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.

Comments from a recent Southwestern Minnesota author residency:

"William Durbin is a wonderful storyteller. He did a great job holding the interest of all the students. Our 4th - 6th grade audience loved him."

"He had great stories and was very knowledgeable - he knew how to talk to kids."

"Great for motivating students to read and write more. Thank you."

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source material such as diaries, letters, journals, field research, newspaper articles, personal interviews, and unpublished manuscripts, to write fiction that brings history to life.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