Maria is the award-winning author of over 60 books. She has won the New Zealand Book Awards for Children & Young Adults Non-Fiction, and the Margaret Mahy Best Book of the Year Award.
Maria says:
I would love to give an author talk at your school.
If you are in Australia and would like me to visit, please contact Speaker’s Ink and they’ll arrange my visit. I visit Australia regularly and can add school visits onto each trip.
My talks are interactive. Children will participate in a puppet performance and or a role play. They’ll ask and answer questions and quizzes.
I make my talks inspirational (targeting mostly 7-14 year old children). I also give tips on how to write stories and share my writing process.
I’m passionate about books and writing and aim to pass that passion on to children.
Many of my books fit in with school curriculum subjects and I can tailor my talks to fit in with a social studies or science topics.
I have over 20 puppets, and made or bought props to go with most of my books.
I always spend several hours before a talk preparing for it to tailor it to your needs.
I have a Bachelor of Education degree, Diploma of Teaching, and a Graduate Diploma of Journalism Studies.
I’ve taught Primary and Intermediate aged children in New Zealand schools for ten years.
I’ve presented many talks and workshops since 2002. I have had over 60 books published.
I offer 1½ hour writing workshops on the following subjects:
Creative Non-fiction writing
Writing Biographies
Plotting picture book stories
Readers’ Theatre Script Plays
Plus four mini workshops with the maximum of 20 students for one hour during school or after school on the following:
Workshop One: Exciting Beginnings (how to start your story in seven different ways)
Workshop Two: Plot Fantastic (how to structure a story)
Workshop Three: Lively Language (includes passive vs. active writing, show don’t tell, using imagery)
Workshop Four: The Finale (includes peer editing, and satisfying endings)
Testimonials
“We had a wonderful time with you – thanks. I bragged you up on the Library Listserve – every school should have you visit!”
Gerri Judkin
“We thoroughly enjoyed Maria Gill visiting Hebron Christ College. She gave an excellent presentation, engaging our students in the closer examination of non-fiction books, and giving them new ideas for their own writing and research. Since then we have made a poster of Maria and her books, which constantly reminds children of ‘when the author came to visit.'”
Lois Huston, Hebron Christian College
“We appreciated Maria’s presentation because the children, and the teachers, not only found her engaging and inspiring, but it was refreshing to gain an author’s perspective of non-fiction writing.”
Ann Parnell, Mangawhai Primary
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