Public Speaking

Money is one of the most important languages on the planet. In her forthcoming book and in her talks, Linda helps everyone to understand and speak it better.

Linda Davies was invited to speak at the Financial Panel of the European Research Center, Amsterdam, and gave the following lecture:

Residencies

Linda Davies was made the inaugural Writer In Residence at St Edmund Hall, Oxford in 2018. Click to read testimonial

Workshops for adults

Workshops for schools

Linda has brought many exciting, inspiring workshops on creative writing to schools in Dubai and the UK. She has also presented school prize days. Please find testimonials from schools below.

Linda Davies is the founder and creator of the Creative Writing Competition for Children and Young Adults at the Emirates Airline International Festival of Literature, and for three years was one of the judges.

Author events

Linda has made author appearances at many literary festivals, libraries and book clubs.

Linda Davies speaks on Longbow Girl at the Hay Festival Winter Weekend 2015

“Linda Davies held the audience in her hands as she told her astonishing story of her captivity in the same way that she survived the ordeal – with unassuming humour and quiet intelligence.”

Stuckeridge Literary Weekend

Testimonials

From adult groups

In 2018 St Edmund Hall was privileged to welcome Linda Davies as the College’s inaugural Writer-in-Residence.

Linda defined the residency by the breadth of activity and insight she offered to a wide range of constituents. Offering support to those pursuing creative writing both academically and as an interest and, uniquely, working with students who find written communication more challenging.

Besides mentoring young writers, penning odes, reading first drafts and editing student manuscripts Linda worked alongside neuroscientists to try and help deepen our understanding of the science of creativity, taking part in a public seminar on the Brain and Creativity.

Perhaps the greatest testimony to Linda’s time as Writer-in-Residence is from one of the many students she supported:

“I can’t tell you how much help Linda has been to me this past term. She was the first person outside of family to read my writing and has been so encouraging, honest, and constructive. She took the time to read often-lengthy segments of my work, always with sharp and thorough comments, and every thought she had on it made me a stronger writer. She also gave me vital advice regarding agents and the publishing world, which came at the perfect and most critical time for me. Linda has been a true mentor to me this term and I know I will be in touch with her for many years to come. I am so incredibly grateful to the college for supporting her time here, which in doing so has encouraged my most treasured hope to one day be a writer like her.”

St Edmund Hall is hugely thankful for all the insight, enthusiasm and support Linda provided as its 2018 Writer-in-Residence.

Gareth Simpson, Fellow & Director of Development, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford

Her ability to enthrall an audience as a speaker is only surpassed by the fast pace of her writing. She has had a lot of interesting life experiences which have given her some fascinating stories to relate. Linda was also very forthcoming with advice for aspiring writers.

RAF Lakenheath Library

Linda Davies’ writing course offers a clear, concise account of the way in which she writes, and provides tips and hints on how to get past the obstacles that seem to stand in the way of would-be writers.

Her comments on plotting and characterisation are pithy and to the point, well illustrated by anecdotes from her own writing life. Linda treats every participant in the course with equal respect, giving carefully considered opinions and advice on work created during the evening.

Informative, entertaining – and inspiring – her class is well worth attending, whatever your writing ambitions or achievements.

Creative Director, advertising agency, Dubai

The Abu Dhabi Mens’ Library and Learning Centre had a real treat for its staff and students as renowned local author Linda Davies gave an excellent informal presentation in the library.

Writer of teen fantasy titles Sea Djinn and Fire Djinn, as well as adult “financial thrillers” such as Nest of Vipers and Something Wild, this engaging author spoke at length on how she writes her books, her inspirations, and her writing process in general to a packed and mesmerized audience.

The question and answer session at the end threatened to carry on all afternoon, after which copies of some of Linda’s books could be purchased and personally signed by the author. This event can easily be hailed as a great success, and hopefully one of many yet to come at the ADMC Library & Learning Centre!

Linda is highly recommended as a speaker who is able to connect with audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Abu Dhabi Men’s College

From schools

Linda expertly helps to demystify the language of money for young adults. She clearly explains how to use money to your advantage from cappuccino investment, the power of compounding to the pitfalls and how to avoid them. All students who have attended her sessions have been engrossed and taken away a new respect of how to use both time and money and how to make it work for them. Would thoroughly recommend this as compulsory for every young adult.

Johanna Harlock, St Felix School, Suffolk

What an inspiration Linda Davies was at Kid Lit Oundle. Eight schools attended and were thrilled with her event. Teachers were pleased that the pupils had a writing exercise to complete, which they then read out to Linda, who gave instant constructive feedback. The content was stimulating and as well as speech, Linda used props and a trailer to engage the pupils in different ways.

Helen Shair, Festival Manager, Oundle Festival of Literature

This was a fascinating topic. It has literally changed my views, both on what is money, how to get it to work for me, the psychology involved and even my A Level subjects!

Student – St Felix School, Suffolk

Linda delivered a considered and well judged session for our more able Year 7 and 8 students. She spoke with enthusiasm about the process of writing and, perhaps more importantly, encouraged students to produce writing of their own through a well chosen task.

Students also had the opportunity to share their work with her and receive personalised and highly effective feedback. In addition to this she fielded students’ questions (including ‘Do you have a favourite chair for writing?’ and ‘What’s your favourite writing snack?’) with style, warmth and humour.

Subject Leader for English, Drama and Literacy, Beccles Free School, Suffolk

I would definitely recommend a visit from Linda to get those creative cogs working!

English teacher, English College, Dubai

Linda Davies, best selling author, introduced herself to me when she settled in Dubai several years ago. A year or so later, I was involved in founding the Literary Festival which has gone on to become the most successful event of its kind in the Middle East. I come from a long involvement with books, writers and publishers. I co founded Magrudy’s the bookshop chain in the UAE in 1975, and the children’s publishing company Jerboa Books in 2005.

During the early planning stages of the literary festival, Linda came to see me and share a brain wave she had had. Linda proposed we start a creative writing competition for children and young adults and that it would culminate in a publication of the winning and short listed entries. This has become an annual event and I am very happy to say that Linda has been a judge each year, devoting much time to judging entries and providing such positive feedback to these young aspiring writers.

Linda’s vision was spot on and this had really given young people hope and an incentive to put pen to paper: one of the key aims of our festival is to improve literacy rates in the region.

Isobel Abulhoul, Dubai Literary Festival Director

‘Very well adapted to the children: fantastic to have an opportunity to write during the event, rather than just listening to an author.’

Kid Lit Oundle teacher

On the day of Linda’s visit, the students were very excited to see ‘a real live author’ and keen to grab a moment of her time to listen to their own ideas. The talk to a year group was very successful, with students captivated by Linda’s words of encouragement and inspiration. The workshop which followed had students itching to begin writing and creatively expressing their ideas.

Thank you very much for giving the Writing Workshop -many of the children were inspired and fascinated talking to a ‘real-life,’ successful author. The children who are reading your new book are now ‘stealing’ some of the words that you use in it, much to the pleasure of their teachers! Many thanks once again.

More Able and Gifted/Talented Leader, Jumeirah Primary School, Dubai

Linda Davies presented her workshop for young writers to selected Greenfield students from grades 3-8 late last year, and they were spellbound from start to finish – even our resident Cool Dude sat as if hypnotised, and told me afterwards that he thought the workshop was “good”, which translates into everyday English as “wonderful”. A mother of a brother and sister who attended the workshop told me that her children went home at the end of the day and wrote “pages and pages”, as they had been so inspired by the workshop.
I had attended the adult version of the workshop several months before, at Magrudy’s in Jumeirah, and found Linda informative, approachable and down to earth, and thus decided to invite her to our school as soon as I was able.
Having her, a REAL LIVE published author, at our school’s Book Week gave our celebrations a stamp of authenticity.
I would recommend her workshop to readers and writers of all ages.

Teacher-Librarian, Greenfield Community School, Dubai Investments Park

I ran a Creative Writing Competition for the Secondary students at my school as a part of our World Book Day celebrations and invited Linda Davies to judge and present the Awards.

Linda was very thorough in her approach, outlining exactly what this would cost the school and the time frame for each stage and very patient as there were a few difficulties in sending files via e-mail.

Her attention to detail at the start was very reassuring and professional. Linda gave constructive comments to all eleven students who had won awards and quoted from their work during the Assembly presentations. We gave Linda’s books as prizes and Linda came prepared with all the books signed in advance with an inscription addressed to the individual prize winner.

After a book signing session during lunchtime, Linda gave a creative writing workshop for selected Year 5 and Year 6 students. All the students were most appreciative of the ideas given and came away from the experience very motivated and positive about their writing potential. I had let Linda know in advance that the Year 5 students were studying mythology related to the elements of nature and the Year 6 students were studying advertising and persuasive writing and she wove these into the workshop.

We enjoyed the day with Linda and would recommend her to other schools without hesitation.

Head of Library and Information Services, Dubai International Academy

What an incredibly inspiring author; a wonderful event.

Kid Lit Oundle teacher