School Author Visits from R.K. Alker Children’s Author
Primary school author visits in Lancashire and beyond! By R.K. Alker Funny Children’s Author of My Grandad vs The Fangazoo. To read more about Fangazoo CLICK HERE.
FREE and PAID Primary School Author Days
I provide:
- FREE school author virtual visits, and
- PAID school author days, half-days and 1-hour sessions (all costs listed below from £129 for the All-In Full-School Event)
- To Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 primary school children.
On this page you’ll find everything you need to know about costs and how to book me for a primary author school visit for KS1 and KS2.
Book Me for Primary School Author Visits CLICK HERE TO CONTACT ME
School Author Visit Testimonials
R.K. Alker came to school and delighted the children with a day filled with fantastic Fangazoo fun! His reading of his favourite chapters captivated the children’s imagination and ensued some raucous laughter. He invited the children to peek behind the pages of his book by informing them of his inspirations and writing processes; his daughters being two of the greatest. If you would like a passionate author that revels in the comedic possibilities of imaginative stories and the joy it brings to children’s lives, then welcome R.K. Alker and the Fangazoo into your school!
Jonathan Tilley, English & Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) Lead, Anderton Primary School.
“We had a fabulous day with R.K. Alker at our school. The children loved hearing all about what inspired him to become an author and how he came up with some of the ideas for his stories.
R.K. Alker’s passion shone through as he worked with the children and he thoroughly entertained them with his stories. We have had a fantastic response from the children about the day and have had so many entries into the monster competition he set up for them.
We would highly recommend a visit from R.K. Alker!”
Ruth Daly, English Lead, Our Lady of St Paul Primary School, Heywood.
R.K. Alker came to school and delighted the children with a day filled with 
Teaching and Curriculum Development Experience
I am an ex-University Lecturer and my children’s content is used by professional school curriculum content providers. I am experienced in creating and delivering content and resources for school author visit workshops and assemblies.
I am a Passionate Advocate of Learning and Literacy
My goal is to help kids grow by writing children’s fiction books that are funny, exciting, engaging and inspirational.
I passionately promote reading to produce positive effects on primary school child literacy and the resultant academic improvements and success.
When I am not enjoying time with my family, I write poems and funny fiction books for my kids. I love being transported into imaginary adventures full of heroes, villains and beasties!
My funny kids’ books are written to include important themes such as:
- Love
- Greed
- Positivity
- Faith to find a way when there appears to be none!
- Coming-of-age
- The bond between grown-ups and children
- … and ALWAYS a HAPPY ENDING!
£1 Discount Book Token for Signed Author Copies
Primary school author visits are a great opportunity for children to get a signed copy of the first edition book.
I have a special £1 discounted price per book for children buying them as part of an in-person or virtual school author visit.
If you would like to take advantage of this BOOK OFFER PLEASE CONTACT ME HERE.
We can figure out the most convenient method of payment for your school.
If it is a virtual school author visit, I am happy to supply the books direct to the school. I would be delighted to take a list of children’s names and even write personal messages for the children to give them the perfect memento of the FREE school author day.
Author Visit Assemblies
School author day assemblies can vary. An example of a primary children’s author assembly could consist of:
- A short reading.
- A brief inspirational presentation about myself and my journey as an author.
- An opportunity for Q&A, preprepared if you like.
- Audience participation may be possible depending on the size of the group.
I make my primary school author visit content as accessible and enjoyable as possible for the children.
School Author Virtual Visits
Primary School Virtual Visits are a great way to work with an author very quickly.
The Author Visit Activities we can perform will depend on technology and the size of the group.
- 20-minute author virtual visit sessions are FREE
- 1-hour virtual author sessions can be booked for a 25% discount
I would be delighted to supply signed books direct to the primary school and write personal messages for the primary school children.
Please CONTACT ME HERE for more details.
Author Visit Study Materials
I have a range of free-to-use study materials available on this website. For example, I used my skills as an experienced commercial chilli grower and gardener to produce my Kids Gardening page which contains the following ideas and suggestions:
Kids’ Gardening Learning Expanded into Homeschool, Educational and Scientific Teaching Ideas
- Weights and Measures
- Kids Gardening Materials, Growing Mediums
- Kids Food Ingredients and Recipes
- History and Traditions of the Gardening and Growing Industry
- Children’s Gardening Survey Research and Data Presentation
- Develop a Kids Gardening Recipe, Cook, Film and Produce the Video
- Get Creative in Kids Gardening Design and Decoration
Kids’ Gardening by Subject
- Maths, Mathematics or Math
- English
- Design and Technology
- Science
- Geography
- Digital Technology
- History
- Languages
CLICK HERE TO BE TAKEN TO THE KIDS GARDENING PAGE
FEES – PRIMARY SCHOOL AUTHOR VISIT COSTS
FREE VIRTUAL SCHOOL AUTHOR VISIT
• 20 minutes
• £ FREE School Author Day
• Book Reading
• Meet-The-Author Opportunity
• Prepared Q&A
• Pre-Signed Books – Signed author book copies can be despatched to the school
1 HOUR SCHOOL AUTHOR VISIT SESSION
• £129
• An All-In Full-School Event COST: £129 – Workshop Assembly, Q&A Meet-The-Author, PLUS, a quick visit into the classes, a book signing, FREE book for the school library and those children that cannot get the book, and FREE bookmarks for every child.
…or…
• 2 Workshops
• Book Reading
• Book Signing – For virtual sessions signed copies can be despatched to the school
• Q&A
• Meet-The-Author Opportunity – Quick visit into the classes
• Donation – A FREE copy of my latest book for the school library and those children that cannot get the book, and
• FREE bookmarks for every child.
HALF DAY SCHOOL AUTHOR VISIT
• 3 Hours
• £229
• Up to 4 Workshops for KS1 or KS2
• Book Reading
• Book Signing
• Q&A
• Meet-The-Author Opportunity
• Donation – A FREE copy of my latest book for the school library and those children that cannot get the book, and
• FREE bookmarks for every child.
FULL DAY PRIMARY SCHOOL AUTHOR VISITS
• 6 Hours
• £349
• Assembly
• Up to 7 Workshops for KS1 or KS2
• Book Reading
• Book Signing
• Q&A
• Meet-The-Author Opportunity
• Donation – A FREE copy of my latest book for the school library and those children that cannot get the book, and
• FREE bookmarks for every child.
(Travel costs in addition for in-person visits)
School Author Visit Images
I would be ecstatic to receive any images that were taken on the day, and if permission is granted, to display them publicly on my website and social media.
BUY MY GRANDAD VS THE FANGAZOO NOW on AMAZON CLICK HERE
Please CONTACT ME – CLICK HERE
RK ALKER’S LATEST BOOK – My Grandad vs The Fangazoo
Available in Paperback & Kindle to BUY IT NOW on AMAZON CLICK HERE
A laugh-out-loud, wonderfully entertaining action-adventure for age 7 upwards
A top-secret expedition unfolds for sisters Frankie and Charlie when they find the Fangazoo clue in crazy captain Sam’s rhyme. Can their archaeologist grandad complete one last BIG adventure with the girls and their cousins? Plunged into a hostile kingdom, how long before they face the Fangazoo? And, can they escape?
BUY FANGAZOO NOW on AMAZON CLICK HERE
Amazon Book Reviews
Our children age 5 and 7 absolutely loved this from start to finish. Normally, they get a little disinterested with books of this size, but this one captured their interest all the way through. So funny and the kids were gripped, can’t wait to read more from this writer!
Absolutely Brilliant!
This book was just a fabulous read, such a funny interesting read, fantastic for children, but I loved it as an adult.
Brilliant Read!
Read by a year 6 class as their class reader. Loved by all!
About R.K. Alker Children’s Author
About R.K. Alker Children’s Author30 years of university lecturing, content writing, media & entertainment as the colourful TV ChilliMan cultivated this hilarious children’s adventure book written for my own kids.
A tragic personal plot twist was the positive writing catalyst that presented the most unusual opportunity to achieve my dream of writing a children’s book.
After saving 6000 lives on the NHS front lines, I was injured helping someone, which ended my career on the 999 emergency ambulances in my 50th year. In recovery from my injuries, I was unable to play with my kids. I engaged my passion to write for them in a whacky adventure where we ran & played together.
Fun fact! Two decades ago, I left university teaching & found fame as a whacky chilli grower & champion of local producers.
As a new voice in children’s fiction, may I share that funny action-adventure book written for my children, with yours?
Enquiries
To book me for an author school visit, please complete and submit the form below:
CONTACT FORM
Primary School Author Visits FAQ Frequently Asked Questions
How to get an RK Alker school author to visit?
Talk to RK Alker Children’s Author in advance about your school visit in person or online. Prepare:
• The number of presentations or workshops and if an assembly is required.
• Age and size of groups.
• Security & Safety - DBS or CRB is available on request. Please make RK Alker Children’s Writer aware of any school safety policy that might impact sessions.
• Choose 3 alternative dates.
• Set an appropriate budget.
• Speak to the RK Alker Funny Kids Author about book sales. He will be delighted to sign copies of his books.
• Email or Make The Call to R.K. Alker Children’s Author on (+44) 01772 970190
How do you organise an author visit?
• Book early, but short notice is possible – please get in touch for RK Alker Children’s Author’s availability.
• Authors need to be paid – just as you and other service providers are paid for their time. The author visit is the tip of the iceberg in terms of preparation, materials, travel, loss of their other work, tiredness the following day, FREE follow up materials and competition assessment and prize giving.
• Security and Safety - RK Alker is fully DBS or CRB checked with Professional Liability Insurance.
• Plan and discuss book sales with the author in advance – it is better to get the book read by the children before the visit. This increases excitement, interaction and Q&A. People often treasure the memory of the author visit and a signed book for their entire life.
• Plan the event – R.K. Alker is very versatile and can cater for most formats. However, there is a LARGE/small author delivery divide. Some authors prefer large assemblies, others prefer smaller workshops.
How do I manage Photographs and Media for a school author visit?
• Media Attendance – the event provides an opportunity for school and author publicity.
• Photograph Security and Safety – make the author aware of your safety policy. Ascertain which children can appear in photographs with the author. Both the school and author can use the images as promotional material in publications such as newsletters and to place on the wall as mementos.
How do I Create Excitement and Generate a Creative Atmosphere about a School Author Visit?
• Prepare the children for the author visit – creating excitement increases attention levels. Set tasks based on the author’s book such as photographs, illustrations of characters and book covers. Inform the author of your efforts so they can include them in their presentations and workshops.
• Generate a Creative Atmosphere and display the children's work – getting that picture on the wall is a fantastic source of creative motivation and achievement for children.
• Visit the RK Alker Children's Author's website WWW.RKALKER.COM – a good author will have a wealth of information on their website for research. RK Alker has materials you can use in advance or as a follow up to the workshops or sessions.
What details does RK Alker Author need before attending a school author day?
• Pre-Event Contact – contact the author at least 2 weeks before the event to finalise details.
• Provide a sheet of A4 with: School Contact Name and Number, Parking, Arrival Time, Event Schedule, Start Time, Break Times, Lunch Time, Finish Time, Group Sizes and Ages, Book Sales and Signing Arrangements.
What does a visiting author need to know on arrival at my school for the author day?
Think of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs for Authors:
• Welcome the author, show them around.
• Help them plan room navigation, toilets, staff room, lunch room.
• Provide Powerpoint setup.
How should I assist in a school author visit?
• Participate in the author’s workshop – children imitate teachers and grown-ups, your participation fuels their participation.
• Remember some authors are not teachers – keep an eye on the children and those with special needs to shepherd your flock and control the crowd!
How should I manage book orders, pre-ordering and book signing by an author?
• Contact RK Alker Children’s Author to select the method that best suits your individual school.
• Pre-order book purchase system – children will forget to bring money on the author day. Children will want a book after a good author visit.
• Plan the book signing – help the children think about and write down dedications, sometimes to people other than the child. This avoids misspellings and delays as nervous children slowly spell their names.
How much does RK Alker Children’s Author charge for virtual school visits in the UK?
RK Alker Author fees are:
• *FREE* Virtual Visit for 20 minutes
• £129 An All-In Full-School Event COST: £129 – Workshop Assembly, Q&A Meet-The-Author, PLUS, a quick visit into the classes, a book signing, FREE book for the school library and those children that cannot get the book, and FREE bookmarks for every child.
• £229 for half a day
• £349 for a full day
• Full details available at https://www.rkalker.com/school-author-visits/
Book The Author for a School Visit
Go to my contact page and fill in the contact form or call me.
Authors Aloud
When stories are spoken aloud with passion at primary school author visits by the original children’s author, something brilliant happens. I remember my first encounter with a children’s author like it was yesterday—he electrified the room! His enthusiasm, motivation and engagement lives on to this very day.
World Book Day Author Free School Visits
Primary school financial pressures are immense. I plan to offer free school children’s author virtual visits, one of which will fall around world book day!
Arrange an Author or Illustrator Free School Visits
School bursars or school budget managers can find an author or illustrator willing to perform free school author visits here. My offer is limited due to my own budget. So please get in touch to see if any are left this school term.
Data and Barring Service Enhanced Certificate (DBS Certificate) or CRB
I have an up-to-date enhanced criminal record certificate or criminal records check both as a school volunteer and from an NHS trust. I also subscribe to the DBS update service. Details are available upon request.
10 Fantastic Free School Trips and Visits
Try these 10 fantastic free school visit and free school trip ideas for groups of young people.
Free Self-Led Visits
Self-led visits are a source of great excitement and learning for schoolchildren. Consider the logistics and ecological impact whilst taking a group of young people on an adventure to unlock secrets and stories that can incorporate a range of school subjects and topics.
Not Something Everyone Knows BUT Roald Dahl The Children’s Book Author Was Also an RAF Fighter Ace
In 1939 Roald Dahl the children’s author joined the Royal Air Force or RAF. In September 1941 he was confirmed as a pilot officer and promoted to war substantive flying officer. Roald Dahl progressed as a diplomat and an intelligence officer and left in August 1946 as squadron leader with five aerial victories under his belt. He was heralded a flying ace, which is confirmed by post-war research and cross-referenced in Axis records.
(Source: https://www.roalddahl.com/global/roald-dahl-titles)
RK Alker is an author of funny children’s books from Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, Earth!
My little girls think I am the Best Funny Kids Author in the World.
R.K. Alker is a Famous, Funny, Celebrity Children’s Author, Grower, Cook, Local Food Evangelist and an injured 999 Emergency Ambulanceman. His love for growing chillies made him the country’s highest profile chilli grower, champion of local producers and star of TV, radio and press.
Read RK Alker Funny Kids’ Author’s amazing story CLICK HERE
RK Alker is an author of funny children’s books, a famous chilli grower, cook, local food evangelist and food and drink event specialist from Lancashire, England, United Kingdom, Earth!
Find RK Alker Children’s Author Events, Book Readings, Children’s Bedtime Stories, Kids Storytelling, School Visits, Children’s Book Signings and more on Eventbrite.
My little girls think R.K. Alker is The World’s Best Kids’ Author.
R.K. Alker is also The Chilliman from Little Green Men a master of The Ancient Lancastrian Art of Ecky Thump! and can be found on Instagram, Blogger.com & Yell
