We Bring Audiences and
Educational Speakers Together
Meaningful voices for live audiences – Brilliant writers and speakers,
one call away
One of the most powerful ways to spark curiosity and connection is to let people meet the person behind the ideas. A well-judged talk or workshop can shift the mood of a room – whether that’s a school hall, a festival tent or a workplace. But finding the right writer or speaker – and making sure everything runs smoothly – takes time, experience and care.
Let SPEAKING OF BOOKS take the pressure off
We connect schools, organisations and festivals with outstanding writers and speakers, offering clear, reliable advice on who will suit your audience and aims. We work with some of the most respected names in education and children’s literature and beyond, recommending only those who deliver genuine impact. From first enquiry to follow-up, we handle the details so every session feels easy, well prepared and meaningful, drawing on decades of experience and deep relationships across education and the creative world.
I go back a long, long way with Speaking of Books, working first with Jan and now her daughter Ellie. There is a great tradition of putting authors like me into schools. It’s about children, teachers, books, authors, making sure everything clicks. It’s no easy matter to ensure that everyone is satisfied with the outcome but that’s where the long tradition comes in: all the potential snags and pitfalls have been foreseen.
Speaking of Books has become a cornerstone of my professional life supporting my work as a writer and writing or reading consultant. They are what has enabled me to make the connection with teachers and schools and I can’t think of anything I’ve done that is more important than that. So I owe them huge thanks for that.
Book a Chat With Ellie
You might not know who is the right speaker for you – I invite you to chat through what your aims for a visit are and then I can make a recommendation once I have listened to you tell me about your school and the children in it – or the event you’re running, if it’s a training session, conference or festival.
Use the fancy button to find a time when we can talk – either on the phone, or on zoom (whichever is best for you).
There were many factors involved in making Michael Rosen’s visit a brilliant day for our community but the main reason for why it ran so smoothly was down to the organisation and communication from Ellie
at Speaking of Books. Not only is she an approachable and friendly individual, she is adaptable to both the needs of the authors and the requirements of the schools she is working with. Ellie worked closely with me to make the day a huge success which was especially welcome as I am a recently qualified teacher. I cannot thank her enough.
As Head of English at my preparatory school, I have worked with Ellie on numerous occasions to book author visits throughout the year for my pupils. We have had fantastic visits from a range of best-selling authors including Jeremy Strong, Anne Fine and Ross Welford. Ellie is incredibly helpful when arranging these visits, working closely with us to ensure that the visits run smoothly and that our pupils have the best experience when meeting these wonderful writers. When looking to book a visit from an author or illustrator, she is the first person I contact.
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My booking for this was arranged by the wonderful Ellie Powling at Speaking of Books.
We're delighted to welcome Michaël Vidon to the Speaking of Books gang.
Michaël is a poet, educator and passionate advocate for multilingualism, language learning and the power of words to bring people together.