My presentation is usually a very lively, passionate ‘narrative performance’ (interactive workshop for school audiences) – combining: reading of passages from the book; insights into the extraordinary social evolution of the United Kingdom in the late 20th Century (with visuals which both students and staff find astonishing and jaw-dropping); anecdotes and life lessons from the amazing publishing journey; and self-deprecating humour.  

Year 9 and above, and teachers as well – they all find this fascinating, entertaining, riveting.  

​

To book a speaking event, please get in touch by e-mail

(contact @ unimagined .co .uk)
Please include EVENT in the Subject header to clear the spam filter.

​

UK SCHOOLS:

(Reserve your date from the Tour Plan and see also 'Notes for Schools' on the Content & Messaging page.)
(Non-UK schools: different terms apply – please email me.)

My events were 100% FREE in Phase One (no speaking fee, or travelling/hotel expenses, or submission of receipts for sandwiches purchased en route). I required only: a parking space; black coffee (no sugar). The speaking event is still FREE, but I am now charging a nominal fee of £240 (full day, all inclusive, no additional charges) to contribute to all my expenses.  

​---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Day at Your School

The core product is the ‘narrative performance’, which is 50-60 minutes.

This is a fast-moving, high-energy performance, which requires a large, bright screen.  I deliver engaging visuals from a PowerPoint file which I have on a USB stick, and I use a remote clicker. 

It’s better if I’m on a stage and can move around a bit.
I throw questions at the audience (this is no dull lecture). 
How much I read from the book (as opposed to animatedly talking to the audience) depends on how receptive the majority of students appear to be to book reading – this varies a lot.  Every passage to be read has an accompanying visual slide ... and I judge whether to read the passage or just talk about the visual.  

 

This ‘narrative performance’ is best delivered to the largest possible audience at one time e.g. an entire Year group – as the overall energy is better if there is large audience. 

I made the mistake of delivering this one day to an entire Year 9, but in five separate classes (so, five times in one day).  Towards the end of the day, my energy was depleted – but I managed to finish the fifth performance on adrenalin fumes. 

 

How the ‘narrative performance’ is supplemented depends on how many Year groups I am addressing that day. 

 

If I’m only addressing one Year group, then the one-hour narrative performance in the morning can be followed by a number of classroom group ‘workshops’, which are Q&A sessions and teacher-facilitated discussions about the issues raised in the narrative performance.  I have another set of visuals to facilitate this – but it is very free format and depends on where the discussions drift. 

 

If I am addressing two or three Year groups in one day (e.g. Year 9, Year 10, Year 11 plus some sixth-form, potentially), then there are no separate workshops.  The 50-60 minute narrative performance can be supplemented by 20-30 minutes of Q&A/Discussion – making the total session 80-90 minutes. You may be worried that this is too long, but the feedback indicates otherwise.  The narrative performance proceeds very fast, and then the students would welcome some time for Q&A. 

 

Evening Performance – Literary Festival Version

I’m also happy to do an extended evening performance (about 90 minutes with more nuanced adult content and humour – but still okay for young people) to a wider audience of parents and the general public.  If you want to sell tickets for this and keep all the money for a charitable cause, your school, or your Foundation, that is absolutely fine.  I will need to charge another £100 expense contribution for this – as I will be staying another night in a local hotel, instead of heading for my next destination immediately after the end of the school day. 

 

(If any of you have corporate contacts … this would be a really enjoyable segment in one of those riveting, week-long, residential training courses on business, finance, double-entry bookkeeping, etc.  Modest fee to corporates.)

​---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is not relevant solely for Year 9 English.  The story narrated/performed is absolutely pertinent to English, Religious Studies, Philosophy, Sociology,  PSHE, Modern History, Citizenship,  all Humanities in general – and the target audience is from Year 9 to sixth-form to adult (including the teachers, who look just as riveted as the students).  The story includes life's decisions about higher education and career etc.  

​

Book signing (if desired) potentially can be during lunchtime and at the end of the day.  I am happy to sit in the library (or wherever) at lunchtime and answer students' questions and chat with them informally.  

 

Generally, in my presentations, I do not discuss: Religion or specific religions, God or specific gods, current world conflicts, politics, etc.  My focus is on: emotional intelligence; our common humanity (there is no 'Other'); some positive 'Rules for Life'. 

 

The book is quoted to demonstrate the extraordinary evolution of British society over the last 50-60 years.  This is a lively narrative performance, with age-appropriate humour. 

​​​

​