Speaking
“‘Kit came to talk at the University to share her journey post-graduation, along with her experience of breaking into the publishing industry. Her talk was humorous, authentic, engaging and inspirational. Myself and the students gained a great deal from it, and I would recommend hearing from Kit if you are a writer and interested in getting published.’”
Talks I give
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Sailing talks
I give talks at sailing clubs about the 20,000-mile voyage I made over three years as a novice sailor. Leaving from Southampton in 2014, I sailed around the Spanish Rias, the Madeira Group and the Canaries before crossing the Atlantic – taking 28 days.
After sailing in the West Indies and spending hurricane season in Canada, I returned home via the Bahamas and a winter season in the Azores. But these talks are more about the sailing; they’re also about what it took to go from beginner sailor to trans-ocean yachtswomen; how I faced crushing anxiety; and the many personal challenges such a voyage involves. Dolphins and whales show up too, and if anyone’s keen to read the book, I’ll always have a stack with me.
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Adventure and resistance
Adventure pushes us out of our comfort zones and into a solution-based way of thinking. It helps us challenge our identity stories – those beliefs we hold about what we can and can’t do, what we are and are not capable of.
I went from being a complete non-sailor, to sailing 20,000 miles double-handed around the Atlantic. Convinced I was never capable of undertaking such a journey, I found myself plagued by self-doubt and questioning myself at every turn. But the further I sailed from England, the more I realised that no amount of evidence would make me believe in what I was capable of.
It was something I had to change from within.
This talk helps your audience understand that the story they tell themselves is not necessarily the right one and that resistance could be holding them back.
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Write Away
It’s no secret that many students want to be writers and authors but they’re so often told to have a ‘back-up’ plan or to just write as a hobby. If writing is such a challenging job to land though, how come we each read thousands, even tens of thousands of words every day? Who is writing those?
From working as a copywriter and writing articles to getting non-fiction books commissioned and positioning yourself as a specialist, this talk helps university students start working towards a rewarding career as a writer and helps college students understand just how many options are within the reach of their pens.
It’s perfect for university and FE institutions but can be suited for secondary school students as well.
Writing talks and workshops
As a freelance writer, I’ve written a huge range of things for a diverse group of clients. I’ve written for magazines and newspapers; digital platforms and online blogs; my own books and IP books for publishers; corporate content and copy; and social media and ghostwriting.
I didn’t follow any recognisable path and for many years I just muddled through. While there’s a huge amount of information online about being a writer and working as one, I find it’s often easy to hear a well-told story and have the opportunity to ask personalised questions.
This is why I also give talks about different parts of the writing industry. If you’re looking for a speaker along these lines, get in touch.
