Chris Riddell, Debi Gliori and Piet Grobler: Illustration slam

Pens, pencils and paints at the ready as we invite you to create stories using pictures with top author/illustrators Debi Gliori(this will open in a new window) (Witch Baby, No Matter What, What's the Time Mr Wolf?), Chris Riddell(this will open in a new window) (Goth Girl, Hugo Pepper, Edge Chronicles and Ottoline) and  South African illustrator Piet Grobler(this will open in a new window) (Fussy Freya, Please frog, just one sip! and Makwelane en die krokodil).

Watch as the illustrators battle it out to see who is the quickest on the draw and who can conjure up the best and most unique drawings to inspire you to write stories. We look at how flags and pictures can be the starting point of the story and what it is like to be an illustrator.

This Authors Live also features a special appearance by Olympic medallist and Commonwealth Games athlete and Commonwealth Class ambassador Eilidh Child!

If you only do one thing

We know time is tight, so here is just one activity you could complete with your class before or after watching this event. 

Run your own illustration slam EXA 2-02a, EXA 2-05a, EXA 2-07a

The illustrators in the event are given a task each and a limited amount of time to complete it in. Run your own illustration slam in class. Give each pupil a piece of paper and give them one of the challenges below to complete. Give them a limited amount of time, perhaps only about 5 or 10 minutes to complete their drawing, and remind them that this task is about speed not just accuracy. Once you have completed one task, move onto the next. By the end of the activity your pupils will have a variety of different drawings that can be used to help further creative writing. 

• Create a new character
• Drawing a new sport
• Creating a new world or setting for a story

Before running this activity, take a little time to explore the variety of illustrators and styles of illustration there are. Collect a range of books from your school or class library with different illustration and talk as a class about the different ways illustrators tell a story, show emotion or create a setting. 

For shorter clips from this event please visit the BBC Scotland Learning website(this will open in a new window).

A full transcript of this event is available to download.