Speaking Events and School Visits
I give talks in schools to years 6,7, and 8 and to groups of adults in retirement living schemes, community centres, synagogues, book groups, and libraries. I am also happy to talk on Zoom.
My talks cover the inspiration for my novels - discovering that my father had been a Bletchley Park codebreaker and my uncle a secret agent - and how I uncovered and fictionalised their stories given that they were bound by the Official Secrets Act for the whole of their lives and died when I was young. I use the photographs on this website to create a portrait of a Hungarian Jewish family living in London, and the novels explore the memories and games they played as children which create the relationships they have with each other as young adults in World War Two.
My year 6 presentation fits very well with the World War Two curriculum and gives a perspective that many will not be familiar with - namely Bletchley Park, Special Operations – and I touch lightly on the Holocaust.
For secondary schools, my talks go into more detail about the Holocaust.
In all my school taIks I encourage questions and it is always a very participatory experience including a simple code-breaking exercise, and the opportunity to pull World War Two related objects unseen out of a box. I can also provide writing workshops.
My fees vary and I am willing to discuss, so please get in touch if you'd like to talk to me about giving a talk or workshop.
Schools can download an information sheet about Zinc and Cobalt here
And you can see some videos about the books and the inspiration behind them on my books page.
"Perfect for year 6 &7, secrecy, bravery and cracking codes."
Alexandra Park School
"It was fantastic to have Sue visit our school. She was so knowledgeable about WW2, and she was able to talk about the experiences her family had had during this time, which was extremely valuable for the children. They loved this workshop, and still talk about it now. Sue even brought in artefacts for the children, and they were absolutely amazed. This is a subject in which this year 6 class take a particular interest, and this workshop was the perfect addition to our unit of work. Thank you Sue."
Hollickwood School year 6 teacher
"Sue's visit was enlightening. She narrated her lived experiences, which she also used in her book. She showed us pictures from her past, so it was very visual and we could understand the story better. She also conducted quizzes so it was fun."
Saint Thomas More School year 7 student
"I'd recommend Sue visiting any group interested in Bletchley Park and Special Operations in World War Two. Thanks for speaking to our retirement living community Sue."
Coordinator at Jewish Care
