay\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://visitingauthor.com/Home.html\">John Dougherty\u003C/a> (Gloucestershire), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.worldofadam.com/\">Adam Stower\u003C/a> (Brighton), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.laynmarlow.co.uk/\">Layn Marlow\u003C/a> (Surrey), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.garryparsons.co.uk/\">Garry Parsons\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.philearle.com/\">Phil Earle\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.edvere.com/\">Ed Vere\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.lizzlizz.com/\">Lizz Lunney\u003C/a> (Birmingham), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.laurahowell.co.uk/\">Laura Howell\u003C/a> (Birmingham), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.asiaalfasi.co.uk/\">Asia Alfasi\u003C/a> (Birmingham), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.julietclarebell.com/\">Juliet Clare Bell\u003C/a> (Birmingham), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jonmayhew.co.uk/\">Jon Mayhew\u003C/a> (Wirral Peninsula), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.moirayoungbooks.com/\">Moira Young\u003C/a> (Bath), \u003Ca href=\"http://jeffnorton.com/\">Jeff Norton\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.sara-grant.com\">Sara Grant\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.carylhart.com/\">Caryl Hart\u003C/a> (Derbyshire), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.emmavieceli.com/\">Emma Vieceli\u003C/a> (Cambridge), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.chrispriestleybooks.com/\">Chris Priestley\u003C/a> (Cambridge), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.woodrowphoenix.co.uk/\">Woodrow Phoenix\u003C/a> (London/Cambridge), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.maryhoffman.co.uk/\">Mary Hoffman\u003C/a> (Oxford), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.geraldinemccaughrean.co.uk/\">Geraldine McCaughrean\u003C/a> (Berkshire), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.megrosoff.co.uk/\">Meg Rosoff\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.francescasimon.com/\">Francesca Simon\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.nanali.com/\">Nana Li\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.lucycoats.com/\">Lucy Coats\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.garenewing.co.uk/rainboworchid/\">Garen Ewing\u003C/a> (East Grinsted), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.balirai.co.uk/\">Bali Rai\u003C/a> (Leicester), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.bridgetstrevens.com/\">Bridget Strevens-Marzo\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.moohara.co.uk/\">Mo O'Hara\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://kerendavid.com/\">Keren David\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.piccadillypress.co.uk/teen/damian-kelleher/index.html\">Damian Kelleher\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://anthonymcgowan.com/Hello.html\">Anthony McGowan\u003C/a> (Leeds), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.helena-pielichaty.com/\">Helena Pielichaty\u003C/a> (Nottinghamshire), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.alisparkes.com/\">Ali Sparkes\u003C/a> (Southampton), \u003Ca href=\"http://ianbeck.wordpress.com/\">Ian Beck\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://dirk-lloyd.com/\">Jamie Thomson\u003C/a>, Children's Laureate \u003Ca href=\"http://www.malorieblackman.co.uk/\">Malorie Blackman\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.mrgum.co.uk/\">Andy Stanton\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.nicola-davies.com/\">Nicola Davies\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.spirotta.com/\">Saviour Pirotta\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.tonybradman.com/\">Tony Bradman\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.bloomsbury.com/author/nicola-smee\">Nicola Smee\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.michaelamorgan.com/\">Michaela Morgan\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.carolinelawrence.com/\">Caroline Lawrence\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.lauradockrill.co.uk/\">Laura Dockrill\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.annerooney.com/\">Anne Rooney\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.katehindley.com/\">Kate Hindley\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.shoorayner.com/\">Shoo Rayner\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.gillian-cross.co.uk/\">Gillian Cross\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.vrombaut.co.uk/\">An Vrombaut\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.childrenslaureate.org.uk/previous-laureates/anthony-browne/\">Anthony Browne\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.catherinejohnson.co.uk/\">Catherine Johnson\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.michaelrosen.co.uk/\">Michael Rosen\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.meimatsuoka.com/\">Mei Matsuoka\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.davidalmond.com/\">David Almond\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.2dscrumptious.com/\">Steve Lenton\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.traceycorderoy.com/\">Tracey Corderoy\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://emmadodd.co.uk/\">Emma Dodd\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/KAGerrard\">Kelly Gerrard\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://teriterry.jimdo.com/\">Teri Terry\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.chrisriddell.co.uk/\">Chris Riddell\u003C/a> (Brighton), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.stewartandriddell.co.uk/\">Paul Stewart\u003C/a> (Brighton), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.sfsaid.com/\">SF Said\u003C/a> (London), \u003Ca href=\"http://jonnyduddle.blogspot.co.uk/\">Jonny Duddle\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.pollydunbar.com/\">Polly Dunbar\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.tonydesaulles.co.uk\">Tony De Saulles\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.wonkybutton.com/\">Leigh Hodgkinson\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.hannahmarks.co.uk/\">Hannah Marks\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.anitaloughrey.com/\">Anita Loughrey\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://the2steves.net/\">The 2 Steves\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.chrismouldink.com/\">Chris Mould\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.franceshardinge.com/\">Frances Hardinge\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/HolSmale\">Holly Smale\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.tamsynmurray.co.uk/\">Tamsyn Murray\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.timbowler.co.uk/\">Tim Bowler\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.stevehartley.net\">Steve Hartley\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nAnd in \u003Cb>Scotland\u003C/b>, \u003Ca href=\"http://adammurphy.com/\">Adam Murphy\u003C/a> (Glasgow), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.nicolamorgan.com/\">Nicola Morgan\u003C/a> (Edinburgh and London), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.vivianfrench.com/\">Vivian French\u003C/a> (Edinburgh), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.debiglioribooks.com/\">Debi Gliori\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.renitaboyle.com/\">Renita Boyle\u003C/a> (Wigtown), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.scottishbooktrust.com/profile-author/33198\">Chae Strathie\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.comicfestival.co.uk/\">Kev F Sutherland\u003C/a> (Edinburgh), \u003Ca href=\"http://www.metaphrog.com/\">Metaphrog\u003C/a> (Glasgow), \u003Ca href=\"http://garyerskine.tumblr.com/\">Gary Erskine\u003C/a> and Gary Erskine together with \u003Ca href=\"http://www.perfectspiral.co.uk\">Mhairi Stewart\u003C/a> (Glasgow)\\r\n\\r\nAh, and the \u003Cb>Ireland\u003C/b> division have piped up to say that they can easily pop over to the UK to do visits! \u003Ca href=\"http://www.sarahwebb.info/\">Sarah Webb\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.judicurtin.com/\">Judi Curtin\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.oisinmcgann.com/\">Oisín McGann\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.stevesimpson.com\">Steve Simpson\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.alannolan.ie/\">Alan Nolan\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\nYou can also go through organisations such as \u003Ca href=\"http://www.authorsalouduk.co.uk/\">Authors Aloud\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.speakingofbooks.co.uk/\">Speaking of Books\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.authorsabroad.com/\">Authors Abroad\u003C/a> or event organisers such as Nikki Gamble of \u003Ca href=\"http://justimaginestorycentre.co.uk/\">Just Imagine\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n(Apologies this is London-centric - I live here so I know more people here! - and, authors, sorry if I've left you out! Some of you I know are awesome authors but I don't know if you like doing school visits. Do leave your name in the comments if you want to be included in the list! **My blog will try to tell you your comment is spam**, because of the web link, but leave it anyway and I'll come back and unspam it.)","2014-05-12T20:25:00.000Z","25-tips-for-hosting-an-awesome-author-visit",[],"25 tips for hosting an awesome author visit!",1776628731578]