I love to engage with teenagers and young people at events (and adults!). I am available to do talks and creative writing workshops. Please go to my ‘Contact Page’ to get in touch if you would like me to come along to your school/library/community event. Or you can email me directly at: v_gemmell@hotmail.com

I am part of the Scottish Book Trust Author Live Literature Database which means Scottish Book Trust can fund most of my fee. See my profile here  

Feedback from teenagers at previous events:

‘The visit has helped me come up with lots of new ideas for my creative writing piece.’

‘(It showed me)…that ordinary situations can turn into something more if you look closely and develop on it.’

‘It has inspired me to read more and try writing’

‘I got a lot of great advice on expanding ideas to create interesting plots’

‘Inspirational for those who are stuck at a seemingly dead end to keep going’

‘It was a great experience to meet an author and to hear how they got their ideas as well’

‘The visit has inspired me to continue with a story I abandoned a few months ago’

EVENTS:

Coming up in 2026:

February 2026: YA Workshop at Bearsden Writers Group

March 2026: YA Workshop (on Zoom) Edinburgh Writers Club 

Coming up in 2025:

November 2025: Young Adult fiction adjudication for Erskine Writers

Book Week Scotland talks at Cleveden Secondary 

September 2024:  Writing Young Adult fiction workshop at Greenock Writers’ Group and adjudication of YA short story competition (Nov)

August 2024: Local launch event/party for friends and family for the release of Young Blood 

April 2024: Creative Writing Workshops as part of the Paisley Book Festival Schools Programme 

at Park Mains High, Johnstone High, Linwood High and Trinity High 

November 2023: Flash Fiction Creative writing workshop at Erskine Writers and judge for the flash fiction competition

March 2023: Creative Writing talk & workshop with pupils at Loudoun Academy

December 2021: Online Creative Writing Workshop What Makes A Good Mystery? with Igniting Writing Teen group 

OCTOBER 2021: YA creative writing workshop, Erskine Writers (and short story adjudication) 

MARCH 2021: Online workshop, adjudication and judging of a YA novel for the Scottish Association of Writers’ Conference 

FEBRUARY 2020  Creative Writing Workshop with senior pupils, St. Andrews Academy, Paisley 

November 2019: Adjudication of Flash Fiction Competition for Inverclyde schools – Talk and Presentation of Prizes at Greenock Central Library

March 2019 – Book Signing at WH Smith, Glasgow 

WEDNESDAY 21st NOVEMBER 2018 7pm  – STRATHEARN COMMUNITY CAMPUS, CRIEFF – FREE event – tickets to be booked in advance through Strathearn Community library or EventBrite

As part of Book Week Scotland I will be talking about teen Rebels in my own fiction, (as well as classic fiction), and the power of using words and imagination to express ideas and give young people a voice

THURSDAY 22ND NOVEMBER 2018 2pm – WEST COLLEGE SCOTLAND, CLYDEBANK CAMPUS 

I will be talking to students at West College Scotland during their Literacy Week about what literacy means to me, how I became a writer, and the ideas behind my work

March 2018: Creative Writing Workshop at Gleniffer High (2nd years)

March 2018 – Creative Writing Workshop and talk about Young Adult fiction – Erskine Writers Group (and Adjudication of Young Adult First Chapter Competition)

December 2017 – Creative Writing Workshop at Hillpark Secondary School and Govan High School

November and December 2017 – Creative Writing Workshops at St Andrew’s Academy, Castlehead and Linwood High as part of the Renfrewshire Attainment Challenge

March 2017 – Adjudicator for the Young Person’s Short Story Competition for the Scottish Association of Writers Conference. During the weekend I also delivered a workshop to over twenty writers about Inspiration and Story-Building

January 2017 – Park Mains High School

January 2017 – Paisley Grammar High School

Wednesday 23rd November 2016 – Clydebank High School

Tuesday 22nd November 2016 – Largs Academy

Monday 21st November 2016 – Port Glasgow Library 5.30pm – 6.30pm A Joint Event with my Mum, writer, Rosemary Gemmell

September 2016 – Talk to pupils and parents at Eastwood High as part of their Read to Succeed Programme

September 2016:  Speaker at UKYA event in Newcastle 

June 2016 – Creative Writing Workshop and Pop Art Tea at Kilmacolm Community Centre

April 2016- Talk to 2nd year Gryffe High

April 2016 – Yay! YA – reading relay to over 200 pupils at the event