Bookings
Author Visits & Appearances
Enquiries to Becky’s Literary Bookings here or phone Becky Lucas on 0424 584 697.
Types of sessions
- Author talks
- Creative Writing Workshops
- Worry Coping, Resilience & Mindfulness Workshops for Everyday Kids
Author talks
For over a decade, Marianne has been running lively and engaging workshops for primary students, secondary students and adults on the craft of book writing. With a wide selection of props and practical examples, she describes her creative process, how she conducts research and interviews, how to blend fact and fiction, the art of plotting and characterisation, editing, title and cover art selection, and getting published.
Marianne enjoys bringing to light the hidden stories in our community. Frieda is about a German girl who migrates to Adelaide in 1914. After WW1 breaks out, Frieda’s budding friendships are tested when her father is falsely accused of being a spy and is interned. Her current project, Blackbird, is the fictional story of the kidnapping (blackbirding) of a South Sea Islander boy in the 1880’s who is sent to work in the sugarcane fields of Queensland.
Marianne can use these stories or any of her other titles as the basis for her talk. She is happy to tailor a session to meet the needs of individual schools and groups.
Creative Writing workshops (fiction or poetry)
Marianne is also available to run creative writing workshops for small or large groups. She is happy to tailor the session to the group’s needs. Possibilities include the art of crafting a novel, characterisation, how to write historical fiction, poetry and more.
Worry Coping, Resilience and Mindfulness Workshops for Everyday Kids
A fully qualified social worker, Marianne also offers a workshop based on her book, The Worry Tree. This session is designed to help children of all ages build on their worry management and resilience building skills. Using puppets, a fun science experiment, games, movement and breathing exercises, Marianne shares a variety of techniques that suit different learning styles. Children come away feeling more empowered regarding their sometimes overwhelming thoughts and feelings.
Recommendations
‘A born storyteller, Marianne draws from her own experiences and imagination to captivate you with her presentation.’ – Lorraine P., librarian, Adelaide
‘Following Marianne’s visit, our students were much more enthusiastic about our creative writing assignments … She is incredibly kind, caring and professional, and having her as a guest in your class is a fantastic opportunity. ’ – Krishan Persaud, teacher, Adelaide
‘Marianne presents writing activities related to her novel with clear explanations and in a professional manner. She’s well prepared for workshops and has a variety of material to help engage students according to their learning abilities. I highly recommend Marianne presenting workshops at school.’
– Lillian Allen, primary school teacher, Adelaide