A Selection of Alex's Books
Alex Cotter
Type of Artist:
Schools events: Interactive class & year workshops, Assembly talks, virtual sessions, library openings & writing competitions.
Other events: Festival talks & workshops, panel events & book signings.
I have lots of experience of running a range of talks and workshops suitable for KS2 & KS3. I aim to inspire and empower every student to stretch and enjoy their imaginations through ideas, writing and reading.
My talks range from ‘Meet the Author' assemblies where I introduce my writing journey and story inspiration (with lots of audience participation!) to presentations on creating dynamic characters and exciting stories that showcase students’ own ideas.
My bespoke creative writing sessions can be adapted to suit all ages. I also cover a range of cross-curriculum topics, including English, History, Geography and PHSE. Some current workshop examples include:
- Create your own 'Spooky House Story': A fun, interactive session on how to create suspense and tension in a story, using family tales to create a narrative. With an easy-to-follow A3 activity sheet.
- Create your own 'Story Legend - monster or mermaid': Students will learn about the power of a legendary story and folklore. I supply an activity sheet, to create their own ‘legend’ (mermaid or monster!), along with some core ingredients for a story quest.
- Grow your Imagination Superpower: A fun session to empower students to create their own character and the start of an exciting story. I am also an EmpathyLab trained author and can deliver the workshop with an empathy focus
Details
Preferred age range:7-12 year olds
Maximum number in any one session:
I can be flexible on numbers
No of sessions per day:
Max. 4 sessions per day
Session Length:
I can tailor to suit, but approx. 45-60 mins workshop/talk plus time for Q&A and signing
Areas prepared to travel to:
Within 2 hours of Bath or further if overnight expenses can be met
Transport:
Train expenses or car at 0.45 per mile
Fees:
DBS/CRB:
No
Hold PLI (public liability insurance):
No
Website:
Twitter:
@AlexFCotter
Titles include:
The House on the Edge (2021)
The Mermaid Call (2022)
Untitled (2024)
Testimonials:
“Alex came to our school to not only introduce her fantastic new novel, 'The House on the Edge’, but to share her love of telling stories and creative process with our pupils.
Alex's inspirational passion for writing was a joy to witness. She was well prepared and discussed the session with our staff ahead of time to ensure that the teachers and children were able to fully engage with her presentation.
The children were not only fascinated by how Alex had used her past childhood memories to craft her new story, they also had the chance to be creative participants and generate ideas for their own stories by utilising Alex's own approach to creating narratives.
I wholly commend Alex for potentially lighting a spark for the next generation of creative writers.”
Matthew Gale, Teacher & Junior English Lead, Belleville Primary School, London
Other information:
I have some activity sheets I can supply for specific workshops