Free virtual author events with ReadingZone Live

Keen to support reading for pleasure in your classrooms, and to introduce students to new authors? Join our FREE ReadingZone Live online author events

ReadingZone Live events are aimed at Primary and Secondary groups. Here is our full programme for 2024's online Author Events.

Email [email protected] to book your class or group's FREE place at any of our events.

Each Zoom event includes a half hour author event, followed by an author Q&A via Chat, giving students the opportunity to put their questions to the author. We also make discounted copies of the authors' books available, to encourage further reading for pleasure.

ReadingZone Live Virtual Author Events 2024:

April

Looking at the Sunny Side with Clare Helen Welsh
Thursday 25th April, 2pm - 2.45pm
KS1 / Ages 5-7 Years
Train your brain to make the best out of a bad situation with this fabulous event from Clare Helen Welsh.
This event encourages young children to think about how they feel, and how to turn a bad mood into a good mood! Find out more about Sunny Side Up by Clare Helen Welsh.
Email 'Sunny Side' to [email protected] to book your free place

May

Creative Writing with Carnegie-shortlisted Nathanael Lessore
Friday 3rd May, 1.30pm - 2.15pm
Years 7&8 / Ages 11+
Nathanael Lessore's debut Steady for This is shortlisted for The Yoto Carnegies 2024, and his new book King of Nothing is a hilarious and heartwarming comedy celebrating boyhood and finding your people. Join Nathanael for an interactive creative writing event where he’ll encourage students to express themselves and offer his top writing tips!
Email: Nathanael Lessore to [email protected] to book a free place.

Martha Maps it Out in Time with Leigh Hodgkinson
Friday 10th May, 1.30pm - 2.15pm
Yrs 1&2 (Ages 5-7)
Leigh hosts an interactive, fun event, taking children on a journey through different maps. The event focuses on the world we live in and our place in it, including what we can do to make the world a better place. Leigh will show children how to create a special "Maps of Me!", encouraging children to explore their unique talents as well as how they can design their very own map of their world and the special places dear to them. Find out more about Martha Maps it Out in Time.
Email: Subject 'Mapping' to [email protected] to book a free place.

June

Doodle with Duddle, with Jonny Duddle
Friday 14th June, 2pm – 2.45pm
Ages 5-7 years
Meet dinosaurs galore in this fun, interactive event with Gigantosaurus author and illustrator, Jonny Duddle, and find out how to draw your own dinosaur!

I Am Rebel with Ross Montgomery
Friday 21st June, 2pm – 2.45pm
Ages 9+ / Yrs 5-7
Ross Montgomery will introduce his new book, I Am Rebel, A heart-warming adventure about the unbreakable bond between a dog and his human, and encourage students in their own writing.

July

Roman Boy with Tony Bradman
Friday 5th July, 2pm - 2.45pm
Ages 9-12 years
Discover the action-packed story of Roman boy Lucius, exiled from Rome to the most savage province of the Empire - Britannia. Tony Bradman, author of Viking Boy and Anglo Saxon Boy, introduces his newest book in the series and talks about life in Roman Britain.

Previous events:

Adventuremice adventures! with Sarah McIntyre & Philip Reeve
Years 1-3 / Ages 5-8
All Aboard with the Adventuremice! Join author Philip Reeve and illustrator Sarah McIntyre and set sail for nautical adventures in this fun, interactive event that explores how the Adventuremice books are written and illustrated, plus a draw-along with Sarah.  Here's a sneak peak from Adventuremice with Sarah and Philip.

Creative Writing with Liz Flanagan (Wildsmith / Legends of the Sky series)
Ages 7-11
Do you dream of dragons? Do you love stories about magical creatures of all kinds? In this interactive workshop, children's author Liz Flanagan will be sharing extracts from her award-winning fantasy series Legends of the Sky, and inviting you to imagine a fantasy animal of your very own. There will be the chance to draw and write a story of your own featuring the magical creature of your dreams.

Secondary Event:  Writing Thrillers & Horror with SJ Wills (Bite Risk)
For Years 7&8 / Ages 11+
Join SJ Wills in this event for readers aged 11+ to discover how she became an author, what inspired her Bite Risk series, and what we can expect from book 2, Caught Dead (Bite Risk). You'll also hear her top tips for writing great thrillers and suspense.  Find out more about SJ Wills's Bite Risk in this short video.

Learn about Comic Strips with Sheena Dempsey (Pablo and Splash)
For Yrs 2-4 / Ages 7-9
Dinosaurs and penguins? What's not to love! Find out how Sheena became a graphic novel artist, discover her Pablo and Splash series, plus draw a character and build a story with the author

Writing Scary Stories with Gabriel Dylan
For Years 5-7
Author Gabriel Dylan introduced his new spooky series, Shiver Point: It Came From The Woods. This spine-chilling book is centred in the humdrum town, Shiver Point, which undergoes a strange and mysterious alien invasion... Gabriel guided students through his top 5 tips for writing scary stories, with an exclusive reading and followed by an audience Q&A. An event sure to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up! 

Poetry Live with AF Harrold
For Years 3-6
We are celebrating National Poetry Day, which takes place on Thursday 5th October, with this special virtual poetry event.  Welcome to Wild Town!  Let's discover an exciting poetry adventure... Come for a journey of wild encounters in streets, houses and parks, where we will discover zebras dancing in Herbivoreville, the tigers of Bengal Street in the Carnivore Quarter, and many more. One thing is certain - you will never be the same after your visit to Wild Town, and when you leave, the wild will go with you. 
Watch AF Harrold's ReadingZone Bookclub Event.

Sophie McKenzie introduces Secret Sister
For Years 7 & 8
Join the award-winning author of Girl, Missing, Sophie McKenzie for September’s book club. In this online session Sophie will introduce her latest book Secret Sister, which follows twins Willow and Asha as they try to piece together why they were raised separately. Sophie will also talk about how she started writing, the inspiration behind her thrilling books and there will also be plenty of time to ask Sophie questions about her books, writing and career. 
Watch Sophie McKenzie's ReadingZone Bookclub event