CathyFaulkner
children's author
I just love school visits...
The initial inspiration for Digging for Victory actually came from one – when a local resident visited my Year 5 class to share her childhood experiences of World War Two. It is now my aim to make my own visits just as inspirational.
Each of the sessions listed below can last between 40 minutes and an hour depending on your particular needs. I have a huge amount of experience working with young people and can be very flexible. Please get in touch to discuss any requirements or requests you may have.
I am based in North Somerset; I charge travel expenses at 40p per mile. Whenever possible, I try to visit several schools in an area and split this cost between them. For this reason, you may consider approaching other schools in your area before making a booking.
As well as offering in-person and online school visits, I also offer sessions to libraries and book clubs.
Talks and Workshops
I have three talks to choose from. If you are also hosting workshops, please timetable your talk earliest in the day.
Introductory talk and Q&A
Year groups: 3 to 8
Number of participants: unlimited
Price: £70 in person; £50 online
Find out what it means to be an author, listen to my journey, and discover the inspiration behind my books. This is a very interactive talk with an opportunity at the end for questions. You do not need to have read either of my books in advance. If you are a small school, you might consider pairing up with another school to spread the cost.
Creative writing workshop: free verse inspired by The Treasure Seekers
Year groups: 3 to 8
Number of participants: any number, but more personalised feedback can be given in smaller groups
Price: £50 (in person only)
Explore the creative nature of free verse, see images of the places in Yorkshire that inspired The Treasure Seekers, and use these to create your own page of verse. Differentiated by outcome, this accessible workshop is suitable for everyone, whether or not they have read The Treasure Seekers.
Flipped creative writing masterclass: Digging for Victory
Year groups: 3 to 8
Number of participants: maximum of 10 students
Price: £150 (in person only)
Optional set of 10 signed copies of Digging for Victory for participating children: £60
This workshop is perfect for small groups of children either working towards or exceeding age-related expectations. Prior to my visit, I share a short video introducing a choice of creative writing tasks inspired by Digging for Victory. I ask that the children’s writing is emailed to me at least a week before my visit when I deliver bespoke feedback, equipping children with the skills and confidence to take their writing to the next level. It is not necessary for children to have read the whole book, but please tell me if they have. Personalised signed copies can help make the visit even more memorable and inspiring.
Creative writing workshop: planning your next story – my five Ps
Year groups: 5 to 8
Number of participants: any number, but more personalised feedback can be given in smaller groups
Price: £50 (in person only)
Learn how to plan an exciting story set in your favourite period of history (or the one you are currently learning about), that will grip your reader! Create a premise, plot, protagonist, place and pitch, leaving you inspired to get on and write.
World War Two History workshop: Digging for Victory
Year groups: 5 and 6
Number of participants: maximum of 30 students
Price: £50 (in person only)
If you would like a workshop that ties in with your World War Two topic, this may be the one for you. Children can get their hands on a variety of realia featured in Digging for Victory: a gas mask, a bicycle lamp, ration books, a Women’s Land Army badge etc. and start to imagine the lives of those they belonged to. It is not necessary to have read Digging for Victory before this workshop. However, if you have read it in class, please do let me know because I will approach it differently.
Digging for Victory talk and Q&A
Year groups: 3 to 8
Number of participants: unlimited
Price: £70 in person; £50 online
Find out what it means to be an author, listen to my journey, and discover the inspiration behind Digging for Victory. This talk contains spoilers so it is only suitable for those who have read the book. I share some of the local history in my area and invite you to do the same in yours. If you are a small school, you might consider pairing up with another school to spread the cost.
Creative writing workshop: free verse inspired by Digging for Victory
Year groups: 3 to 8
Number of participants: any number, but more personalised feedback can be given in smaller groups
Price: £50 (in person only)
Explore the creative nature of free verse and create your own page of verse based around the mysterious Mr Fisher. Differentiated by outcome, this accessible workshop is suitable for everyone, whether or not they have read Digging for Victory.
Flipped creative writing masterclass: The Treasure Seekers
Year groups: 3 to 8
Number of participants: maximum of 10 students
Price: £150 (in person only)
Optional set of 10 signed copies of The Treasure Seekers for participating children: £65.00
This workshop is perfect for small groups of children either working towards or exceeding age-related expectations. Prior to my visit, I share a short video introducing a choice of creative writing tasks inspired by The Treasure Seekers. I ask that the children’s writing is emailed to me at least a week before my visit when I deliver bespoke feedback, equipping children with the skills and confidence to take their writing to the next level. It is not necessary for children to have read the whole book, but please tell me if they have. Personalised signed copies can help make the visit even more memorable and inspiring.
Text layout workshop: creative word art
Year groups: 5 to 8
Number of participants: maximum of 30 students
Price: £50 (in person only)
Have you ever wondered how I create the playful layout on the pages of my books? Learn some of my secrets and apply them in your own creative way. For this workshop, children must have access to Microsoft Word on laptop or desktop computers rather than tablets.
Stained-glass window workshop: The Treasure Seekers
Year groups: 3 to 6
Number of participants: maximum of 30 students
Price: £60 (in person only)
My work as a stained-glass artist inspired The Treasure Seekers. Find out more about how stained-glass windows are made, watch a live demonstration, and create your very own paper stained-glass bookmark. The activity in this workshop is inclusive and accessible; it is differentiated by outcome so can be enjoyed by all.
The Treasure Seekers talk and Q&A
Year groups: 3 to 8
Number of participants: unlimited
Price: £70 in person; £50 online
Find out what it means to be an author, listen to my journey, and discover the inspiration behind The Treasure Seekers. This will include some local Yorkshire history and my own background in stained-glass window making and photography. It is suitable for everyone whether or not you have read The Treasure Seekers. If you are a small school, you might consider pairing up with another school to spread the cost.
Creative writing: making connections in Digging for Victory
Year groups: 5 to 8
Number of participants: any number, but more personalised feedback can be given in smaller groups
Price: £50 (in person only)
For me, one of the most exciting aspects of being a writer is seeing the connections between very different things. It is an essential skill for writing successful metaphors, similes, analogies and allegories. This workshop explores the different ways that I have done this in Digging for Victory and includes several short creative writing activities inspired by this.
Bespoke flipped creative writing masterclass
Year groups: 3 to 8
Number of participants: maximum of 10 students
Price: £150 (in person only)
Optional set of 10 signed copies of Digging for Victory for participating children: £60
Optional set of 10 signed copies of The Treasure Seekers for participating children: £65
This workshop is like the other two flipped masterclasses except that as a school you decide what creative writing project you would like to base it on. You email me the children’s writing at least a week before my visit when I deliver bespoke feedback, equipping children with the skills and confidence to take their writing to the next level.
Personalised signed books can help make the visit even more memorable and inspiring.
Drama workshop: Digging for Victory
Year groups: 5 and 6
Number of participants: maximum of 30 students
Price: £50 (in person only)
What does it take to be a hero? Through a series of fun practical drama activities, explore a range of different attitudes and perspectives, while learning more about World War Two. You don’t need to have read the whole book before this workshop, but let me know if you have as I will approach it differently. This might be the perfect way to kick-start the rehearsals for a school production of Digging for Victory the Musical!
Photography and animation workshop: Box Brownies and zoetropes
Year groups: 3 to 6
Number of participants: maximum of 30 students
Price: £70 (in person only)
A love of photography and cinema inspires my writing, from my cinematic setting descriptions, to the inclusion of a Box Brownie in The Treasure Seekers and a zoetrope in Digging for Victory. Find out more about early photography and animation, and have a go at creating your own cyanotype print and zoetrope animation inspired by my books.
Book Signing
Year groups: 3 to 8
Number of participants: unlimited
Price: Free (in person only)
This is offered free of charge after any of my talks or workshops. Personalised signed copies of my books can be ordered in advance from the Books pages of this website or bought on the day. Digging for Victory costs £7.99, The Treasure Seekers costs £8.99 and both together cost £15.00. I can accept cash, card or cheque. Alternatively I can take pre-orders prior to my visit. For every ten copies sold, I will donate one to your school library.
Signed guided reading sets
Price: £60 for ten signed copies of Digging for Victory; £65 for ten signed copies of The Treasure Seekers
A special offer available to any school I visit – only for use in school, please. Let me know in advance of my visit and I’ll bring them on the day.
"This week, we were so delighted to welcome author Cathy Faulkner to Warter for an inspiring and memorable experience with our Key Stage 2 children.
Cathy captivated the children with a fascinating talk about her works and her creative writing process. They were encouraged to ask insightful questions, sparking lively discussions and curiosity about the world of writing. Following the talk, Kestrels class participated in a creative writing workshop led by Cathy, where they crafted their own fantastic pieces. Cathy generously reviewed and critiqued their work, providing valuable feedback that motivated and inspired our young writers.
'A real author has said that she thinks I could be a writer too one day!' - Daisy
The visit has clearly left a lasting impression - many children have purchased Cathy’s books and are excitedly sharing and discussing them, thrilled to have their copies personally signed by (a real!) author.
This visit has been a brilliant and inspirational experience for all involved, reinforcing our commitment to fostering a love of reading and writing in our school community."
Helen Houghton, Headteacher, Warter C.E. VC Primary School
"Cathy came to visit our Prep School for World Book Day 2026. I am so thrilled that I reached out to her after my book club were such huge fans of her first book, Digging for Victory. Leading an assembly for KS2, Cathy did an outstanding job of engaging her audience and created a magical sense of awe and inspiration around the concept of becoming a writer.
Following this, she led year‑group workshops which were fantastic. Despite the limited time, Cathy enabled the children to produce some of their best creative writing, and they were all utterly gripped by the workshop. Throughout the day, I had multiple members of teaching staff tell me how impressed they were with Cathy’s assembly and workshops, and we would not hesitate to recommend her for a school visit.
Thank you so much for a brilliant morning!"
Mrs Bugler, Reading Lead, RGS Prep Guildford