What shall we write today?
I offer inspirational creative experiences
that free up young imaginations and deliver
a lasting love of reading and writing.
My books are being used by schools across the UK as writing units,
guided reading texts and recommended summer reading.
an eco-adventure story aimed at 7-13 year olds.
a YA cli-fi novel aimed at readers aged 12 and over.
blackloop
a coming-of-age
sci-fi novel.
compelling stories for our time
I have always been passionate about the environment and learning more about our beautiful planet, which has helped me establish a reputation for being a climate fiction or ‘cli-fi’ author, writing stories in which changes to our climate feature strongly.
As a cli-fi author, I was invited to write two articles on the subject for Guardian Children's Books as well as giving a TEDx talk on cli-fi, entitled ‘Stories from the Future’. My books have also been discussed on BBC Radio Scotland's Culture Show and are reviewed in the Guardian and elsewhere.
I love working with teachers to support their environment-themed topics and showing children how they too can write environment-inspired fiction or ‘cli-fi’.
Over the last 10 years I have given talks and creative writing workshops at more than 250 schools, book festivals and libraries. I’m experienced at working with children with special educational needs of all kinds, and aim to make all my talks and workshops fun, inclusive, relevant and responsive.
MADE UP: AUTHOR-LED PROGRAMME FOR SCHOOLS
choose your creative writing adventure
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Wilful Words
A one-hour poetry workshop
for KS1 and KS2 -
Playful Paragraphs
A one-hour creative writing workshop
for KS2 and KS3 -
Joyful Journeys
A one-hour story mountain workshop
for KS2 and KS3 -
Colourful Characters
A one-hour character-building workshop for KS2/KS3/KS4
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Successful Settings
A one-hour world-building workshop
for KS2/KS3/KS4 -
Useful Unicorns
A 90-minute CPD workshop for teachers about creativity
Come with me on a creative adventure and you’ll be made up!
Testimonials
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“Sarah came to our school and ignited all our pupils. We time-travelled in our imaginations to many wonderful places. Her manner makes the children and adults feel at ease, and even the most reluctant writers produced sensational work. I would thoroughly recommend Sarah Holding to visit your school.”
Year 5 class teacher, Winterbourne Junior Girls School
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“On behalf of all the pupils and staff, thank you very much for your visit to us here as part of the Isle of Wight Literature Festival, and for sharing with us your love of writing. The children and staff have all talked positively about the visits, and I’m really grateful that you chose us.”
Headteacher, Summerfields Primary School, Newport
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“Thank you so much for the amazing job you have done running our Writers' Club this year and putting together our short story anthology. We are extremely grateful for everything you have done for our students and it has been an absolute pleasure working with you.”
Librarian, Hinchley Wood School, Claygate
“Sarah Holding has come up with a different way
of introducing young readers to environmental issues.”
– Dame Jacqueline Wilson DBE FRSL
