Debbie Thomas

County
Kildare
Genre
Children's Writer, Screenwriter
Sessions
Reading and Q&A, Discussion with Writer, Creative Writing Workshop
Age Group
7 - 10, 11-15, 16 - 18
Level
Primary, Post Primary
Languages
Works in English ONLY
Availability
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Mornings, Afternoons
Travel
Yes

Publications/Repertoire/Productions & Background Experience

After training as a BBC radio journalist, I worked for ten years in Bangladesh and South Africa as a development journalist for aid agencies and newspapers. My work took me tea drinking with pygmies, interviewing prawn farmers and reporting on working conditions in garment factories. Now a children’s writer, I have published 3 comedy adventure books for 9-12 year-olds (Dead Hairy 2011, Jungle Tangle 2013 and Monkie Business 2014). My most recent book is Class Act 2015. I am passionate about encouraging confidence and creative thinking in young people. I believe everyone is uniquely creative, often in ways overlooked by the school curriculum. I travel nationwide promoting a love of reading and writing. I won the Little Tiger international Search for a Story award and have been a winner or runner up in 2 other international and 1 national competition. In 2013 I won the CD Lewis Literary Award, working with a school to produce a Handbook of Heroes. 

Session Details

I offer 2 types of workshop: author visits, in which I discuss themes from my books, and creative writing sessions. In these I facilitate fun activities in a nonjudgmental environment to encourage original thinking based on the premise that, when it comes to creativity, there are no wrong answers. Exercises include turning words into characters, creating a story from everyday objects and imagining different viewpoints. My preferred age group is 8-12 for primary schools, and up to and including Transition Year in secondary schools.

Age Group Details

Primary school: 8-12 Secondary: up to and including Transition Year

Availability Details

I am very flexible and can work around being available most weekday mornings up to 1pm.

Telephone
01-6270194, 085-1267712
Email
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Website
http://www.debbie-thomas.com/

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