School visits and other events
This section of the site holds information designed for schools and libraries which can be used to support Rhiannon Lassiter's lectures, creative writing workshops and other school visits. It also includes some independent teaching material for classroom study.
Talks and lectures
A list of some of the talks and lectures that Rhiannon has recently given and details of what subjects she is available to speak on.
How to be a writer
The story of how Rhiannon first became a published writer and her journey so far. Each book is discussed in order with anecdotes of meeting editors, agreeing on covers, and a full and frank disclosure of how publishing works, why you shouldn't expect to make money and the day-to-day working life of a professional writer.
Different versions for the 11+ and 16+ age groups.
The edge of the possible
A discussion of how science fiction attempts to break barriers, open new territories and raises the issues of today through the lens of tomorrow.
Suitable for audiences aged 16+
Drawing a line in the sand
The story of how Rhiannon and her mother (children's author Mary Hoffman) envisaged, co-edited and brought to publication the first literary response to the conflict in Iraq. Lines in the Sand: New Writing on War and Peace is an ideal teaching resource for the 21st century and all profits made by the book go directly to the UNICEF fund for children in Iraq. This lecture includes readings from the book.
Suitable for family groups with children of age 8+. Rhiannon and Mary can be booked separately or together.
Creative writing workshops
Rhiannon runs various creative writing, drama and storytelling workshops for a range of age groups. Please consult the list below to see the options available for your school, library or event. These workshops can be used as additional material for a book week, writing project or as part of a creative writing course.
The Terraforming Workshops
This course focuses on creative writing within the science-fiction and fantasy genres but the principles of world-building, plot creation, and character design are applicable to all branches of creative writing.
Structure: There are four workshops, listed below, which are designed to take a group of students together through the process of creating storytelling environments.
- Building a world
- Creating characters
- Magic and metaphysics
- Bringing stories to life
Learning outcomes: Through discussion, brainstorming, question and answer sessions and memory games, students are encouraged to invent a rich and varied world and their own individual characters to populate it. Throughout the course a shared story is created, piece by piece, as the students put together what they've learned; co-operate to imagine a shared world society, and challenge each other to respond to their own inventions.
Age range options: There are alternative options for different age groups. When booking workshops please select the correct age range appropriate for your students. The timings have been designed to reflect the amount of information that can be assimilated at different ages.
Advanced workshops are recommended for students who are studying creative writing and work well as part of a school book week or similar event.
Junior workshops are particularly recommended for gifted and talented groups and students in the final year of junior school being introduced to a secondary school environment. The semi-informal environment of brainstorming sessions and co-operative question and answer sessions form an excellent introduction to independent learning.
Spaceships and Otherworlds
A day of linked discussion and drama workshops, for two groups running in tandem. This event encourages two groups to discuss and dramatise the situation of a spaceship arriving on an alien world.
Structure: This course is intended for 20-30 students divided into two groups, and requires teacher or librarian support. It typically lasts a day and involves four sessions, each lasting an hour. The students are divided into two groups: the spaceship crewmembers and the planet-dwelling aliens. Once roles have been assigned the two groups run in parallel, each spending all day with the same teacher and with Rhiannon alternating between the two groups. Two societies are established: the high-tech society of the spaceship crew and the agricultural society of the otherworld dwellers. As the groups draw together, they must negotiate a compromise between their very different peoples, brokered by representatives nominated by each group.
Learning outcomes: This course is ideal for students and staff with an interest in conflict resolution, the tensions between agricultural and technological societies and other related subjects. It involved negotiation skills, the philosophies of conflict and trade and factors that contribute to war and peace.
Age range: These workshops are best suited to students aged between 11 and 13. Additional classroom support is required so that sessions can be run in parallel. Ideally there should be two teachers and/or classroom assistants each of whom can spend the whole day with their group.