School Visits & Creative Writing Workshops
Author visits and writing workshops that get students excited about writing — and actually writing.
Ben Tomlinson is a published YA author based in London who visits schools across the UK for author talks, creative writing workshops, and assemblies. Whether you need a Key Stage 3 assembly, a creative writing intensive for Year 10, or a publishing industry talk for Sixth Form, Ben tailors every session to your school's needs.
With a background in theatre facilitation and years of experience leading youth workshops, Ben brings energy, warmth, and practical expertise to every visit.
Sample Workshop Examples
How Loverboy Got Published- Writer’s journey assembly
- A behind-the-scenes gritty and humorous telling of Loverboy’s publication journey
- Explores: Inspiration, redrafts, taking difficult feedback, patience, rejection, despair and perseverance
- Teaches the professional publishing process, explaining roles of beta readers, agents, commissioning editors etc
- Uses GIFs and animations and cartoons to chart the emotional ups and downs
- A candid entertaining writer's journey PPT presentation with insider stories, industry insights, blending humour
- Aims to inspire anyone with creative ambitions
- Fast-paced romance plotting workshop
- Drama-based warmup
- Reading
- Explore what a break-up scene needs
- Character creation exercise
- Write and share!
- Uses humour throughout including GIFs and animations
- Gets students inspired fast.
What Schools Say
" Great assembly! Think my form really enjoyed it. They are a tough crowd to impress! [Loverboy] would be perfect as a tutor read book."
"It was great for the students to learn about the process of writing a novel and getting it published; also they really enjoyed the writing tasks."
"Ben was a great presenter for the kids, really adapting to them in the moment; his reading was engaging, and the kids had loads of questions which he answered readily and was so receptive to their ideas! It was great to have him come, and we would happily have him back!"
"One of the students who met with you in the library has told me that he is writing his fantasy novel. He said that you had inspired him. I think he feels more serious and determined now :)"
"Ben led our Year 9 students through a series of fun, imaginative, and thought-provoking writing workshops. It was fantastic to watch their creativity come alive! A huge thank you to Ben for inspiring our young writers."