Alice Hemming

Bestselling Children's Book Author

Also writes as

Alice Thorp

www.alicehemming.co.uk

Booking enquiry

Available for

Workshop, Talk, Reading, Interview, Commission a book

Audiences

Age 1 to 3, Age 3 to 5, Age 5 to 7, Age 7 to 11, Adult

Genres

Adventure, Comedy, Fairy tale, Fantasy, Fiction, Folklore, Humour, Picture book, Tall tale

Book types

Educational, Fiction for children, Fiction 5-9, Fiction 8-13, Picture book

Awards

CICBA Picture Book of the Year 2021

Organisations

Children's Writers and Illustrators for Stories and Literacy (CWISL)
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
Society of Authors (SoA)
National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE)

Event feedback

Alice was absolutely brilliant at our Children’s Literature Festival. Her workshop based on The Leaf Thief was a huge hit with both children and families. The session was engaging, fun, and perfectly pitched for young readers — everyone left with smiles on their faces and lovely feedback about how much they enjoyed it.

Susy Wilkins (Moulton Library)

A brilliant day Great communication before the visit. Then 2 assemblies and four workshops delivered to the pupils exactly as we had asked. The assemblies and workshops were differentiated so that they were age appropriate. Alice was an excellent presenter, helped launch our celebration of reading week and definitely inspired our pupils to write. All staff were very complimentary and the pupils clearly enjoyed their day.

Damian Pye (Great Berry Primary School)

What a lovely lady. The children thoroughly enjoyed and engaged in the workshops led by Alice. I would most definitely recommend Alice to others

Dawn Osborne (Larwood School)

Alice was absolutely amazing and the children loved her workshops. I really enjoyed how Alice started the day talking about the journey of writing a book and this definitely inspired some of the children to become authors one day. I have heard praise from every teacher who observed Alice's workshops and they said how engaged the children were during her sessions. Alice catered for a range of ages and the children thoroughly enjoyed her workshops. Thank you again for enriching the children with a love of reading and I would love for Alice come back to us soon!

Jemma Wykes (Springmead Primary School)

Details

No availability for World Book Day 2026 - sorry!

Recommendations

"I thought Alice was fabulous and really motivated our children! My TA’s are in full agreement. She was so personal and on their level."

Mrs Palmer, Reception teacher, Barton Seagrave Primary

"We liked it when she showed us how she made her books. We got to draw animals and decide what they did that was funny. I really liked when we did a Questions and Answers."

Year 2 student

More references available on request.

About me

I am a children’s author based in Hertfordshire and have written over fifty books for children, including picture books, reading scheme and middle grade. Titles include the bestselling Dark Unicorns series (Scholastic), and picture book, The Leaf Thief with illustrator Nicola Slater (Scholastic 2020), which has sold across the world and been translated into twenty-four languages. My school visits (Reception-KS2) tend to include an introductory assembly as well as workshops with individual classes.

I feel passionately about books, stories and writing and would love to come to your school to generate enthusiasm and excitement around the subject.

In the past I have worked as a professional librarian, a website editor and an Outreach manager for a university, so I have a background of working in schools.

I am DBS cleared and have liability insurance through NAWE.

About my author visits

I like to meet as many of the children as possible and will happily work with any Primary School year group, including Nursery and Reception.

A ‘typical’ visit would include a morning assembly, followed by workshops with each year group in their classrooms, but I am happy to work with an individual year group or key stage if you prefer. Workshops I have given include the following:

Foundation: Book reading, acting out stories, Q&A
KS1: Acting out stories, Creating a class poem, Character Workshop, Magic Story Bag workshop.
KS2: How an author works, Story Dice, The Cut Ups, Character Workshop.

Maybe you would like me to focus on a particular subject? Or you currently have a particular focus, such as editing or writing? Please let me know as I do like to work with individual schools to tailor a suitable programme.

I am also happy to talk to group of adults about writing for children or run a picture book writing workshop.

I am based in East Hertfordshire but happy to travel, particularly in London and north Essex. I will go further afield but may need to charge for an overnight visit. I charge £450 plus expenses and VAT for a full day.

Books by Alice Hemming

The author of over eighty books for children, including the bestselling Dark Unicorns series (Scholastic). The award-winning and New York Times bestselling picture book, The Leaf Thief, with illustrator Nicola Slater (Scholastic 2020), has sold across the world and been translated into nineteen languages. The follow up book 'That's MY Flower' is now available. Also writes for guided reading schemes.

IBSN: 9781407191447

Author's website

Squirrel is so cross! Yesterday there were loads of beautiful leaves on his tree, but today? Today some leaves are missing! There's a LEAF THIEF on the loose! A brilliantly funny tale of one squirrel's enormous surprise at the inevitable change of seasons

W

Waterstones

IBSN: 978-0702323614

Author's website

The town of Valesti was once rumoured to be the home to a family of twelve vampires who wreaked havoc on the towns people. Until, that is, hunters came to kill them all. At least, they thought they'd killed them all ... Years later, the rumours are mostly forgotten but some persist, especially those around Castle Bezna, where a mysterious countess lives. Over the years, the countess has enlisted village girls to be her companions, but none of the girls have returned. But when a girl named Vivi decides that the promi...

W

Waterstones

Waterstones Amazon

Photos

Keywords

ASSEMBLY EDITING KS1 KS2 NURSERY PICTURE BOOKS RECEPTION WRITING