About the Author

Alan Durant (in his own words)

I’ve always loved reading, but it wasn’t until I was a teenager that I got into writing – and since then, I haven’t stopped. I’ve now written over seventy books for children of all ages - from picture books to young adult thrillers. I write in many different genres - comedy, mystery, sport, horror, school story, poetry to name but a few. My titles include the picture books Billy Monster’s Daymare (Winner of the Royal Mail Award for Scottish Children’s Books and the Portsmouth Children’s Book Award), Burger Boy (Winner of the Portsmouth Children’s Book Award), Football Fever (Winner of the Stockport Children’s Book Award) and Dear Tooth Fairy (shortlisted for the Children’s Book Award); the junior fiction stories Game Boy, Game Boy Reloaded and Game Boy Galactic and the young adult thrillers Blood, and Flesh and Bones. My work was featured in the BBC series English Express, which won a Children’s Bafta Award. I also appeared in two programmes in the award-winning Let’s Write A Story series. I’ve twice won the Kingston Borough/Waterstone’s Poetry Prize.

I am unusual in that I write across the age-ranges and on all kinds of subjects from fairies to football, so I can work with children at any stage in their school life, from nursery to GCSE. I am a versatile writer and am very flexible about the kind of creative writing projects I undertake. I see my role as inspirational rather than pedagogical - I try to raise children's level of enjoyment and confidence by sharing with them my own enthusiasms and writing strategies. This may be achieved by a day in a school talking to different age groups, answering questions and reading from my work, by running writing workshops (on a single day or over a longer period of time) drawing on my own poems and stories, and the techniques I employ to create them. I also run writing workshops for adults (see my website for more information) and writing inset days for teachers.

Starting at 9.30, I am willing to do up to four sessions in a day (five if a short session with Reception/Nursery is included). I like to begin with an assembly (or two – one Key Stage 1, one Key Stage 2) of around 30 minutes to introduce myself and my work to the whole school. Writing workshops require at least an hour, and, for Year 5 plus, an hour and a half ideally. I am happy to work for a single day or a whole week or over a number of phased visits. Over the past few years I have gained a particular reputation, I suppose, as a motivator of reluctant boy readers and writers and I do like working with boys - but my stories have plenty of elements that appeal to girls too and I am equally happy working in a mixed environment. The most important thing, it seems to me, with any writing project is that it should be fun and inspirational for everyone involved. 

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Testimonials

Some feedback from my work with children in schools and elsewhere:

 

“Just wanted to send a quick email to send our utmost gratitude for the work that you did with our children on Wednesday. The children are all buzzing from working with you and I think it has really inspired them. Many of my children are keeping their own notebooks of ideas now.“

James Lacey, Literacy Coordinator, Harmans Water Primary School, Berkshire

 

"We would like to express our huge thanks and gratitude to you for the inspiration you have given to our son during this past week. You have made such an impression on him with your creative writing ideas. He has gone from a child who would write the bare minimum to a very mature child who now does not want to stop writing. Within a week you have helped him become so confident."

Gail, mother of a child attending a week's writing course at Bishop Challoner School, Tower Hamlets

 

“It was a great week and thanks for all your work and for coming. It was lovely, Alan, and the kids were all really touched. I just wanted you to know that you're great.”

Janet Smyth, Pushkin Prize Administrator on a week’s writing residency with Scottish and Russian teenagers at Moniak Mhor, Scotland

 

“Dear Mr Durant, Thank you for coming to our school. I enjoyed it very much. I liked the bit when we made up the story. When I grow up I want to be an author too. Me and my friend Henry thought your stories and poems were very amusing and great. Please come again!!!”

Thomas, Class 4d, Holland Park Primary, Clacton, Essex

 

Publications

I write in many different genres - comedy, mystery, sport, horror, school story, poetry to name but a few.

Picture books:

Billy Monster’s Daymare (Winner of the Royal Mail Award for Scottish Children’s Books and the Portsmouth Children’s Book Award)

Burger Boy (Winner of the Portsmouth Children’s Book Award)

Football Fever (Winner of the Stockport Children’s Book Award)

Dear Tooth Fairy (shortlisted for the Children’s Book Award)

Junior fiction:

Game Boy

Game Boy Reloaded

Game Boy Galactic

Young adult thrillers:

Blood

Flesh and Bones

 

Booking Information

Home:	Surrey
Travels to:	Anywhere. Visits outside of London or the S East will require overnight accomodation
Prices:	Full day - £365 + VAT

Publications by the Author