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Vivian French

All of the information on this page has been provided by the author. If you need an author to have specialist skills, experience or knowledge beyond their creative work, please ask for more information about this ahead of booking them for an event. Please note that authors do not have to have a PVG to be listed.
Other contact method: Agent (Lindsey Fraser): agentlmfraser@gmail.com
Local authority: Edinburgh City
Languages: English
Vivian French's headshot

I’ve been writing for 30 years and have published over 300 books for children aged 0 - 13, both fiction and non-fiction. I teach illustration at the Edinburgh College of Art, and have run writing workshops from Orkney to Oklahoma. In 2018 I received the Outstanding Achievement Award from Scottish Book Trust; I’m very proud of that.

I’m also the co-founder of Picture Hooks, a project that supports emerging illustrators, and have a particular interest in using illustration as a way of engaging children with books.

I love running workshops encouraging children to write; I act as scribe with the aid of a flip chart and we create a story map with a beginning, end and middle. We discuss exciting openings, sustaining interest, and finding an internal life for our characters... the level obviously alters depending on the age range I’m working with.

With pre-school children I tell traditional stories, create new stories, and encourage responsive drawing. 

I’m open to all ideas... just contact me to discuss your needs!

Local authorities can visit

Aberdeen City; Aberdeenshire; Angus; Argyll and Bute; Clackmannanshire; Dumfries and Galloway; Dundee; East Ayrshire; East Dunbartonshire; East Lothian; East Renfrewshire; Edinburgh City; Falkirk; Fife; Glasgow City; Highland; Inverclyde; Midlothian; Moray; Na h-Eileanan Siar (Western Isles); North Ayrshire; North Lanarkshire; Orkney Islands; Perth and Kinross; Renfrewshire; Scottish Borders; Shetland; South Ayrshire; South Lanarkshire; Stirling; West Dunbartonshire; West Lothian

Events can deliver

Chairing events; Panel event; Professional development, CLPL or CPD; Reading; Talk; Workshop

Audience can work with

Prisoners & young offenders; Reluctant readers

Topics of work

Adventure; Animals; Characters of colour & BAME characters; Childhood; Class & society; Comedy, humour & funny books; Contemporary fiction; Fairy tales, folklore & mythology; Family; Fantasy; First experiences for younger readers; Friendship; Historical fiction; Nature; Picture books; Rhyming books for younger readers

Age groups published for

Children; Teens; Adults

Age groups can work with

0-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-11

Audience size

0-10; 11-30; 31-100; 100-500; 500+