Breathing life into historical stories
I bring a new way of exploring hidden histories to your collections and audiences
Partner with me
To mark the publication of my novel The Girl in the Locket and the release of William Davy's accompanying documentary Imagining Lost Histories, in 2027 I will be partnering with museums, galleries, heritage sites and cultural organisations across the UK.
Through an Arts Council-funded programme of talks, film screenings and creative workshops, I will invite audiences to explore for themselves the stories that history left untold.
Illustrated author talk & documentary screening
How do you imagine a life that barely left a trace?
Join me for an illustrated talk exploring the remarkable story behind my new novel The Girl in the Locket.
The talk opens with a screening of a fifteen-minute documentary film about my unprecedented partnership with artist Curtis Holder and former V&A chief conservator Alan Derbyshire, as together we make a historically grounded portrait of the Black Tudor woman in my novel.
Drawing on my experiences as a novelist, film director and creative collaborator, I invite audiences behind the scenes - asking how imagination can enter the gaps in the historical records, and showing what a story can become when it leaves the page and takes its place on a museum wall.
To accompany the talk, I bring with me both the finished portrait miniature and the traditional Tudor materials used to create it. This is a rare opportunity to get close to squirrel-hair paintbrushes, paints mixed in seashells, and tiny rubies crafted from hot resin.
If preferred, this talk can be adapted to an "in conversation" event with a curator or host. I’m also happy to discuss bespoke talks – if you have a particular topic or audience in mind, please get in touch.
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Length of talk: 60-90 Mins
Audience size: Any
Technical requirements: Screen and audio playback for documentary screening, if required.
Watch the documentary: A link to the fifteen-minute documentary is available on request.
Creative Writing Workshops
Details that light up the page: finding stories in objects and portraits.
Authors have long used historical objects – a jewel, a pot, a painted portrait – as keys to hidden lives.
In this warm and welcoming creative writing workshop, I reveal how The Girl in the Locket and other recent historical novels draw out untold stories from surviving fragments of the past.
I then guide participants through a series of curated writing prompts. Some of these empower a fresh look at a museum, gallery or heritage collection. Others encourage participants to write about the stories contained within a treasured object of their own - brought from home or held in memory. There's no pressure to share, and no "right" way to write.
I tailor my workshops to your audience: in museums and heritage sites, I work primarily with objects from your collections; in community settings, I work with personal and family objects.
I can also tie workshops in with an exhibition, significant date or seasonal theme.
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Available as:
2 hour workshops
Half-day workshops
Full-day workshops
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A short introduction to how historical novels use objects and portraits to imagine hidden stories
A walk through the collection (if practical), focusing on objects that catch participants' eyes
A series of gentle, guided creative writing exercises
Optional: time to create a bespoke postcard featuring participants' words and an image of their chosen object, to keep or give as a gift
In half-day and full-day workshops, I arrange a collaboration with an artist local to your venue. Through a blend of creative writing and visual craft activities, workshop participants explore how words and images combine to bring hidden stories to life.
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Maximum participants: 20
Ideal for: Museums, galleries, heritage sites, community organisations, libraries, educational organisations
Previously delivered at: The Holburne Museum, Bath
Audience responses
“I’d always loved my mum’s old charm bracelet, but had never really contemplated why it meant so much to me. You created a really warm environment, and having the chance to sit down and write about it with your expert support was such a powerful experience - thank you.”
Toby Farrow“I really liked how the creative writing exercises in this workshop built together. The whole session has been delightful, challenging and surprising.”
Lynnie Burkinshaw Donkin“Joanne is inspirational, quietly nurturing and supportive, plus extremely talented.”
Cath Ripley
Book an event
If you’d like to discuss booking a talk or workshop with me, please get in touch here. Literary festival representatives, please contact my publisher Neil Griffiths at Weatherglass Books.
General Information
AVAILABILITY
June 2027 - March 2028
AUDIENCE
Adaptable for adults, young people (14+), mixed-age audiences, writers and non-writers, and community groups
FEES
Fees vary depending on format and length. Arts Council funding may be available to deliver subsidised workshops and talks, so please get in touch to discuss what might work for your organisation.
LOCATION
UK-Wide
BOOKING
Talks and workshops can be booked either separately or as a package.