A Selection of Paul's Books
Paul Dowswell
Type of Artist:
Book talks and workshops
Book Talks on:
Powder Monkey – A boy’s life in Nelson’s Navy
Auslander – growing up in Nazi Germany
Sektion 20 – growing up in communist Berlin
I also do a joint Auslander/Sektion 20 talk called ‘The Real Big Brother’.
Eleven Eleven – boy soldiers in the Great War.
Red Shadow - growing up in Stalin's Russia
Bomber - Life and death on a Flying Fortress
Wolf Children- teenagers struggle to survive in post-war Berlin
All book talks are illustrated. (PowerPoint)
Ages are:
Red Shadow Yr 7 upward
Bomber Yr 6/7 upward
Wolf Children - Yr 6/7 upward
Talks for 6th form students about Wartime Refugees in Britain and the contemporary parallels. This ties in with my book for adults, ALIENS - The Chequered History of Britain’s Wartime Refugees.
Workshops on:
Turning Fact into Fiction
Using Photographs and Paintings for Inspiration (works best following on from book talk)
Keeping Your Reader Reading
Creating Characters
A Sense of Place
Ghost Stories
Refugees
As the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, approaches its 30th Anniversary, you could book an illustrated talk and writing workshop by acclaimed historical fiction novelist Paul Dowswell, who has written about life in Communist East-Berlin in his book ‘Sektion 20’. The novel won the Historical Association ‘Young Quills’ Award and was also shortlisted for the Northern Ireland Book Award and the Leeds Book Award.
Set in East Berlin in the early 1970s, this superb novel tells the story of sixteen-year-old Alex and his life on the wrong side of the Berlin wall. Part historical drama, part thriller, it grips the reader immediately and doesn’t let go until long after the final pages have been read.
I usually tailor my workshops to the school’s requirements.
Details
Preferred age range:I do writing workshops for Yr 5/6 Primary and also Secondary all ages, and adults too.
No of sessions per day:
Generally, four events a day, plus an informal lunchtime in the library to talk to keen writers/readers, is great.
Session Length:
Book talks fit into school periods.
Workshops can be morning or afternoon, or fit to a school period.
Areas prepared to travel to:
I travel all over the country, and abroad, to visit schools.
Transport:
I mainly travel by train but can drive to locations in the West Midlands.
Fees:
Website:
Titles include:
Historical Fiction Novels for Bloomsbury Publishing:
Wave
Wolf Children (August 2017)
Powder Monkey
Prison Ship
Battle Fleet
Auslander
The Cabinet of Curiosities
Sektion 20
Eleven Eleven
Non-fiction titles (over 60 including)
Usborne’s True Stories series (Heroes, Survival, Escape, The First World War, The Second World War, Polar, Ghost, Spies and Everest.)
Usborne’s Newspaper Histories series (The Egyptian Echo, The Roman Record)
Testimonials:
Internet references from schools:
CCGSwebsite
Concord College website
Elstree School website
Published work:
Other information:
Reviews for 'Wolf Children'
Best post-war children's novel since The Silver Sword Amanda Craig, novelist and book reviewer for The New Statesman
Paul Dowswell illuminates history once again with this story about children living in Berlin in the days after Germany's defeat in WWII. A fabulous read, wonderfully researched. Jill Murphy The Bookbag
A powerfully thought-provoking portrayal of life among the ruins of post-war Berlin… Alongside being a perfectly plotted page-turner, Wolf Children will surely also provoke much debate and discussion. Joanne Owen, Lovereading4kids
Wave shortlisted for Historical Association Book Award 2017.