Looking for a speaker to visit your school or library? Children's author and freelance writer, Charlotte Barkla, is offering a range of author talks and writing workshops, designed to inspire a love of reading and writing.

Charlotte's sessions can be customised to the age group and curriculum, from primary through to secondary audiences. Sessions can be either be delivered in-person or virtually(via Skype/Zoom), and can be delivered as an author talk or interactive workshop. As a former teacher, Charlotte is an experienced speaker and workshop presenter. She loves sharing her passion for science, creativity, and stories with children of all ages.

Author talks: (Presentation-style sessions for large groups of students) 

Stepping Through Time (Years 2-6, tailored to the age group)

In 11 Ruby Road, author Charlotte Barkla wrote a fictional story set Brisbane in 1900, and she’s inviting you to travel back in time with her!

Journey back in time to the turn of the 20^th century. Explore life in Australia in 1900, from the different foods, schools and transport, to the changes happening in wider society, such as the suffragist movement. Learn how authors use real stories from history to inspire their work, and delicately balance fact and fiction.

Charlotte will leave students with plenty of techniques for writing their own stories, as well as the inspiration to use their voices to mould the future. 

Topics covered:

• Life in Australia in 1900, including housing, schooling, food and transport.
• Life in Australia in 1900 in wider society, including the suffragist movement, where women worked to achieve the vote.
• Researching and writing historical fiction.
• Why learn about history? The power of learning from the past to better understand the present, and build a better future.

Experimenting with Story (Years 3-6)

Story and science experiments don’t have anything in common... do they?

In some ways, writing a story is just like conducting an experiment. You start with characters, with lots of different traits, problems and goals. When you mix them together, a unique plot develops. Sometimes, the plot bubbles along nicely... and sometimes, you get an explosion!

As well as demonstrating simple science experiments you can try at home, Charlotte will give insight into the writing of her STEM-themed series, Edie’s Experiments. She’ll leave the audience with a thirst for science and lots of great tips for writing their very own STEM-themed story.

Topics include:

• Creating believable characters and exciting plots
• Using structure to develop a story that increases in tension
• Simple science experiments using household ingredients

 All Bodies are GREAT Bodies (Prep- Year 2)

What do you love about your body? Our bodies are all so different, and that’s what makes them wonderful!

Not only are they incredible, it’s also incredibly important we protect and care for our bodies. One of the ways we look after our bodies is through consent: deciding when to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a hug, holding hands or chasey games.

A session where we celebrate our wonderful bodies and learn how to protect them, Charlotte will also give insight into the writing of her best-selling picture books, All Bodies are Good Bodies and From My Head to My Toes, I Say What Goes.

Topics include:

• Body positivity: celebrating our bodies!
• Writing and publishing a picture book
• Using inspiration from your own life to create stories

Primary School Writing Workshops: (Workshop-style sessions, for class-sized groups)

Crafting Great Characters (Years 2-6, tailored to the age group)

Great characters are the backbone of great stories. In this workshop, Charlotte will guide students through a series of interactive exercises to develop their own believable, flawed, unique characters, that will propel their next story forward.

Travelling through Time (Years 2-6, tailored to the age group)

Author Charlotte Barkla shares the tools for creating an engaging historical world, based on her experience writing 11 Ruby Road.

Learn how authors balance fact and fiction, and how they craft compelling stories using inspiration from history. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have your own idea for a historical story or time-travel novel, and the tools you need to finish it.

Start Your Story (Years 2-6, tailored to the age group)

Learn how to plot a story in this interactive workshop with author Charlotte Barkla. Charlotte will guide students through the process she uses to plan her stories, from generating story ideas and developing believable characters, to creating conflict, working with tension, and building satisfying resolutions. Students will have the opportunity to workshop and develop their own ideas, and will be equipped with the skills to take their story-writing to the next level.

Secondary School Writing Workshops: (Workshop-style sessions, for class-sized groups)

Start Your Story (Years 2-6, tailored to the age group)

Learn how to plot a story in this interactive workshop with author Charlotte Barkla. Charlotte will guide students through the process she uses to plan her stories, from generating story ideas and developing believable characters, to creating conflict, working with tension, and building satisfying resolutions. Students will have the opportunity to workshop and develop their own ideas, and will be equipped with the skills to take their story-writing to the next level.

Editing: Less is More (Keen writers, Years 7-12)

In this interactive workshop, Charlotte will guide students in developing a narrative passage, then will demonstrate how to completely demolish (and rebuild) this through effective editing. Students will learn the editing skills to rework and refine their work to create rich, compelling narratives.

How to Plan and Write a Novel (Keen writers, Years 7-12)

Want to write a novel, but not sure where to start?

In this interactive workshop, author Charlotte Barkla will guide you through the process she uses to plan, draft, edit and publish her books. Learn how authors write, research and publish their novels, timelines involved, as well as tips and tricks for building a writing career.