School Presentations
I would love to plan a visit to your school or library. My rate is $300 plus HST (or applicable taxes in your area) for one session, $550 for two, $825 for three or $1050 for four (full-day). If you are outside of Vancouver, I have a a two-session minimum.
My presentation ("Books and Beyond") explores writing both for the page and for the screen, because I also write for television. In a fun, interactive way, I talk to the students about how I got into writing; the differences in writing each genre; and the challenges and pleasures each one brings.
I show a clip from a TV show I've written, and later on in the presentation, we even do a bit of acting! The overall message of my presentation is to instill a love of the written word, in any form.
I also have a presentation that focuses much more on my novels, for audiences who are fairly familiar with my work.
Grades I will present to: 5 to 8
Is this flexible? It can be, but teachers should be aware that there may be content that could be deemed inappropriate for younger children.
Maximum number of students per session: 100
Venues I'm comfortable in: Classrooms and libraries. No gyms, please.
Equipment and other requirements:
-A projector/screen for my power point presentation (I can either use the school's laptop or my own Mac, depending on compatibility).
-A TV/DVD player.
-A table and chair.
-Bottled water would be much appreciated.
-I do insist that a librarian or teacher be present throughout the presentation.
Here's what people have to say:
Educators:
"Susin Nielsen visited our school yesterday and she was amazing! She came with a wonderful power-point presentation, video recording and was very prepared. Our students were totally engaged and entertained. I actually had to keep the students back because they were all trying to get her autograph and talk to her after her presentation. This has never happened before and we've had many author visits. I feel very fortunate, as I'm sure the students do, to have met her." Elizabeth Galli, Valley Park Middle School, Toronto, Ont.
"Having enjoyed a successful career as both an author and a screen-writer, Nielsen was able to wear both hats and switch back and forth to give students a glimpse into the nature of life and work in each of these writing-based fields ... The difference between writing for a "production" versus writing for a reader was actively demonstrated, with the help of willing and eager student volunteers who dramatized a scene from Word Nerd. The author displayed comfort and control of her youthful audience, and gave a presentation that was lively, well-paced, and included time for questions and answers." Vivian Hicks, Bayside Middle School, Brentwood Bay, BC.
Students:
Anna: "I loved your presentation. It was really helpful that you had a powerpoint, and it was cool to see the TV clips. I also liked how we got to act out the scene in Word Nerd."
Emmy: "I liked that you engaged us all and treated us like real Grade sixes."
Kira: "I like that your presentation was interactive. You were lots of fun."