Vivian French

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!