Visits

Garry is often asked by schools, libraries, book shops and literary festivals to do events and workshops for children.

Garry is delighted to be able to offer virtual events live from his studio in South London and is available to book either directly or through the new Authors Aloud  School & Library Online event service. Find out more about Authors Aloud Online here.

The talks are lively, funny, interactive and involve lots of drawing. Garry has appeared at  many literary festivals including Edinburgh, Barnes, Bath and Cheltenham. 

In schools,  Garry inspires children to work on their own writing and illustration through assembly talks & drawing workshops, enthusing about the joys of reading and drawing through imagination.

The workshops support English studies in schools and provide a stimulating and fun experience for the children. Garry's workshops briefly outline the process of illustrating for publication from intial character sketches through to final artwork. The children then have the opportunity to make their own drawings either from  imagination or based upon a theme. Themes can derive from particular publications or key in with current school projects if required. Garry has had great success in sparking the story telling process by starting the children off with a simple mark making exercise and encouraging their thoughts and ideas to be expressed on to paper.

 As well as solo visits Garry often teams up with Authors Josh Lacey (Dragonsitter series) and Gareth  P Jones  (Are You The Prate Captain? & The Dinosaurs are having a Party!)  

If you would like to book a visit for your School, Library, Bookshop or take part in your Festival you can do so either by contacting Garry directly via email garry@garryparsons.co.uk OR via the brilliant schools event organisers  Authors Aloud.

Testimonials:

"Garry came to our school during book week.  He took a whole school assembly with Josh Lacey and then took small group sessions.  He was lively and entertaining and gave us some wonderful illustrations that he had drawn through the day.  The sessions were perfectly pitched at the children's age and ability.  He was kind and encouraging and spent a long time after school signing and illustrating books that the children bought.  He was great company and I would definitely recommend him to any Primary school, including inner city schools with lots of EAL pupils".
Sue March. West Hill Primary School, London.

 "What a fabulous Dino themed World Book Day 2017 we had! Garry came to visit with his amazing energy taking workshops for the whole day with all of the children at school. It gave them a wonderful insight to the life of an illustrator and how a book is created from the initial rough drawings and ideas to the finished printed proofs! It was fabulous to see them all creating and drawing in the sessions which were inspired by Garry. They went away with wonderful experiences and even created their own books and characters! I would highly recommend Garry to an event. It was a truly ROOOAAARRRING success!"                                                                                                Hannah Mee, Librarian, Ipswich Prep School.

 "Garry visited The Falcons School for Girls during Bookweek in 2015; working alongside Josh Lacey, he gave a lively and inspiring insight into his work and the way he works. The girls were thrilled to watch his deft and vivid pen-work and delighted to be involved in the creative process of making three dragon-filled artworks which now hang in the school library and corridors. A year on, the impact of his visit can be seen in both the girls' enthusiasm for reading books containing his work and in their own creative work which remains heavily dragon-inspired."                                                                                                    Diana Hillier. The Falcons School for Girls, London.

"Just a final huge 'thank you' to both of you - many, many smiling faces. I've had lots of comments from pupils and teachers saying that it was the best author/illustrator event they've had."                         Kerry Martin. Freegrounds Junior School, Southampton.  

 "Our day was a huge success- thank you! Most of the children bought a book and The Dragonsitter books are now hugely popular in our school. Yesterday was a lovely day which was enjoyed by all our children and staff and one which will be remembered for a long time to come. Thank you for all your help in organising this. No doubt we shall be in touch again next year, although after last year's visit by Ali Sparkes and this year by Josh and Garry, they will all be hard acts to follow!"                                                                                                          Sue Farr, Warden Hill Junior School, Luton.  

"In celebration of , today our children were inspired by illustrator Garry Parsons . Thank you for visiting! "                                                                                                    Nikki Kenwood, Librarian, Hampton Vale Primary School, Peterborough.

 "Excellent presentation given by illustrator Garry Parsons  at Ipswich Children's Book Group."                     

Mark Cheadle. Ipswich Children's Book Group

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