Book me for an event and ask about rates through the Contact form! I’m available for:
School, library, and community centre visits
Corporate Events (writing as team-building exercises)
Private mentoring & editing
I’m a member of the SFWA Speakers Bureau.
I am on the Scottish Book Trust Live Literature Database.
I am available to become a Patron of Reading. I was previously a Patron of Reading at Kemnay academy from 2016-2017.
As of August 2016, I am a part-time creative writing MA lecturer at Napier University.
2020 Events:
March 12: International Womens’ Day Event Horizon, Shoreline of Infinity, Pleasance Cabaret Bar, Edinburgh, 7.30 pm.
April 17: Sansar Virtual Reality Interview with Bernhard Drax for Goldilocks, 6 pm UK time, worldwide.
*CANCELED* April 18: Worldbuilding: The Creativity of Science and the Science of Creativity, with Dr. Sinead Collins, evolutionary biologist at the University of Edinburgh, for the Edinburgh Science Festival, Edinburgh, 1 pm.
*POSTPONED* April 29th: Goldilocks launch in London, Waterstones Piccadilly, time TBD.
*CHECK BACK FOR CONFIRMATION* May 5th: Goldilocks event at Waterstones Argyle St, chaired by Ruth Booth,.
*CHECK BACK FOR CONFIRMATION* May 7th, Goldilocks launch in Edinburgh, Blackwells South Bridge, Edinburgh.
*CHECK BACK FOR CONFIRMATION* May 12th, Waterstones Aberdeen, Aberdeen.
*POSTPONED* May 13th, Far From the Madding Crowd, Linlithgow
*CANCELED* June 5th to 7th: Cymera Festival, The Pleasance, Edinburgh.
Some of the events cancelled due to coronavirus may move online instead or come back at a later date–check back here or follow me on twitter at @LR_Lam
2019 Events:
February 8: P.M. Freestone in Conversation with Laura Lam. Waterstones Prince St, Edinburgh.
February 25: Samantha Shannon Event, Chaired by Laura Lam. Waterstones Argyle St, Glasgow.
March 14: Love Panel with Noelle Harrison, Tracy Gow, Laura Lam & Sandra Ireland, Waterstones St. Andrews, St. Andrews.
March 16: Laura Bates and The Burning, Chaired by Laura Lam, Aye Write, Glasgow.
April 25: P.M. Freestone & Alice Broadway in conversation, Chaired by Laura Lam, Waterstones Argyle St, Glasgow.
May 21: Love Panel with Noelle Harrison, Tracy Gow, Laura Lam & Sandra Ireland, Blackwells North Bridge, Edinburgh.
May 23: Envisioning Space Exploration: Scotland in Space and the Literary Imagination. University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh.
June 7: Historical Fantasy with Elizabeth May, L.J. MacWhirter & Laura Lam, Cymera, Edinburgh, 4 pm.
June 7: Potions & Poisons with Melinda Salisbury and P.M. Freestone Chaired by Laura Lam, Cymera, Edinburgh, 6 pm.
June 8: World-building with Laura Lam. Cymera, Edinburgh, 10 am.
June 9: Building a Career with David Bishop. Cymera, Edinburgh, 1.30 pm.
June 15: Building a Plot, Storycon, Glasgow.
August 12-15: Dublin Worldcon.
October 19: Gollanczfest, London.
November 5: Scotland in Space Book Launch, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
November 25: Worldbuilding Workshop for Headline editors, Carmelite House, London
Secondary schools & teen events visited (via Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature programme): Berwickshire, Lasswade, Woodmill (x2), Craigmillar Book Festival, Westburn Resource Centre, and Liberton (x2).
School Visits & Speaking:
Gollanczfest 2019, Lawrie Photography
If you would like to book me for an event, please do not hesitate to either request a booking via Scottish Book Trust if within Scotland or contact me directly via the form here for rates and availability. I can do writing workshops for students age 11+, in either small or large groups. I can also do visits remotely via Skype.
I often do a short lecture and discuss a little bit about me and my background and my writing journey. I place emphasis on my love of reading fostering my love of writing, as well as the process of researching, outlining, drafting, and editing a novel. I have various writing exercises planned, from short warm ups to longer activities. Some of the topics I can lecture and lead workshops on are:
- From Idea to Bookshelf: the step-by-step process of creating a book, from that initial spark of inspiration to seeing it in bookstores
- Creating Confidence: Beginning to Write
- Creating a Character
- Worldbuilding
- Plot & Structure
- Crime & Thrillers
- Gender & Sexuality in Fiction
- Editing and Submitting Your Work
- & more
I encourage questions throughout the session and sometimes listen students read their own work aloud or provide feedback on their stories.
I am happy to adjust my talk and workshop to better complement existing readings lists or the curriculum (such as Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence). I can additionally provide study notes/questions for my books for teachers if required.
Remote Visits via Skype Available
Testimonials:
“Laura did a Skype author visit to our Florida library, and despite being thousands of miles away, engaged our teen group with her reading and sharing of her experiences. She even listened to their work and gave valuable feedback! One of our best author visits to date.”
– Alexandra Phillips, SJCPL Librarian
“Laura spoke to my AP Literature classes at Hayward High in the fall and did an amazing job engaging a roomful of students and answering their questions. I had many students eagerly anticipating Pantomime’s release after her reading. Months later, several students informed me that they were not disappointed! We look forward to Ms. Lam returning next fall and connecting with even more students at Hayward High School. ”
– Ms. Campbell, Hayward High School
“Laura spoke to a group of our Form 1 pupils and did a great job of engaging all the pupils and answering their questions. The visit was very popular and we’ll be sure to have Laura back to speak at the school again soon.”
– Tara Hepburn, Dollar Academy Librarian
“A fantastically well-written novel dealing with a sensitive subject in a uniquely creative way. Both my daughter and I can’t wait for the next book. We just need to know…”
– A Dollar Academy parent
“Laura was a guest speaker for our postgraduate creative writing programme, talking about the experience of writing her wonderful first novel, Pantomime. She was engaging, passionate and thoughtful – just like her prose. Highly recommended!”
– David Bishop, lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University
Past Events:
Universities: MA Creative Writing, Napier University (02/13); Distinguished Writers Series, CSUEB (01/14); English Senior Seminar, CSUEB (01/14); English 1001, CSUEB (05/14); English 1001, CSUEB (10/14); MA Creative Writing, Napier University (02/15); Introduction to Science Fiction & Fantasy, University of Wisconsin-Waukesha (02/15), MA Creative Writing, Napier University (03/16)
Secondary Schools: Hayward High School (02/13); Hayward High School (01/14); Kincorth Academy (09/14); Harlaw Academy (09/14); /12); Dollar Academy (2 sessions) (06/13); Keith Grammar (06/13); Gordonstoun School (06/13); Hayward High School (01/14); St. Machar Academy (10/14); Keith Grammar (2 sessions) (02/15); Robert Gordon’s College (10/15); St Margaret’s School for Girls (2 sessions) (11/15), Doon Academy (02/16); Kemnay Academy (2 sessions) (03/16); Milne’s High School (2 sessions) (03/16), Kemnay Academy, (06/16); Advanced Highers Conference, Edinburgh Secondary Schools (09/16); Kemnay Academy (11/16); The Bridge, Inverness (12/16); Inverness High (12/16); Grampian Childrens Book Award MC, University of Aberdeen (04/17); Keith Academy (06/17); Advanced Highers Conference, Edinburgh Secondary Schools (09/17), Glenrothes Academy (11/17), Dollar Academy (11/17), Glenrothes Academy (12/17), Berwickshire High (03/19), Lasswade High (09/19); Woodmill High (2 sessions) (09/19), Liberton High (2 sessions) (11/19)
Libraries & Community Centres: SJCPC Library (04/13 via Skype); Tillydrone Youth Centre (09/14); Northfield Library (09/14); Cummings Park Community Flat (01/15); Central Library workshop for Journalism students at SchmuFM (02/15); World Book Night, Rosemount Community Centre, Aberdeen (04/15); 4 linked workshops at the Central Library (09-10/15); Gilmerton Library (11/16); Editing Your Manuscript, Rosemount Community Centre (09/17); Dunochter Library (10/17), Woodburn Resource Centre (11/19)
Conventions, Festivals & Bookstore Events:
2013-2015: Inverness Book Festival; Writing LGBTQ+ Characters in SFF, Nine Worlds; Aberdeen International Youth Festival workshop at the Lemon Tree
2016: Storycon, Glasgow; LGBT YA event, Festival Theatre, BBC Radio 2 Book Club, multiple bookstore visits for False Hearts‘ launch
2017: Inspiration Point Literary Salon, Aberdeen; Waterstones Argyle St, Nasty Women Launch; Shoreline of Infinity; Waterstones Aberdeen Masquerade Launch; Waterstones Princes St, Nasty Women Launch; Aye Write, Glasgow; SFX Weekender, Wales; Dutch Comic Con; Super Relaxed Fantasy Club, London; Waterstones Princes St False Hearts Paperback Launch with Elizabeth May; Teen Author Smash, Paris; London Comic Con; Forbidden Planet Newcastle; Waterstones Aberdeen Shattered Minds Launch; Waterstones Argyle St Shattered Minds Launch; Storycon, Glasgow; Linlithgow Book Club; YALC, London; Helsinki Worldcon; Borderlands Books, California; Shoreline of Infinity, Edinburgh; Bookish Games Night, Golden Hare
2018: Shoreline of Infinity, Edinburgh; From Idea to Book, Blackwells Edinburgh; Storycon, Glasgow; Waterstones Newcastle with Alice Oseman and Mari Hannah; Waterstones Argyle St, Glasgow with Sasha Alsberg, Elizabeth May, Alexandra Cristo; MCM Comic Con, Glasgow; Cooler Lumpur, Malaysia; Waterstones Princes St, Love Stories Panel with Noelle Harrison, Tracy Gow & Sandra Ireland, chaired by Dawn Howie.
2019: Chairing several events at Waterstones Argyle St or Princes St for authors P.M. Freestone, Alice Broadway & Samantha Shannon. Two Love Panel events at Waterstones St. Andrews & Blackwells North Bridge with Noelle Harrison, Tracy Gow, Laura Lam & Sandra Ireland. Chairing Laura Bates for Aye Write. Two Scotland in Space events at the University of Edinburgh. Four events for the Cymera Festival. Worldcon Dublin. Craigmillar Book Festival.
Mentoring: Scottish Book Trust New Writer Award (mentored from 2017-2018); What’s Your Story mentor to two teens in 2018, private mentoring in 2019.
