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The Shepherd Website feels like browsing a bookshop with your favourite authors whispering in your ear and pointing you to all the good stuff. 

I've been asked to make some feminist gift book recommendations. Here they are: 

https://shepherd.com/best-books/funny-feminist-books-youll-want-to-gift-to-all-you

SUITCASE POETRY WORKSHOP and

BOOK SIGNING

Come and see me at the Salon du Livre in Geneva on 6th and 7th March 2024. I'll be delivering a poetry workshop and signing books at the Payot stall. 

Come along and say hi!

Geeking out on Geneva's history and Calvin with Daniel Rigby for the 'Living in Switzerland' podcast. 

(and, whilst geeking away, making a mistake. I said Calvin banned theatre in Geneva...Not true! He didn't, the people who came after him did...apologies!) 

Click the link to listen!

Thanks for having me on, Daniel!

A workshop about the history of Geneva's famous Jet d'Eau, followed by book signing at Payot Rive Gauche, Geneva.

Speaking at the ETAS (English Teachers Association Switzerland) conference about 50 Amazing Swiss Women and how the stories in the book can be adapted to the classroom.

Celebrating books with publisher Helvetiq and Bergli Books at the Literaturhaus Basel! I'll be on stage with Laurie Theurer, talking about our book '50 Amazing Swiss Women' (and eating lots of Raclette). Free event. Come join us!

Why were the Swiss so late to give women the right to vote? 

Find out in the interview with BBC Radio Wales on 50 years of women’s right to vote in Switzerland

40-minute zoom workshop for SCBWI Central East on the world of publishing opportunities for English-speaking authors well beyond the UK and the US. Thank you for all those who came along!

PARIS! 

Presenting Slobber Slobber Kiss Kiss at the Centre Culturel Suisse de Paris (in French), and spending a very inspirational evening discovering and meeting some amazing Swiss authors, among others Odile Cornuz and Guillaume Rhis. Slobber Slobber Kiss Kiss has been chosen by Pro Helvetia as one of their “Magic 9” titles to be promoted abroad this year. Thank you Pro Helvetia!

The three of us met at the Geneva Writers Conference seven years ago with the vague desire to write children’s books. Look at us today! 10 books and counting…This must be my favourite picture this year.

Un chien bleu au Chien Bleu!

September 2019: Workshop at the Chien Bleu in Geneva making furry friends we like snuggling up to!

A lovely day running whittling workshops at the STEAM festival Cambridge (at the amazing Spinney school) with Toni Rogers from Cambridge Forest Schools.

I organised another joyful event at the library, bringing together authors and children, and raising funds for the library together.

A lovely time reading books as part of the Big Festival, alongside with lots of fabulous local authors…Toni Rogers from Cambridge Forest Schools reading Whittling Away, and Zanna and the Something.

Fantastic afternoon with a lovely KS1 class working on “the elephant in the room” with Zanna and the Something.

“Fantastic school visit this week from @nitalehmann1! The kids absolutely loved it and the first question they asked was whether she could come back tomorrow! Thank you so much!!” (Catherine Emmett, parent)

Really, really enjoyed a day of Forest school action at the Cambridgeshire Education Festival, flamingo-themed, and run by the wonderful Rae Snape.

Here a link to the fantastic YouTube video which sums up this amazing event – I was lucky enough to do attend the whittling workshop with Cambridge Forest schools, and do the fireside storytelling…which, of course, was Whittling Away …

Whittling Away. With Forest school trainer and co-author Toni Rogers

Whittling Away is the story of two pixies trying to whittle – more than “just”a story, Whittling Away is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in learning to whittle with their child, but is not quite sure how to go about teaching working with a whittling knife…

A fantastic time at Bologna book fair announcing the winner of the illustration competition around my picture book SLOBBER SLOBBER KISS KISS with Swiss publisher Helvetiq (nominated for Swiss publisher of the year 2019).

A week of running daily school visits around the theme of WATER for the Festival Histoire et Cité in Geneva, exploring the history of Lake Geneva, and the history of the Jet d’Eau in a series of school visits with primary school children – and a family workshop at the end of the week. 

Celebrating a full day’s worth of World Book Day at Springmead Primary in Welwyn Garden City, with the wonderful Camilla Chester doing all of KS2, and me doing all of KS1, plus assembly at the end. The theme of World Book Day this year was: “Share a Story”, so we shared stories about the angry creatures the children had created during their session.

Pilot workshops about the watery history of Geneva! My takes on the Creation of Lake Geneva and Jet d’eau had their first outing. And here a picture of Geneva, because it’s so beautiful.

Mass Book Launch at wonderful SCBWI BI Conference in Winchester.

‘Anita’s visit was excellent. She was full of enthusiasm, and had the children in the palm of her hand. They loved using their imaginations to think constructively about feeling angry, and that afternoon they invented a game based on her story.’ (Christina Cameron, Teaching Assistant)

A fabulous time talking anger, and making a total of 60 angry creatures out of salt dough with two Y1 classes. As an example, here an angry snail, an angry volcano, an angry tiger.

What a wonderful time running a French/English bilingual reading and workshop around The Red Hot Fireball at Cambridge Library – in collaboration with Virginie from the Alliance Française.

A lovely morning exploring anger with St.Matthew’s Nursery school, Cambridge, and creating little fire breathing dragons to take home.

Here some quotes by the kids, when asked what they felt in their bodies when they get angry:

“When I feel angry, I get all sweaty.”

“When I feel angry, I want to punch someone.”

“I feel hot.”

We celebrated world book daywith the Red Hot Fireball at Kings Street Nursery, Cambridge.

Presenting my new book, The Red Hot Fireball at a Geneva Writers Group workshop, at the Press Club, Geneva.

The Red Hot Fireball blasts into the world at the Launch Party at the FNAC in Neuchâtel, Switzerland!