Events

As a former Primary School Teacher and former actress, I am very comfortable doing events in schools or at festivals. I am happy to cater to any number of people in an audience. I have played to audiences of 6 to 600. If you are a school, you might consider teaming up with another school to defray costs. Children do not have to have read my books but it does make the whole experience more interesting for the students, if they have. Both The Wordsmith series and Bumpfizzle The Best On Planet Earth are published by Little Island and teaching resources are available on their website, free of charge.

Author Talk
(1 hour session). €200 plus travel.
Two events in the same school or same festival: €350 plus travel.
Three events in the same school: €450 plus travel

These are lively sessions where I tell stories about my childhood (mostly embarrassing) and my first attempts at writing (also embarrassing).
The talk is sprinkled with writing tips for aspiring authors and gives young people an insight into the life of a working author. It all includes a brief chat about each of my published works. We finish with a Q and A session. This session can be designed to suit children from second class onwards. I will need a projector, and, for numbers over 50, a microphone and public address system.

Workshop
(1 hour session) €200 plus travel.
Two events in the same school or same festival: €350 plus travel .
Three events in the same school €450 plus travel.

The writing workshop focuses on how to find ideas, how to structure a story and how to build a character. This workshop can be customised for children in third class and upwards. For children with a big interest in writing, I can also do a session on The Hero’s Journey.This is all about the form and structure of the Hero’s Journey. It is a twelve-step process that gets the audience identifying with and rooting for a hero. Suitable for groups of not more than 30. I will need a projector, a flip chart and writing materials for the children.

Bumpfizzle The Best on Planet Earth.

(1 hour session) €200 plus travel.
Two events in the same school or same festival: €350 plus travel.
Three events in the same school €450 plus travel

A fun, fast paced session for children from second class onwards. This session includes readings form the book, some interactive drama with the audience and learning the rules for that well known game Find Your Head.

I will need a projector, and, for numbers over 50, a microphone and public address system.

This was a brilliant author visit. Patricia was very engaging with the children and involved them throughout the talk. The children all really enjoyed it. They had all read the book beforehand and were delighted to meet the author. They asked very interesting questions about how she started writing and how long it took to write the book. We would be delighted to host Patricia again. -Donaghmede Library, 2019

Patricia Forde was absolutely excellent with the children. They were engaged and invested with her stories at all times. She allowed them plenty of opportunity to ask her any questions that popped into their heads and she patiently answered all of them. She also spent time with them afterwards and was concerned with their engagement of the book. she genuinely cared that they understood her writing and that she was pitching her books at the right age group. - Central Model School, Dublin, 2019

The Wordsmith and Mother Tongue

(1 hour session) €200 plus travel.
Two events in the same school or same festival: €350 plus travel .
Three events in the same school €450 plus travel.

A wide ranging discussion about The Wordsmith Series. I covers topics such as freedom of speech, the importance of the arts and the role of young activists in our society. Debate and questions are encouraged. This event is very suitable for fifth and sixth class. I will need a projector, and for numbers over 50, a microphone and a public address system.