School visits & events
I love getting children excited about reading, writing and nature! My sessions are high-energy, engaging and interactive, and work best for Years 3–7. I visit schools, libraries, bookshops and festivals all over the UK, and I have over six years’ experience of author visits in Finland.
What I offer
Journey Across the Arctic
An interactive story workshop. We explore Lapland with a quiz on Finnish culture, wildlife and the Arctic, pick Finnish names for our characters and act out the dangers of a winter journey. Then we create our own adventure story together. Includes video clips from my research trips.
Writing workshops
What makes a strong story? We talk about favourite books, heroes and villains and how to build a story arc, then workshop our own adventure set in the snowy wilderness of Lapland.
Forest Diary workshops
In my book, Lumi keeps a Forest Diary where she draws and writes about nature. We make our own! Out in a park or forest, we collect leaves and press flowers, or I bring the forest indoors.
What happens during a school visit?
An adventure in five steps!
1. Meet Lumi! I introduce my book and the girl and the wolf at its heart.
2. Off to Lapland My book is an epic journey across frozen Lapland, so we workshop an adventure story together.
3. Setting To learn about the setting, the children compete in a quiz about the Arctic.
4. Characters We pick Finnish names for our characters and vote for an animal to save in our story.
5. Storyline As the story grows, I draw a map, and three children act out what their classmates come up with.
Bring the forest in
In my book, Lumi keeps a Forest Diary where she draws and writes about nature. In my workshops, children make their own! I have a huge basket filled with leaves, branches, moss and animal figurines, and a speaker with nature sounds, so I can bring the forest into any classroom, library or bookshop. Or we head outside to a park or forest, collect leaves and press flowers.
While the children draw and write in their forest diaries, I talk about the importance of research for an author, show videos from my Lapland trips and read from my book.
Out and about
Schools, festivals, libraries and bookshops
Where I visit
Good to know
TO 260
Assemblies
I love big, interactive assemblies and have spoken to groups of up to 260 children at once. I can run several sessions in one day (I’ve done four!) and visit two nearby schools on the same day.
Ask about dates →SIGNEDBook sales
Where possible, schools work with a local independent bookshop: families pre-order a copy, and I sign and dedicate the books after my session.
Get in touch →VIDEOSVideos for teachers
I filmed my research trips to Lapland. The videos are great for classroom use before or after a visit.
Watch the videos →
Teachers’ questions
Which years do you visit?
My book is for 8–12-year-olds, so Years 3–7 are best for school visits. But anyone from 5 to 99 is welcome at my workshops!
Do you do virtual visits?
Absolutely! I’m happy to visit schools that are further away via video call.
Can you visit several classes in one day?
Yes! My workshops are usually 45 minutes plus time for questions, and I can easily fit three different workshops into one day.
Can you talk about other topics?
Yes. I also speak about multicultural childhoods and neurodivergence.
Would you speak to parents?
Yes, I’ve given talks for parents about moving abroad and making a new country your home, supporting neurodivergent children and becoming an author.
Do you offer coaching for writers?
If you have questions about finding an agent, breaking into publishing or author social media, please get in touch by email.
Sound good?
Tell me about your school, library or event, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Get in touch