Virtual Author Visits
Check out the school virtual author visit packages below. It’s all really flexible and I welcome feedback or suggestions about how I can adapt my offerings to better meet the needs of your school. The age ranges are just a guide. You’ll know which workshop or book will best suit your pupils.
Virtual Author Packages
The Virtual Author for a Day
This virtual visit comes with:
Any 4 of the below sessions or workshops.
Signed book sales at your convenience
Recommended age: Early Years, Reception, Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6 (3- 11 years)
Duration: The school day
The Virtual I Can Only Draw Worms Drawing Workshop
This virtual visit comes with:
A reading of This is NOT a Fairy Tale and LOLLIE award shortlisted picture book I Can Only Draw Worms, a Q&A and a worm drawing workshop perfect for coaxing creativity from even the least confident of illustrators.
Signed book sales at your convenience
Recommended age: Early Years, Reception, Y1, Y2 (3- 7 years)
Duration: 45 minutes
Will Mabbitt Presents: This is NOT a Fairy Tale.
This virtual visit comes with:
A reading from This is NOT a Fairy Tale, and a design-your-own fairy story workshop, focussing on changing existing stories to create our own exciting new fairy tales, using characters, settings and problems.
Signed book sales at your convenience
Recommended age: Y1, Y2, Y3 (5- 8 years)
Duration: 45 minutes
Will Mabbitt Presents: The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones
This virtual visit comes with:
A reading from the Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones and a design-your-own animal pirate character workshop!
Signed book sales at your convenience
Recommended age: Y3, Y4, Y5, Y6 (7- 11 years)
Duration: 45 minutes
Will Mabbitt Presents: The Embassy of the Dead
This virtual visit comes with:
A fun and interactive presentation using the spooky adventure series, The Embassy of the Dead to focus on ideas, mistakes, and self-confidence in the writing process, and a design-your-own ghost story workshop.
Signed book sales at your convenience
Recommended age: Y5 ,Y6, Y7 (9+ years)
Duration: 45 minutes
Benefits of Virtual Visits
They’re less expensive! Schools are no longer covering travel and/or accomodation.
They’re more flexible! Schools don’t have to commit to a full day. If you’re on a limited budget you can focus the visit on a particular year group or reading level, or pick a combination of options from the menu I’m offering here.
They’re easier to book! Schools have more days to choose from, as authors can fit shorter visits around meetings, writing, and other work.
Increased range! As the author, this is my favourite… Any school in the world (with the technology) can have a virtual author visit!
Overcoming the Challenges of Virtual Visits
There are a number of challenges faced by schools (and authors) looking to do an virtual author visit. Luckily, with planning (and the right author), these are easily overcome.
I’ll be happy to talk you through using the technology you have available to make the visit as effective as possible. You can also help by:
Checking the sound and video to your class computer before the session
Having a teacher sitting near your class computer (or wherever the microphone is) during the session
Checking for feedback problems (especially if you are signing in with multiple classes)
Relaxing. If there’s a problem, I’m happy to reschedule at no extra cost.
Most schools want to be able to purchase books and have signed books available for their students should they wish to purchase them. I’m excited to be selling my own books for this purpose which can either be signed before or after the event, or even at a virtual signing.