Industry Insider – Connecting with your audience

Our educational writing experts will discuss their experiences and top tips for writing and engaging with a broad range of readers. 
  
Panellists include Dr Amina Douidi, equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI) and intercultural communication consultant in education and English Language Teaching; Paul Naylor author, underwater photographer, videographer and marine biologist; and Dr James Williams, emeritus reader in science education and communication at the University of Sussex. This event will be chaired by author Ken Wilson. 

This event is in conjunction with our Educational Writers Group (EWG).

Online Industry Insider events – free for all + donation

All donations made go towards the Society of Authors’ Access Fund. The fund is to help provide authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats. If you would like to make a donation with your booking, please do so when registering for the event below.

What will this session cover?

• How to reach specific audiences – for example, children, academics, politicians, the general public
• Differences in writing style – academic, formal and inform
• Avoiding difficulties in writing – hedging, signposts and structure
• Challenging stereotypes, reducing harm and creating room for stories and perspectives that often get overlooked
• Engaging people with nature
• The importance of story-telling

Programme

• Welcome, introductions and housekeeping from Ken Wilson (3 mins)
• Panel discussion chaired by Ken Wilson with Dr Amina Douidi, Paul Naylor and Dr James Williams (60 mins)
• Comfort break (5 mins)
• Q&A with audience (20 mins)
• Summary and closing comments (2 mins)
• This event will be moderated by Tilly Zeeman – Contracts Advisor and EWG co-ordinator, SoA

The Line-up

Ken Wilson

Ken Wilson is a prolific author of English Language Teaching materials with about thirty titles to his name, including more than a dozen series of course books. His first ELT project was an album of teaching songs called Mister Monday, which he wrote and recorded when he was 23.
His UK publishers include Oxford University Press, Macmillan and Cengage. He has also been published locally in Spain, Germany, Poland, China, Vietnam and Indonesia. Ken completed a Masters in Creative Writing at Birkbeck College in 2017 and has since published two novels.

Dr Amina Douidi

Dr Amina Douidi is an equity, diversity, inclusion (EDI) and intercultural communication consultant in education and English Language Teaching. She helps publishers, education institutions and ministries, in creating EDI policies, reviews, strategy and research with the aim of reducing harm and empowering those most invisibilised in education publishing. Amina holds a PhD in Modern Languages and Applied Linguistics from the University of Southampton and a joint MA from Tlemcen University, Algeria and University of Balearic Islands, Spain. She is a past co-chair of TESOL Intercultural Communication Interest Section and current community coordinator, as well as a mentor for Africa ELTA women in leadership mentorship scheme.

Paul Naylor

Paul Naylor is an underwater photographer, videographer and marine biologist who is passionate about showing a wide audience what beautiful and intriguing creatures live around our UK coasts, from vivid sea anemones to talented cuttlefish and decorating crabs to charismatic nest-building fish. This has led to him writing the book Great British Marine Animals (now in its 4^th edition) and co-authoring Coastal Seas (in Bloomsbury’s British Wildlife Collection). Paul also writes magazine articles and scientific papers, works with the media and conservation organisations, and gives talks to groups including primary school children, university students, public bodies and wildlife enthusiasts. 

Dr James Williams

Dr James Williams is an emeritus reader in science education and communication at the University of Sussex. A former science teacher and teacher‑-educator, his research focuses on the nature of science, scientific method, and evolution education. He has authored textbooks, academic articles, and writes a weekly column for his local newspaper. He is a regular contributor to BBC radio and TV on education issues. 

About Educational Writers Group (EWG)

EWG is a professional network for SoA members who produce educational materials for all settings including schools, higher education and academic institutions, and the English Language Teaching sector.  

We welcome emerging career authors who are interested in producing educational materials in the future as well as established authors.  

The group is run by an elected committee of volunteers with expertise in different areas. For all inquiries please email co-ordinator Tilly Zeeman. 

Not a member of the SoA yet? Sign up today using the discount code EWG20.

Send us your questions

If you would like to send questions in advance, email MZeeman@societyofauthors.org with ‘Connecting with your audience’ in the subject header. We will prioritise questions sent in advance and answer as many as we can from the audience on the day.

Accessibility

• Attendees will have the option to turn on the live transcript, to watch with subtitles
• If you require BSL interpretation for this event, please email events@societyofauthors.org

Booking

Please either use the form titled ‘Register – no donation’ or the option of the different ticket options with a donation amount depending on how much you would like to donate towards the Society of Authors Access Fund.