Derek Keilty
Local Children’s Author Visits Belvoir Park Primary School
Belfast based children’s author Derek Keilty recently visited Belvoir Park Primary School to conduct storytelling and creative writing workshops with pupils. He is the author in residence at the school and next year he will develop the children’s literacy skills even further. Derek, who has had a busy year after landing a 3 book deal with a UK publisher said, ‘I had a brilliant week with the staff and children, reading stories from my books to the younger ones and helping the older children improve their own story writing. On the last day the children all came dressed up as their favourite book characters and judging the winners was almost impossible they were all so good.’
Derek’s second book The Bears Bite Back was published in January and follows on the heels of Back up the Beanstalk (his debut children’s novel) and instant bestseller from a few years ago which is still a big hit with Derek’s fan base. And this month (June ’08) he has just published his third book Weird Files: The Alien Science Bus.
Belvoir pupils even got to hear an exclusive first reading of Magic Beans on Toast, Derek’s next book due out in September 2008 which sees the return of the giants from Back up the Beanstalk.
Derek has been snapped up by top Oxford literary agent, Peter Buckman at Ampersand literary agency who is currently selling Derek’s latest work.
Derek says “I am over the moon about the books, it’s going to be a fun World Book Year watching the post and email for cover artwork, proofs and of course the finished products. Some of the books are also reluctant readers or for children who suffer for dyslexia and are published in accordance with guidelines from the British Dyslexia Association and it is nice to think they might help encourage children who are not normally ‘readers’. It was lovely to spend an afternoon with the Speech and Language classes in Belvoir. My biggest fans though are still my wife, Elaine and twin girls, Sarah-Jane and Rebekah who keep me right by reading the material long before it hits my agent’s desk.”
Derek has just been commissioned to write another book in the Weird Files series entitled ‘The Ghost of Trigger Strokes’ out next May.
Check out the books on amazon.
Contact Derek on:
Mob 07901 853197
Email: keilty@btopenworld.com
