To Whom It May Concern
I have known Melinda for many
years, through my work with the Storylines Children’s Literature Charitable
Trust.
Also, representing her professionally
on speaking engagements in schools.
I have witnessed Melinda
speak on many occasions, particularly on Storylines Story Tours.
She is an accomplished
presenter, having broad experience with all ages of children. From small groups
to large audiences.
She is always well prepared,
confident, and interesting. The students engage well with her and there are
plenty of questions afterwards.
She delivers what goes into
her own writing, as well as the general process round writing a good story, and
how to get published.
Here is some feedback schools
have sent me:
· Melinda
had excellent messages and her presentation really focussed on what we
requested.
· Teachers
and children love her books and Melinda reading a couple of them aloud was the
highlight.
· Relaxed
presentation. She came across as passionate and provided succinct commentary,
which was easy to follow.
·
Melinda was friendly and professional.
I would endorse Melinda as a
presenter, and am available for a verbal reference if required.
Kind regards,
Rosemary
Speakers Ink
24 March 2023
To Whom it May Concern
Reference for Melinda Szymanik
to become a Speakers Ink Speaker
Read NZ Te Pou Muramura is
delighted to endorse children’s writer Melinda Szymanik as a speaker for
Speakers Ink.
We are in the fortunate position
of having worked with Melinda as a participant in our flagship programme Writers
in Schools since 2016, she is highly sought after by teachers, librarians and
school children as a presenter and speaker.
Melinda has honed her skills over
the years she has participated in Writers in Schools and is proficient at
presenting to a range of ages, and abilities, and to groups of children of
varying size. Her presentations range from lessons on story structure and
useful ideas for sparking and developing stories to relatable stories about her
own experiences of reading and how to find the right book, to creative writing
workshops.
School feedback confirms
Melinda’s skills in this area and her adaptability in presenting to varied
audiences, including adults. Below is a snapshot of the feedback we have
received.
To 110 teachers at the National
Library of NZ as part of a professional development programme: “Melinda reinforced many of the ideas we have
been sharing with the teachers, about being a visible reader, along with her
own experiences of reading and how to get young people reading and building a
good reading culture, including author visits and finding the right book. Best
of all she read us a story, which fitted well with an overarching theme of
Wellness”.
To 210 students at Al-Madinah
School:
“The presentation was engaging,
succinct and explicit. Ideas/information relevant to in-class writing program -
how to improve students' own writing using different techniques. Important tips
of pursuing a career in Writing. It was good to hear from a "real
life" author”.
To a group of 200 children of
mixed age at West Harbour School:
“There were some great questions
from kids after the talk. She shared how she had to change a part of the story
to match the illustration as it made the story more exciting. It is something I
can refer back to”.
Melinda is professional and personable, she is always
enthusiastic to attend school visits, and she understands first-hand the impact
a visit from a ‘real-life author’ can have on a child. Please
be in contact if you require further information.
Sincerely,
Juliet Blyth
Chief Executive
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