Appearances

I've made over 500 appearances at schools, libraries, and conferences since The Broken Blade was released in 1997. Whenever I visit a community, my goal is to get students excited about reading and to inspire them to engage in writing projects of their own.

I try to keep my rates reasonable, and I will speak to large groups or to individual classrooms. For a quote contact bill@williamdurbin.com.

Unsolicited Teacher & Media Specialist Recommendations

Tarpon Springs Elementary had the privilege and pleasure of having William Durbin present to our 3rd, 4th & 5th grade students. What an incredible experience! The children were completely engaged. He uses historical photographs and documentation throughout his presentation to teach the children about history and how he uses his research to create his stories. He was very in tune with the students. He knows how to talk with children to engage them. Most of all, he has the children excited about reading. All of his titles are checked out from our library, and there is a waiting list for more of his titles.
Juli-Anne Hipp, LIS/Tech. Coordinator, Tarpon Springs Elementary School, Tarpon Springs, Florida

William Durbin is our favorite author!
Patricia Danch, language teacher, Shepard Middle School, Deerfield, Illinois

Mr. Durbin's presentations are equally suitable for upper elementary, middle, AND high school - fantastic. Everyone was enthralled. You could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium! Students, teachers, administrators, and parents were equally impressed. Every one of his books immediately got checked out from the library, and students are still asking for them. I enthusiastically second the recommendation - bring William Durbin to your school!
Emily Spiegel, Library Info. Specialist, Southside Fundamental Middle School, St. Petersburg, Florida

We had Bill Durbin present to the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students at our school-wide writing celebration. He's incredible!
Doug Henson, Learning Specialist, Rawlings Elementary, Pinellas Park, Florida

Presentation Topics

For assembly presentations at schools I like to talk about what inspired me to become a writer, and I show the students archival photos of the periods that I've written about including the fur trade (The Broken Blade), logging history (Blackwater Ben), immigration and labor history (El Lector and The Journal of Otto Peltonen), homesteading (Song of Sampo Lake), and overcoming a disability and the politics of war (The Winter War). I also share how I do my research, and most importantly, I try to inspire young authors to work on their craft.

More specific topics that I can address:

"Novels in Your Neighborhood" How to use people, places, and events from your own hometown as the foundation for short stories and novels.

"The Truth in Historical Fiction" How to use original source material such as diaries, letters, journals, field research, newspaper articles, personal interviews, and unpublished manuscripts, to write fiction that brings history to life.

"How to Publish Your Writing" Tips on how to market your writing. Everything you've always wanted to know about editors, agents, contracts, rights, royalties, & publishing trends. Suggestions for student writers who wish to get published.

"How to Beat Writer's Block" Ways to make the initial engagement in the writing process more enjoyable and productive.

"No Teacher Left Behind" One of the many education-oriented topics that I've shared with teacher and reading associations across the country.

"Historical Fiction as Diversity Education" or "Prejudice and Tolerance Through Time" How my novels have depicted conflicts between a variety of cultures including the French Canadian voyageurs and the Ojibwe, the builders of the Transcontinental Railroad and the plains Indians, Irish and Chinese railroad workers, Finnish-American immigrants and United States Steel Corporation, Dust Bowl era migrant families and the Southwestern establishment, and Finnish-Americans and Russia's Stalinist regime.

Workshops

Additionally, I can do workshops for any age level of students in any area of writing including fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama. For more information contact me at: bill@williamdurbin.com

Planning an Author Visit

Find out more information on how to plan and prepare for a successful author visit.
Tips for a Successful Author Visit