Writers in schools

Have you had an author visit your school recently?

How about joining Writers in Schools and applying for an author visit in 2014? You can’t get in too early with your request for this as they are always over-subscribed.

What about contacting a few of your local schools and seeing about a group application for the geographical area? Check out the Writers in Schools website for details and to book online, While you're there you can also find information on their Speed date an author programme, which invites schools to host a Speed Date an Author day where: "Six brilliant writers will talk to five groups of up to 10 students for 20 minutes each about a key aspect of writing, with a little help at the end from a top editor on how to edit their own work. Each student will then go back to home and school and, over the next weeks, write a 500-word story based on what they learned from these writers about how to generate ideas, character, plot, scene and other elements of a story."

Another avenue to investigate is the Kiwi Write 4 Kidz scheme. Ideal for book weeks, authors can visit your school to talk about their book or to discuss themes you may be studying such as conservation and environmental issues or healthy eating and living. The authors can also give writing workshops.

If planning events for 2014, it's also worth finding out about Storylines Festival Storytours, which runs in August as part of the Storylines Festival. Provided at no cost to schools, the Story Tour brings New Zealand writers and illustrators into schools and early childhood centres.

NZ Post Children's Book Awards also holds author tours. And keep an eye open for NZ Book Month in March and National Poetry Day, which will be held on 22 August in 2014.

Some authors are fantastic at making the writing process come alive for children. See if you can incorporate an author visit - real or virtual at your school this year or next.