Kate Tym

Schools - Talks, Visits & Workshops

Kate can provide two 'prepared' talks suitable across the age ranges and can also provide poetry workshops or run a school 'slam'.

Kate is also happy to come into school as a 'visiting author', read her books, perform her poetry, and answer questions.

Kate is happy to talk to a large audience or work with small groups, and everything in between.

How A Book Is Made

(Year 3 up to Adult)

Wearing her 'Commissioning Editor' hat, Kate is well-placed to guide children through the process of creating a book in an eloquent, informative and fun way. Kate will lead you on a fascinating journey from the conception of a book as a thought in someone's head, through to the glossy finished product. Kate can clearly explain all the different stages and processes that go to changing a manuscript into a book on a shelf.

Kate has plenty of material to show and share and can talk about cover design and the sales/marketing aspects of making a book too - including thinking about layout, typefaces, blurb, audience, genre etc

This talk is quite interactive with lots of questions and answers throughout - and can include a short blurb-writing workshop at the end if desired.

Kate is very adept at adjusting her style of presentation depending on the age group she is talking to.

My Grandfather and the German Resistance

(Year 5-6 up to Adult)

Kate's Opa (Grandfather) was an active member of the SDP (the German version of the Labour Party) when Hitler came to power in 1933.

This is the story of his life, and the lives of his family, during the time of Nazi control. He was a member of an active resistance cell and distributed 'anti Hitler' documents over the border in Holland. He was arrested twice by the Gestapo, served in two hard labour camps and had to walk home to Northern Germany from Northern France when he eventually escaped. For the remainder of the war he was hidden in the attic, in a room next to Kate's Mum's bedroom, and she didn't even know he was there!

A fantastic bit of 'living history' that really brings home what the time under the Nazi regime was really like for a lot of ordinary Germans. Putting a fascinating social and human context on the history of the second world war.

This talk includes lots of photographic and documentary evidence from the town of Norden at this time, and Kate's family's part in its history.

Kate is very adept at adjusting her style of presentation depending on the age group she is talking to.

Poetry Workshops / Slams

Year 5 to Upper 6th

Kate has a number of excellent poetry writing exercises that can bring out the best in even the most reluctant of budding Betjemans. Kate can also organise a 'school slam' - pitting the poetic wits of pupils in a performance poetry competition. This is kept fun and supportive and usually produces some fabulous results.

Kate can also incorporate a theme/learning journey if you prefer. Kate will try to work collaboratively and is happy discuss what might be wanted from a session. Kate is also happy to work across a number of sessions, rather than trying to do everything in a 'one off'.

For the Very Young

Pre-school, Reception, Yrs 1 and 2

Kate is happy to provide short sessions of story telling, reading, singing and action rhymes with the youngest of audiences.

Kate lives in Hastings on the south coast so prefers bookings in E Sussex, W Sussex, Kent and Greater London... but given a bit of notice... she'll go anywhere!

Please feel free to contact Kate to discuss your needs.

Poems created by children through working with Kate:

I'm Autumn

Oi, Summer out the way!
I'm Autumn now you obey
I've got rules - you don't have a say
Now it's my time to shine

Gonna freeze the flowers till they're dead
And scatter different shades of red
Until farmers can't make any more bread
Because I'm here to stay

Gonna throw some orange here some yellow there
Feel my cold stuffy air
Tremble under my menacing glare
Now it's my turn

I'm autumn here's my say
I'm not here to make your day
Even though I'm here to stay
Things are going to get tougher

I'll freeze your colossal lake
Give me strength for goodness sake
I'm Autumn and I'm not a fake
Now it's my turn

Kate had talked about personification. The children had previously done poems talking about Autumn having human characteristics, this time, they actually gave Autumn a voice.

The Catacomb

Jacob Darley and Jack Dillon
Kate speaking at Weatherhead High will be missed forevermore.
Rest in peace,
Beneath the ground,
Never stirring.
Ghoulish bodies, empty sockets,
Ancient faces, ragged clothes,
Bones falling apart at the seams.
Screaming silently, mouths gaping.
Unnervingly still, not even a twitch.
How alarming to see such a horrific sight.
Up on the surface a flower has appeared,
A rose as red as blood.
Jack and Jacob have now gone.

Ronan Harrison McGrady and Simon Collerton, Sacred Heart Primary School, Newcastle upon Tyne

This poem was written using a postcard Kate had brought with her, showing Italian catacombs, for inspiration

The Wedding

While her dress was sweeping across the floor and her eyes glistened,
he stood by her side.
Her jewellery sparkled,
Her hair was as lovely as sunshine,
her lips as gentle as fur.
When she entered, the piano's sound echoed around the cheerful room.
His hair combed back to impress the bride.

Rebecca Spoor

St Charles' Primary School, Newcastle upon Tyne

The Dog

Running through the bushes near the pond,
Dirty, scruffy, wet and furry I am.
Chasing my spotty ball, running at a great speed.
The wind hitting my face, I feel like I'm airborne.
Panting and barking as I am galloping.
I am the dog.

Philippa Green and Meghan Burn

St Cuthberts's Primary School, Newcastle upon Tyne

Happiness

I am my little sister making me laugh when I feel down

I am doing things I’m not supposed to do

I am my dad when he gives me money

I am animals that are soft and cuddly

I am my friends when they stick up for me

I am my family caring for me and keeping me safe

I am my baby brother laughing at me when I walk through the door

I am a bar of Galaxy chocolate melting in my mouth and tasting really sweet

I am the dog curled up on the sofa as the sun is setting

I am my children asleep in bed

The Invisible Woman

Kate's poetry collection Invisible Woman is now available for order priced at £4.99 + p&p £1.50. Please click the button below to get your copy now.

Stroke Poetry Pamphlet

To buy Kate's stroke survivor's poetry collection How Are You Feeling? £7.00 + p&p £1.50, please click the button below to get your copy now.

Testimonials

Read Southwark Brownie Leader, Anita Marloe's - Letter of Thanks here
We enjoyed a day of poetry at Sacred Heart High School with poet Kate Tym and seven of our primary feeder schools. All the students involved had a great day and they were all inspired to challenge themselves and write some really thoughtful, funny and interesting poems.

Kate worked brilliantly with all the students and created a really productive atmosphere. They loved listening to her read her poems and everyone enjoyed having an MC to run their poetry performance. Feedback from all the students has been excellent and they were all really fired up about writing and reading poetry when they got back to their primary schools.

Louisa Connolly, Sacred Heart High School, Newcastle upon Tyne
Kate has run several sessions at Westfield school, with a range of children, including 'How A Book Is Made' and poetry writing. The activities she led drew upon her own personal experiences which enthralled the children and enabled them to produce high quality writing. As a school we would recommend Kate's workshops to engage the children and to bring aspects of the Literacy Curriculum to life.

Simon Corke, Year 6 Teacher, Westfield School, E Sussex
The children were delighted to have Kate come and visit our class! They listened well and had many questions for her on her experiences as an author. They were particularly interested in hearing how she had got into writing and what books she has written. Kate brought lots of her books for the children to look at and read. They particularly enjoyed this and discussed amongst themselves the stories for days after Kate had gone. Kate had a good, friendly and relaxed manner with the class and held their attention well. She described her methods for writing poetry and competently lead the class through an activity to gather ideas for a poem based on settings that linked in with class literacy work - something that we had discussed beforehand. The pupils responded well and produced some good work. There is nothing quite like first- hand experiences of an author to inspire children to read and write. Kate's visit certainly had this effect in our classroom. We are looking forward to her next visit!

Paul Norcock, Year 3 and 4 Class Teacher, Catsfield CE School, E Sussex
Kate Tym visited Dulwich Prep School as part of our Arts Week initiative and talked to children about the process of book publishing. How does a book grow from an idea in the author's head to an object you can hold in your hand?

Her presentation was both informative and entertaining and the children very much enjoyed it. We are lucky enough to have quite a few authors visiting us here, but the great thing about Kate is that she can talk about books from so many different angles, having worked both in publishing and as a writer. She handled three strenuous sessions throughout the day with verve and imagination and we are already thinking about asking her to return!'

Fiona Booth, Dulwich Prep School, Cranbrook, Kent
Kate visited Westfield School and told the story of how her family had survived under the oppression of the Nazis during the Second World War. Her talk focused on the town of Norden where most of her family lived, it included documental and photographic evidence.

The children particularly enjoyed the details about Kate’s Grandfather and how he was captured and imprisoned by the Gestapo for his political beliefs. He later returned to the family home and spent the last part of the war hidden in the attic of the family home. This drew familiar parallels with Anne Frank’s diary.

I would recommend Kate’s talk for ages of 10 upwards, it adds another layer to the teaching of World War 2.

Kevin Tomasetti, Year 5 Teacher, Westfield School, E Sussex
Kate's visit to our school was a great success. She had our students hooked on every word and inspired them to get creative and come up with their own brilliant poems.

Richard Stanton, Learning Resources Manager, Weatherhead High School Media Arts College