Linda Strachan

I enjoy speaking to audiences or any size or age, from nursery children to teenagers, parents and teachers; whether running creative writing workshops for adults or children, talking at festivals or teacher's in-service, radio or other media. My aim is to inspire others with my delight and enthusiasm for stories, both reading and writing them.

Here are some of the kinds of events I have been asked to do.

* Talking to children of all ages to inspire them to read or write.

* Speaking to younger children about my Hamish McHaggis series which feature an osprey, a pine marten and a hedgehog, as well as a haggis! These books help encourage discussions about the creatures as well as the places in Scotland they visit, and the Scots phrases that crop up in the books. These talks are fun and educational, not only for children in Scotland.

* Creating characters with teenage writers

* Talking to adult writer's groups about writing of all kinds and children's writing in particular. I am always keen to encourage aspiring writers of any age. See my new book for adults on Writing for Children published A & C Black 2008.

* Adult creative writing workshops

* Speaking at Book Festivals

* Speaking to Business groups and at school prize days

* In-service workshops for teachers on creative writing; both for their own writing and in school.

* Workshops for nursery and early years parents and teachers on storytelling and reading with children.

* A tour of Edinburgh with a children's book group looking at the places made famous in contemporary and classic children's books.

* Speaking to nursery children about colours, feelings and animals using the props from my picture book What Colour is Love?

* Working with a primary school class and a muralist to create a permanent artwork for outside their school, relating to the history of their area. The children wrote poetry around the themes of salt, coal, ceramics and brick and helped build a brick mural decorated with key words from their poems.

I love to travel and have been asked to all sorts of places from Kent to Skye, Ayrshire to Shetland and recently I had the opportunity to go and speak to children in a school in New Zealand.

I am always interested in new projects or ideas so please get in touch if you think there is something I might be able to help with.

There is more information about me on my website www.lindastrachan.com, where you will also find some details about events I have done recently.