This presentation-style talk (using PowerPoint) focuses on my craft and journey to publication, with an emphasis on the joy of creation and the importance of fostering perseverance and resilience as a writer. I like to look at examples of well-known authors who had to struggle to get published and use that to inspire children to be resilient and to think about what 'success' means. This talk also invites the children to think about the nature of good stories, how they always include deep, human themes that allow us to understand something about ourselves. We explore how stories can evoke empathy and allow us to relate in a way that makes us feel less alone. In the light of this we touch on the importance of writing and reading.

Writing fantasy: This interactive talk (using power-point) takes the students through my creative process. At each stage (brainstorming, world-building, creating characters etc) I invite the students to create along with me. We explore using urban legends and mythology to create worlds and characters. We also explore how our own environment can be a great inspiration for creating fantasy worlds, if mixed up with a little imagination.

This workshop builds well on the 'Writing fantasy' talk. Students get prompt-based exercises, professional writing tips, and supported writing time. At the end of the workshop the students have a blue print for a fantasy story that they can complete and send to me for feedback.

This workshop explores Egyptian history and culture through my books. We ‘time-travel’ to visit my fictional characters. We explore ancient and medieval Egypt, as well as the 20th century when Egypt was a British protectorate. This workshop can be modified to include a clue and riddle-based games that teach students about Egyptian landmarks and culture. This is a great way of teaching students about important aspects of Egyptian geography, history, and culture in a fun and interactive way.

Online sessions are customized to offer any of the talks and workshops I give, while modified to an online format and supported by interactive presentations, live quizzes and games to engage the students.