For High School and Upper Primary Students:

1. How to talk about climate change to the whole blinkin’ planet – an interactive presentation where we delve into the themes of both books and talk about how young people can be effective environmental advocates and climate communicators.
2. If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry: Comedy for climate action – an interactive presentation where I talk about how humour functions in both books to help connect audiences with a serious topic. We talk about what makes something humorous and the ingredients of a good joke and apply that to climate change. I can also draw on examples from my career as a TV presenter, climate-focused Drag King and more.
3. Everyday action for everywhere impact – a practical session about how to take action on climate change from small and individual to the large and community/system solutions that draws examples from both books.

1. Writing Magic (Presentation for Stages 2 and 3; 45 minutes; up to 90 students). Using her magical middle-grade duology, Big Magic and Magic Awry, Sarah shares her inspiration for the books and takes students behind the scenes of building the magical world of the series, creating the magical characters and the research involved. Along the way, she discusses the writer’s life, shares practical writing tips (first drafts are usually very wonky, and rewriting is crucial!) and talks about the magic that happens when we read. She describes her journey from ABC journalist to novelist for adults before she found a home writing for kids. And, because Big Magic and Magic Awry are set in the circus, there will be a little bit of circus magic!

2. Workshop for Stage 3 – Story Ideas (Workshop for Stage 3 students who are passionate about writing; 90 mins; up to 30 students) Story ideas are all around us and our own lives offer rich sources of story inspiration. Sarah explains how she draws on her own life in her writing and guides young writers in finding story ideas from their own lives – whether they tell an event as it happened or use it as a jumping off point. She leads the writers through getting started on their story, discusses how to write a story with narrative tension and evocative detail, and explains the vital importance of rewriting. In a small group, there will be chance for some individual writers to receive constructive feedback from Sarah.

School Requirements: A screen to connect an Apple Mac laptop.

1. Using humour in writing. Suitable for up to 30 students in years 5 and 6. This 45 minute workshop introduces students to different types of humour (e.g. slapstick, dry and dark) to entertain the reader and make them laugh. Students will be introduced to different types of humour using my novel, To and Fro. Students will be given an exercise to use humour to write about a serious or sad event or situation.

2. Talking about To and Fro. Suitable for up to 30 students in years 5 and 6. In this 45 minute presentation I will give an overview of the plot (Boy discovering his black identity) and key themes (e.g. identity, belonging, family and race) explored in my novel, To and Fro. I will talk about aspects of my life and that of my children’s that inspired the book. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions. Students will be asked to jot down aspects of their life that might inspire them to write a story.

Student Requirements: Students will need pen/paper.

School Requirements: A screen for a PPT will be required.

An ideal booking sees Luka perform to a large group of High School students/ an entire year level (presentation) – and then break off into groups focussing on writing and performance techniques (workshops). 

Presentation: Luka’s most popular booking is a 50-minute suite of his most popular poems for large and small groups with a Q&A session included.

Workshops:

1. May Your Pen Grace the Page – workshop on the HSC Standard English poem by the poet! Suitable for senior High School students.
2. Diaspora – A look into the journeys of displacement shared by so many of us in today’s world. What is home? How does one find their ‘place in the world’? These questions are encountered in this workshop process.
3. Make Your Myth – A dive into Greek Mythology and the art of myth- making. A chance to rebuild your creation story from the ground up and redesign your personal history with nothing but the limits of your own imagination. Step into the hero’s journey.
4. The 10 Line Formula – Ten prompts (that never fail) are given, one for each line, and in the end the writer discovers that to let go of control can be the most powerful way to write. Sometimes, we need to get ourselves out of the way, to create the truest forms of expression.
5. Portrait Poem – Based on Luka Lesson’s Yiayia poem about his grandmother, as well as his Macquarie libretto about Governor Lachlan Macquarie. Writers are asked to either research a public figure, or record facts and quotes from a family member, before being led through the creation of a poem based around their life story.
6. Social Issues Poetry – Writers are invited to discuss the power of art and poetry for social change before being led through a process of choosing, researching and writing a poem based around a social issue. Both powerful facts and statistics are combined with metaphor, simile and other poetic devices to create an educational and emotionally engaging piece.
7. Stream of Consciousness – Writers are led through a series of long form writing processes with the aim to create as much text as possible. They are then assisted in approaching the writing with an editor’s eye and are able to create a poem with what has already been written. This releases the need for ‘perfection’ from the outset and helps the writer to realise that sometimes our best work happens when least expected.
8. ‘Found’ Hybrid Poetry – Writers are invited to take words from other books, magazines or songs, before being led through a process of incorporating those ‘found’ passages with their own writing. In this way they create something of a collage of words.

Workshop (45 mins groups of up to 30 students) or presentation (90 mins up to 90 students) – Primary

1. ‘Look Closely: See our wonder-full world through curious eyes. Can be adapted for all primary levels. An exploration of the wonder to be found around us once we take the time to look closely. Based around Iceberg and newly-released companion book, Tree, this session will include research, ecosystems, word choices and how to use good information in writing, whether fiction, narrative non-fiction, or non-fiction writing. Can be adapted to small groups to include writing exercises in a workshop setting, and larger groups for a presentation. 

Student Requirements: For workshops, students will need pen and paper. 

School Requirements: For presentations, a screen with a HDMI connection. For both sessions, a whiteboard and markers etc would be great. Please specify whether you would like this session as a workshop or presentation.

1. “Get Your Giggle On” (Ideally Year 3 and 4 but could be used in other Primary year groups; 45 min workshops; up to 40 students)

This workshop is designed to show students how to bring humour into their narrative work via text and illustrations. We will cover:

– Generating ideas

– Puns and wordplay, using examples from the Jawsome books

– Ways to make storylines funny

– How illustrations can be used to create or add humour

– The workshop will include a mix of writing and illustrating, tailored to suit class needs.

Student Requirements: Students will require pencils and paper, and preferably be seated at desks. If seated on the floor, a book or clipboard to support paper would be appreciated.

School Requirements: whiteboard, markers and erasers.