Keith Charters

Website:
www.keithacharters.co.uk


Author type:
Writer
BRAW network:
yes
LL funded:
yes
Biography:
Keith Charters is in great demand as a presenter, typically presenting to about 150 schools each year in the UK and Ireland and appearing at numerous book festivals. He has a strong reputation as an inspiring, entertaining and energetic performer who ensures that everyone has a great laugh in the company of books. These days Keith is a publisher as well as an author, having set up Strident Publishing in 2006. It has already had a big hit with children’s fantasy DarkIsle, by D A Nelson, which won the 2009 Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children’s Books in the 8-11 category and is now on sale around the world. Keith was born in Edinburgh in 1965, moving to Bearsden, near Glasgow, when he started secondary school. He studied at Strathclyde University before moving to England to work mostly in the financial sector, ending up in London before he decided to pursue his dream of becoming an author.
About writer's work:
Keith’s first hilarious adventure novel for ages 9-early teens, Lee and the Consul Mutants, was published in 2004. It went on to grab the no.1 spot in the The Herald’s Children’s Bestsellers chart in January 2006, at the same time as his second novel, Lee Goes For Gold, took the no.4 position. 2007 brought the launch of Lee’s Holiday Showdown and January 2011 saw the launch of Lee on the Dark Side of the Moon.
About writer's events and projects:
Keith presents to P4-7 and all years in high schools. Unlike many authors, he loves big audiences (anything up to 500 pupils) as well as small ones. His average audience size is about 150 pupils and he reguarly present to all of P4-7, or all of S1, in a single session.

With P4-7 and S1 his sessions are a bit like stand-up comedy based around books. His main aim in these sessions is to motivate pupils to read more widely and to develop their creative writing. As well as talking about how he became an author, he provides tips for pupils and reads hilarious sections from his books.

For S2+ he wears his publisher hat, as well as his author one. He talks about the economics of publishing (who gets paid what) and discusses what publishers are looking for from authors. Many schools have invited him along as part of their focus on enterprise/entrepreneurship.

Language:
English
Age groups:
9-12
Local authorities available to visit:
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles), North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, Shetland, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian, Other

Books written

Lee and the Consul Mutants
Written by: Keith Charters
Lee is just a shy, ordinary boy having a bad day - until he feels a pain in his tummy and ends up in hospital with a burst appendix. Then Lee discovers that the Consul Mutants, alien invaders, have ...
Lee Goes for Gold
Written by: Keith Charters
Lee is inspired to set up his own business empire, but being a successful entrepreneur isn't as straightforward as it seems. Competitors and their spies are out to stop him, and there's more ...
Lee on the Dark Side of the Moon
Written by: Keith Charters
Lee has won the chance to be the First Child in Space. It’s amazing what you can win these days by filling in a form on the back of a cereal packet! Under the command of Captain Slogg, and with ...
Lee's Holiday Showdown
Written by: Keith Charters
Nothing is ever straightforward when Lee is around..Not even a summer holiday in Spain! It ought to be a case of lazing by the pool, but Lee is soon spying on dodgy men in shiny suits and ...