Want to learn how to write children’s books – and have a great time in rural France doing it?

Writing for children can be very rewarding but it certainly isn't easy – and getting published is harder still. Having the opportunity to talk with other writers and get the advice of experienced published authors is always helpful – it certainly helped me when I began my career as a children's book author fifteen years ago. In June 2012 I'm running an eighth course in France on writing for children, which I hope will similarly help others interested in writing in this field.

I've had over seventy books for children published – ranging from picture books for the very young through to novels for teenagers. Among my most recent titles are Burger Boy (Winner of the Portsmouth Children's Picture Book Award), Dear Tooth Fairy (shortlisted for the Children's Book Award), Always and Forever (shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal), and Game Boy (runner-up for the Nottingham and Portsmouth Children's Book Awards).

As well as writing, I run frequent workshops and courses in the UK for children and adults. My wife Jinny and I run an annual residential course on writing for children in our house in the small, rural French town of Crecy in Picardie (an hour's drive from Calais).The next course will run from Tuesday 5 June to Sunday 10 June 2012 and cost £400, including tutoring fees, accommodation and meals.

Based on the Arvon model, the course will offer participants the opportunity to write and share ideas, and to explore techniques involved in writing a range of fiction for children of different ages, with one to one tutorials, group workshops and discussions, and plenty of writing time, all in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

What participants have said about the course:

"The situation of the house in a small French country village was in an ideal setting for inspiration. Six very different people from all over the place and across a wide age range spent 5 days together learning how to open their imaginations and let them flow. I thought my brain was going to flow out after the third attempt at a story but it did make me realise I have an imagination. I am so pleased I joined the course."

"Alan was the perfect tutor. He wouldn't butcher your work nor would he praise it if it wasn't worth it. He made apparent the gaps and flaws, made you ask question about your narrative structure and character development."

"Group discussions and sharing were, in my mind, equal in value to the tutorials. Alan always had further insights to offer and seeing how someone else had developed a story, and the feedback offered about one's own, was really constructive."

"I enjoyed the atmosphere, the people, that the champagne went all over the floor, that the food sometimes wasn't ready until 9.30, that people walked around in their pyjamas…And we kicked ass in the table football!"

For futher details please contact me

Click here to download the booking forms and course information (word)

Click here to download the booking forms and course information (PDF)