Type of Artist:
Talks, workshops, readings, activity sessions.
Key stage 3 and 4
Up to a Year Group for a talk. Maximum of 30 for a writing workshop
45-60 minutes for our talk. The workshops could be any length, but an hour would probably work best.
Anywhere if overnight expenses from London are met
By train
Yes
The Hanged Man Rises - shortlisted for the 2013 Costa book award
The Blood List
The session you did was super. It was a very interactive, fun and interesting way to present your book to them. The focus on local history and Victorian London was fascinating for the children and they all seemed to enjoy it thoroughly. The 'Black Spot' game was a definite highlight. The children were very excited to then see your book in the Westminster Library!
Miss Samantha Sharples, Year 6 class teacher and Key Stage 2 coordinator, St Peters Eaton Square School
Sarah Naughton’s visit on Friday was absolutely fantastic – all the girls really enjoyed it. Her talk was in equal parts, funny, engaging and informative; and her workshop was exceptional – it was great to see the girls’ imaginations working on overdrive! As she is a school alum, Sarah’s visit was especially inspiring for our girls as it as it showed them what doors can be opened to them if they simply push hard enough. A great morning was had by students, and the assisting staff, alike.
Charlotte Kelley, Librarian, Bruton School for Girls
They also got one of the pupil's to write a review:
On the 7th of June 2013, Sarah Naughton came to the school to tell Seniors 1, 2 and 3 about her book, “The Hanged Man Rises”.
She gave a very inspiring talk about how she’d always known that she wanted to be an author, right from the start. She gave some useful tips for budding writers, like “never put your dreams on hold”. She also shared some background information on the Victorian times, the era in which her book is set.
She told us that most of us would have died if we lived in Victorian times, proving that most of the things we take for granted were not available back then.
Sarah also held a creative writing workshop. She handed out pictures of Victorian families and asked us to write background information about one of the characters in the photo. Then Sarah asked us to pair up and share the information about our two characters. I went with Alina and we found that our characters could relate to each other as one of their parents had both died.
Next she asked us to go away and, separately, write the scene in which they met. Here is an extract from my piece:
‘Freya raced down the long corridors that made up her stepmother’s house. “Wait! Wait for me!” Lola tottered after her, stumbling down the narrow hallway as fast as her little legs would carry her.
Freya ignored her and ran straight on. She barged past a bemused looking butler and ran outside.
She was free at last! The whole world of neat hedgerows and tidy flowers was hers once more.’
I, as a budding writer myself, very much enjoyed the experience and am looking forward to reading my copy of Sarah’s book.
Amy Lugg, Year 7, Bruton School for Girls
Photos: