Hi there. In brief, I was born into a family-run theatre school of eccentrics. My first steps towards freedom saw me as a holiday camp bluecoat – there’s a few tales to tell there - before turning my hand to music, sports journalism and then teaching. I’ve taught every year in primary school and enjoyed them all but my heart has always been in Foundation. In 1994 I briefly worked with street-children in Guatemala before moving to live in a tropical rainforest with Zanzibari teachers for two years on a VSO project. I had lots of time to read and it was there that I seriously started to write. Since 1999 I’ve been writing educational resources, children’s picture books and novels as well as storytelling and consulting on creative writing. From 2005 to June 2006 I was Writer in Residence at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre in Great Missenden. In 2007 I joined the Story Museum team in Oxford working with Chris Smith and Pie Corbett on a range of initiatives and workshops for children and teachers all over the country.

 

 

School Workshops

Just to outline how a typical day of workshops might go –

Assembly for half an hour, where I would perform two stories, one traditional, outlining key functions e.g. hero/heroine and helper, followed by an anecdotal story from ‘real life’. These stories introduce some of the key skills we’ll be developing throughout the day. I then begin a tour of KS1 and KS2 classes to facilitate age-appropriate writing workshops.
Foundation - Being a Foundation teacher myself there are a range of activities I can offer. Traditional storytelling followed by drama works well, or, if the teacher would like something more formal, a simple character biog session where we make up characters together.
Year 1 children respond well to guided character work where I set up an oral story based on an unseen character – possibly a Wamanuckle from another world - with unknown motivations etc. I repeat the frame and the children visualize and draw their own character and I show them how to develop a biography and narrative which we can illustrate through a story map.

Year 2 - I would be looking to teach story functions and ways of structuring narratives even here e.g. tricksters (possibly using some Anansi stories as stimuli) and show how to use simple story maps to plan a narrative based on an understanding of character.
Year 3 - a typical focus might be on story mapping, which involves listening to some traditional stories whilst following the maps I have prepared. In pairs or small groups the children retell the stories orally
using the visual stimulus and their recall. (Once you have told your story, it’s much easier to see where the flaws are.) I would then show how the same structures I have shown can be used as plans for other stories. An alternative would be to show the children how I have developed villains in
my own work, presenting an activity that the children and class teacher
could develop and work into the structures I’ve shown.
Year 4 - We could have a complete focus on descriptive writing and set up various dramatic scenarios and games to develop a virtual space and associated language and imagery. Alternatively we could look to develop an understanding of structure and I could input more key functions (I think
this is very important at this stage) e.g. helpers, anti-heroes & heroines, villains, victims, gatekeeps, dispatchers etc. I would show how I develop these in my own writing and the children could then start work on developing their own stories.
Year 5 - With the children in upper KS2 I might show them through my own writing how mystical objects can be used to trigger fantasy fiction narratives - then using a range of objects (some of which the children might bring in from home) and using guided fantasy techniques - explore the children’s ideas using key generic questions for developing this genre. I’m a big advocate of guided fantasies and this is an area I’m often asked to input on these days @ LEA and teacher training inset). I have a massive bank of stories that have derived from asking skilful questions of portraits and artefacts.

Year 6 - By YR6 with the Egyptians, Greeks and WWII topics covered there is so much we can do! I demonstrate the link between research and creative writing – the blend of fact and fiction – to make things believable. For example I might show how, by using a range of images I can bring in, how stories are developed from a thorough knowledge of character and raising key questions about their ‘drive’.   Throughout the day, I’ll be relating the activities to my own planning and examples of my own work so that the children can see very clearly the writing process and relate it to a published book. One of my key aims is to encourage children to read as writers and think like writers – a creative process that can definitely be taught and one I feel really passionate about as a life skill.

 

Anyway, these are just some initial thoughts and sessions that I know work well, but I am entirely flexible in terms of the particular objectives of the class teacher. I aim of course to model excellent practice that’s realistic for the teachers with whom I’ll be working and not dependant on my own
storytelling skills and experiences as a published writer.

 

Performances

My repertoire of oral stories for performing is too big now to list. I can usually perform to any brief.

 

Feedback

 

“It is rare to find someone gifted enough to inspire teachers and pupils from Foundation to Year 6 but Adam is such a person. All these workshops were absolutely right for the age group - their content and approach were motivating and accessible for all children. Adam was encouraging and engaged the children in the process of writing. Staff have commented that they learnt more about the craft of writing after watching Adam for half an hour than they had over several INSET sessions.” Oakmere Primary School, Northants.

Following workshops for The Story Museum in Oxford aimed at KS1&2 teachers. Entertaining and inspiring – but above all, empowering.
Chris Smith, School’s Director, Story Museum.

 

Following separate workshops to KS1 and KS2 teachers in Suffolk. We had fantastic feedback from teachers about the things you did & they all went away really fired up. Beverley Long, Suffolk Advisory Team.

 

Following primary school inset and two days working alongside teachers. Hello Adam. Just wanted to thank you for the day’s inset and 2 days working with the children. You did a great job and my teachers have immediately started putting they have learnt into action. I asked the children ‘What could have been better?’ and they said for you to stay a few more days! The children’s favourite bits were: The stories; helping them with description so that they could develop a picture in their heads; story maps and the assemblies. Thanks again. Christine Newton, Kingsley Primary School, Northants.

 

Awards

Honorary Mention 2006 IBBY Awards for Bella Balistica and the Indian Summer

 

 

Published Work

Multimodal Texts Years 1-6 (May 2008 Scholastic ISBN 97814071000173)

Bella’s Chocolate Surprise (November 2007 – Milet, ISBN 1840595051)

Turning the Wheel (July 2007 West Oxfordshire Arts)

Bella’s Brazilian Football (March 2007 – Milet, ISBN 1840594888)

Bella Balistica and the African Safari (June 2006 – Milet, ISBN 1840594829)

Last Mission (Jan 2006 – Longman, ISBN 0582851408)

Bella Balistica and the Indian Summer (Feb 2005 – Milet, ISBN 1840594071)

Our Neighbour’s a Vampire! (Ginn, ISBN 0-602-24209-6)

Ghoul School (Ginn, ISBN 0-602-24214-2)

Bella Balistica and the Temple of Tikal (Sept 2004 – Milet, ISBN 1840593946)

Zanzibar Treasures short story (March 2005 – OUP, ISBN 0602242096)

Baba Yaga’s Black Geese short story (2003 – Hamilton Trust ISBN 1903990041)

In production –

Trouble in the Rockies (January 2009 OUP, ISBN 9780198471721)

Bella Balistica and the Forgotten Kingdom (Feb2009)

What Bella Wants (Oct 2009)