WIN A FREE VIRTUAL SCHOOL VISIT

Sadly, due to Covid19, I am not currently offering live events, but I’ve come up with some great ways for us to connect online. To celebrate, I’m running a competition over on Twitter where schools can win a free virtual author visit worth up to £75. You’ll find more details of my virtual author visits below but you’ll need to pop over to Twitter via the link below to enter.

All virtual visits include a free online book signing. Closing date 13th September.

VIRTUAL VISITS MENU

Skype /Zoom Chat

£50 for 30 minute session





Choose to watch an introductory video with a reading from Princess BMX in advance of the session or a reading can be incorporated. A range of Princess BMX resources are available to schools who wish to follow up the chat with Princess BMX inspired creative writing or BMX themed activities.  

Ideally this would be a class discussion though happy to chat if the school wants a bigger group.

#BeMoreBMX assembly style  presentation with reading and Q and A  

With themes of resilience, smashing stereotypes and developing a positive extreme sporting attitude, my assembly style presentation will leave children rearing to defy the limits others put on them and #BeMoreBMX. Includes a look at my writing journey and of course some extreme sporting video clips!  

£75 for 45 minute session




A range of Princess BMX resources are available to schools who wish to follow up with some writing or BMX themed activities.  

While no limit on numbers, given the event is streamed via your preferred platform, schools will need to be mindful of logistics and the specific needs of pupils.
Live Workshop  

Princess BMX Character Mash – using a Top Trumps style format, children will develop their own fairy tale character and send them off on an exciting adventure!

Through the Portal – travel through the portal and build your own fantasy world.  

£75 for 45 minute session  


Both workshops include drawing and writing exercises and are appropriately scaffolded so as to appeal to even the most reluctant writers.

Shorter workshop includes Q and A and more time to share the children’s work. Follow up activities will be provided so that the children can turn the activity into a short story.  



Maximum of 30 / One Class  

Session tailored to school requirements

£100 for 60 minute session
  Let’s chat about your requirements!  

WHY CHOOSE ME FOR YOUR EVENT?

Loved by BookTrust and recommended by the Gender Collective, Princess BMX is not only fun but offers a range of educational opportunities – see the Reading Guide for further information. Couple this with my extensive experience of school visits, delivering writing workshops and participating in other book related activities and you are assured a quality event that will engage and inspire your pupils.

An adaptable and professional learning practitioner, with an MA in Creative Writing, I have been commissioned to develop a wide range of schools outreach and enrichment work for organisations including Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), the Portico Library, Writing on the Wall, Connell Sixth Form College and Marsden Library. So you can be assured, your event is in safe hands.

Marie is such an outstanding writer and practitioner who is passionate about sharing her creativity with pupils of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, including those who have EAL and SEN. Feedback from teachers and pupils has been overwhelmingly positive and is a testimony to Marie’s ability to engage and inspire the next generation of creative writers.
Claudia Conerney, Schools Liaison Coordinator, MMU.

You’ll find more details about my events on my school visits page. Or drop me a line at riewriting@gmail.com.

Photos courtesy of Martyn Ode, St Oswalds.

VIRTUAL SCHOOL VISITS

Sadly, due to Covid19, I am not currently offering live events, but I’ve come up with some great ways for us to connect online. All virtual visits include a free online book signing.

VIRTUAL VISITS MENU

Skype /Zoom Chat

£50 for 30 minute session





Choose to watch an introductory video with a reading from Princess BMX in advance of the session or a reading can be incorporated. A range of Princess BMX resources are available to schools who wish to follow up the chat with Princess BMX inspired creative writing or BMX themed activities.  

Ideally this would be a class discussion though happy to chat if the school wants a bigger group.

#BeMoreBMX assembly style  presentation with reading and Q and A  

Themes of resilience, defying stereotypes and developing a positive extreme sporting attitude. Includes a look at my writing journey and of course some extreme sporting video clips!  

£75 for 30-45 minute session





A range of Princess BMX resources are available to schools who wish to follow up with some writing or BMX themed activities.  

While no limit on numbers, given the event is streamed via your preferred platform, schools will need to be mindful of logistics and the specific needs of pupils.
Live Workshop  

Princess BMX Character Mash – develop your own fairy tale character and send them off on an exciting adventure! Through the Portal – travel through the portal and build your own fantasy world.  

£75 for 30-45 minute session  




Shorter workshop includes Q and A and more time to share the children’s work. Follow up activities will be provided so that the children can turn the activity into a short story.  



Maximum of 30 / One Class  

Session tailored to school requirements

£100 for 60 minute session
  Let’s chat about your requirements!  

Please use the contact form or e-mail riewriting@gmail.com to discuss further.

WHY CHOOSE ME FOR YOUR EVENT?

Loved by BookTrust and recommended by the Gender Collective, Princess BMX is not only fun but offers a range of educational opportunities – see the Reading Guide for further information. Couple this with my extensive experience of school visits, delivering writing workshops and participating in other book related activities and you are assured a quality event that will engage and inspire your pupils.

An adaptable and professional learning practitioner, with an MA in Creative Writing, I have been commissioned to develop a wide range of schools outreach and enrichment work for organisations including Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), the Portico Library, Writing on the Wall, Connell Sixth Form College and Marsden Library. So you can be assured, your event is in safe hands.

Marie is such an outstanding writer and practitioner who is passionate about sharing her creativity with pupils of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, including those who have EAL and SEN. Feedback from teachers and pupils has been overwhelmingly positive and is a testimony to Marie’s ability to engage and inspire the next generation of creative writers.
Claudia Conerney, Schools Liaison Coordinator, MMU.

You’ll find more details about my events on my school visits page. Or drop me a line at riewriting@gmail.com.

Photos courtesy of Martyn Ode, St Oswalds.

Princess BMX Storytime

I’m starting to get the hang of this YouTube malarkey even if I do look like I’ve been tasered in every thumbnail. Here I am reading the opening to Princess BMX. Can you spot my ‘deliberate’ inside-outside mistake?

If you’ve enjoyed listening to this, Princess BMX is available via all good bookshops and some of the not so good ones.

You can order it online here:

Waterstones

Blackwells

Hive

Amazon

Or better still why not give your local indie bookshop a call? Lots of them are posting out books for a small fee.

Princess BMX FanArt Competition

My friend Louie Stowell, author of Dragon in the Library and The Monster in the Lake, recently surprised me with some Princess BMX fanart. This got me thinking about how wonderful it would be to launch my new YouTube channel with a competition to get you drawing too.

So get your pencils out and tag me with your Princess BMX inspired illustrations to win a signed copy of the book plus your very own Tyson the Teabag.

Full details in the video above.

Not read the book? Download the first chapter here for your FanArt inspiration: https://mariebasting.com/resources/

* Competition closes Monday 1st June 2020. The judge’s decision is final. UK entries only – although I’d still love to see your fanart if you live somewhere else! 


Six Months of Princess BMX in Pictures

Six months. Yes, I repeat, six months. That’s a big fat half year since Princess BMX wheelied her way into the world. I’m saving all the words for book two, so here are some of the highlights in pictures.

It’s launch day and I wake up to find my social media streams full of BMX riding authors.

And then the reviews start to come in. Princess BMX is a Guardian Book of the Month!

Like that wasn’t exciting enough, I got to see my book on the shelf…

And on the table…

And in between a blog tour, signing books and chatting to booksellers, I celebrate with friends and family and take Tyson on holiday.

September was all about my #BeMoreBMX tour. Thank you to the wonderful booksellsers and librarians who took me out to meet readers.

And thank you to all the friends and family who came along to help me celebrate at my belated Biscotti themed Book Launch Party.

October leaves fell but Princess BMX soared.

I appeared at the Rochdale Festival of Literature and Ideas where I met the fantastic Mrs Wylie…

Who brought me some very interesting letters from my book pen pals.

November meant more school visits and I had my very own display in Salford libraries…

And I appeared at the Chicken House Roadshow with the fantastic Dan Smith and James Nicol.

I celebrated Princess BMX with SCBWI friends at the Mass Book Launch at our Winchester Conference…

Where I also won an Outstanding Contribution award.

And before I knew it, December was here and it was time for Christmas cheer with writer friends at Gladstone Library.

There was also some Christmas craziness with my Book Pen Pals.

January has been a mixed bag, with lurgy and tax returns and other boring stuff. But there’s still been time for fun…

So, yes, it’s been a mad six months. The camera has only captured the good times, but there were also wobbles and falls and moments of extreme debut fear. Thankfully, I had my SWAG friends to keep me on the BMX track. (Shame I didn’t have a shot of us all xxx)

And then there’s been you guys: family, friends, bloggers and other writers cheering me along the way. I can’t thank you enough. You are all extreme BMX!