Author readings in schools

Organising a reading requires preparatory work, but it is worth the effort: most authors are happy to come if the date can be arranged. Children and young people enjoy listening to them, especially if they can prepare for the event in advance. This check-list can help interested parties to ensure that the organisation runs smoothly.

- The size of the audience: In order for the pupils to benefit optimally from the reading, the audience should be limited to 1 - 2 school classes or a maximum of 50 pupils. The pupils should be in the same school year or at most one year apart. For the upper school, we recommend limiting the audience to one class. If more classes want to participate, do several readings in a row.

- Choice of author: Are the texts suitable for the pupils in terms of content and level of difficulty? Addresses and additional information on authors can be obtained from the publisher, on the Internet or in the telephone book.

- Discuss the following points with the author and have them signed as a contract:

 o Finances: Fees and expenses

 o Date: avoid overlapping with other events, reserve room

 o Time / duration / number of reading(s)

 o Book and text selection: To help you and your students prepare

Some possibilities are:

-borrow the author's works from the library

- read books, excerpts or book reviews in class and prepare questions, write their own book recommendations

- ask the author's publisher for brochures, posters, promotional materials

- gather information about the author and make portraits

- paint promotional posters, make decorations for the event.

- Does the town/county/state contributes to the fee costs of author readings in schools? If you would like to claim the amount, please submit an application in time.

- contact the author

 o arrange a meeting place, give directions and the exact address of the school building, possibly offer a pick-up service

 o provide a (mobile) telephone number where you can be reached on the day of the reading

 o agree on payment arrangements

 o arrange the schedule, ask for special requests

- designate a person to take over the welcoming and moderation

- eventually arrange for a bookshop in cooperation with a bookseller. Organise a book sale table for the reading in cooperation with a bookshop (rather choose cheaper paperback editions)

- Inform the local press

- Set up the room: Set up sufficient chairs, possibly decorate the room

- Mark the rooms, possibly put up signs. In case of unforeseen circumstances, be available by telephone at the number given

- If paying in cash, have the author's fee and receipt form ready

After the reading

- Send press reports and pupil reactions to the author

- Discuss the course of the reading and make a note of possible improvements

- If the authorities supports the reading financially, send confirmation, the original receipt for the author's fee and the payment slip from the school or its sponsor to the library representative within one month.

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(according to a leaflet of the library service Solothurn)

On the finances: Am I doing the reading to make a living from it or is it more important to me to reach an audience? Depending on the case, do I read for free, or for compensation for travel expenses if the school has not budgeted any money or is not willing or able to spend it?

Most events for school classes are designed as one to one-and-a-half-hour author readings followed by a discussion with the pupils. Reading passages and conversations alternate. The pupils are expressly invited to prepare and accompany the reading with their own contributions. Wishes for the pupils to participate in an event can be discussed and planned at the time of booking.

Who moderates an event?
There are authors who introduce themselves right away. Others are introduced by the teacher or school director. Others come with an accompanying person who who introduces the author's life and work at the beginning of the event and guides them through the reading. The event consists of several reading parts and conversations between author and students and ends with an open question and answer session with the students.

How long does a reading last?
A reading lasts at least 60 minutes and up to 90 minutes depending on the questions and attention of the pupils.

Active participation in an event
In addition to the obligatory class reading, intensive study of the book is recommended in preparation for the reading. Here are a few suggestions:
- Questions to the author can be prepared in class to be asked during the event.

- your pupils can also conduct an interview with an author after a reading, for example for the school newspaper.

- With some books, it makes sense to work out the main content of the book (e.g. in presentations).

- You can initiate a creative engagement of your pupils with a novel through writing tasks (alternative ending, poem, inner monologue of a character, etc.) or have your (especially younger) pupils draw/paint novel characters according to their own ideas or design an alternative cover picture.

- For younger classes, a game or puzzle about the book can be developed as preparation. If there is enough material, you can prepare a small exhibition on the book and show it in the school.

- your class can also prepare a small performance (max. 5 min) as part of the reading, e.g. act out a scene from the book, perform a musical contribution or show a video you have made about the book (e.g. your own book trailer). There is also the possibility of participating in an event through a staged reading by the pupils.

- The communicative elements of Web 2.0 can also be used for cultural education work and thus offer older grades in particular versatile participation opportunities.

 - Even before the festival, there is the possibility of participating in discussions on Facebook, Twitter and the blog.

 - you can publish your students' own blog contributions: Book reviews, author portraits, videos (e.g. "trailers" for the book), illustrations for the stories, "photo stories" for the book, literary student texts on a novel theme, and much more.

How author readings are guaranteed to succeed (by a German author)

The author usually needs neither a red carpet nor fanfares to welcome him. But it is beneficial for the course of the reading if the pupils are already prepared for the visit. This increases excitement and interest. In the run-up to the reading, the class can look for the author's books in the school library or the public library. Some schools paint welcome posters and decorate the reading room with pictures from the books. This is fun for the children and encourages them to enjoy the reading.

After the reading, questions can be asked. If these questions are written down in class the day before, it makes it easier for the shyer children to get their questions out. Of course, it is important to be quiet during the reading and listen to the story. For this, it is necessary that at least one teacher per class is present. The rowdies and chatterboxes don't necessarily all have to sit next to each other...

Also, the pupils should sit on chairs or benches. Anyone who has ever tried to sit quietly on a mat for an hour knows that only Shaolin monks can do this.

Generally, the room should be enclosed. Not a break hall, not the foyer of the school, if possible not even a gym. Adults also enjoy concerts in a festive atmosphere more than on a railway track.

It is important that the book of the reading has not yet been covered in class. Afterwards, it can be read as class reading. It is guaranteed that reading lessons have never been so eagerly awaited as after an author reading.