Events


Do You Want the Chocopocalypse to Come to Your School or Venue?

Chocoplot Percy Main

The Great Chocoplot is perfect for primary school children. Chris has carried out interactive and fun whole school presentations, where he talks about his book, his ideas, his love of chocolate and some strange chocolate-y facts. For longer sessions a series of chocolate themed workshops (generally for Years 2 to 6) encourage pupils to develop their literacy skills by playing with words and using imaginative descriptions. The children have great fun creating their own story using the names of chocolate bars as part of their vocabulary.

Chris has joined forces with Authors Aloud, a fantastic organisation specialising in linking schools with authors. They will give you all the information and make arrangements for all of Chris’s visits.

His fees are in line with the Society of Authors’ recommended rates. Travel costs would need to be negotiated.

If you are interested in arranging a visit from Chris please find contact details here.

Chris has also just moved into the London area (from his previous home on Tyneside) and is keen to visit lots of schools in and around the Capital. He hears that they are a lively lot!

*** But please be warned: Chris cannot be held responsible for any chocolate related panic that might happen during or after his visit! ***

The Delumptious Roald Dahl Museum

Roald Dahl, The Great Chocoplot, Chris Callaghan

I will be making a return visit to the Roald Dahl Museum this Easter on Tuesday 14th April 2020.

More details here. It would be gloriumptious to see you there!

Previous Chocoplot Events

The Sparkly Seven Stories Attic

Seven Stories

Since the launch of his debut book, Chris has taken his Chocoplot Event to schools, libraries, bookshops and festivals throughout the UK and many venues including:

the Gloriumptious Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, the sparkly Attic of Seven Stories – The National Centre for Children’s Books, The Northern Children’s Book Festival Gala Day, was part of the Literacy Trust‘s Read North East scheme to get books into the hands of children, the Books on Tyne Festival in the glorious Lit & Phil, Glasgow’s beautiful Mitchell Library Theatre, the famous Wigtown Book Festival and also took part in the UK Young Adult and Children’s Book Extravaganza (UKYACX).

The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre

Seven Stories

Read North East

NCBF Gala Day

Book Signings at Waterstones

North East Book Awards

UKYACX

The Gosforth Book Festival

Wigtown Book Festival

World Book Day at Stockton Library

Mitchell Library, Glasgow

Books on Tyne

My Hometown Library – Wallsend

Spreading Panic in Wallsend

General Chocolate Panic!!!

The Great Chocoplot, Chris Callaghan, Stockton Central Library, World Book Day

Kind Words from Previous Events.

Yummy Choc Bar

Chris was a pleasure to work with!  He’s energetic, enthusiastic and very professional during preparation and delivery of the event.  Our visitors really enjoyed his workshops and we wouldn’t hesitate to invite him back

Natalie Wallace, Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre.

The following comments are from the amazing pupils at Muswell Hill Primary in London (with huge thanks to Mrs Khan)

Chris Callaghan’s writing workshop was super fun as we could be really creative but also silly! Amazingly, all the groups had very different, funny stories even though we used exactly the same resources. I liked the play on words bit the best.

By E, Year 5, Age 10 (girl)

The Great Chocoplot was exciting to read as a whole class as it had lots of twists and turns. Our teacher did lots of silly voices for the characters, especially Professor Fizziwicks! We did fun writing that I enjoyed which was linked to the story. My favourite bit was creating my own chocolate bar and writing a persuasive advert for it.

By C, Year 5, Age 9 (boy)

I’m a big fan of Roald Dahl and David Walliams but now, I’m also a fan of Chris Callaghan! The Great Chocoplot was funny, intriguing and kept me wanting to read on. I liked that the main character was a determined, independent girl but also that her side-kick was a feisty gran! It was great meeting Chris Callaghan and he has inspired me to write more.”
By M, Year 5, Age 10 (girl)

“Chris headlined the North Tyneside Libraries’ Summer Reading Challenge programme in 2016 and became our Summer Reading Champion.  He enthused so many children to take part in the challenge and enjoy reading over the summer. His ‘Meet the Author’ sessions were fantastic and had many children wondering what a world without chocolate would be like which resulted in many horrified ‘Chocolatepanicfaces’!”

Rachel Warkcup, Service Manager, North Tyneside Libraries.

Chris was extremely professional, very well organised and even had ‘back up’ materials prepared should technology let him down. The talk Chris delivered was extremely engaging, informative and interactive and he made sure all the children had a chance to be involved. Chris is obviously very skilled at engaging with his young audience – interacting with them both before and after the session – and all the  children had great fun. I’ve since seen one of the families who attended Chris’ talk at another library event and the children very excitedly reminded me about “the big bar of chocolate Chris was going to have for lunch” and said how much they’d enjoyed meeting him. I would happily invite Chris back to our libraries again!

Amanda Ambler, Librarian, Kirklees Libraries.

Screen Shot 2015-10-12 at 12.27.26“Chris’s sessions at Stockton Libraries were fun and engaging and really helped to promote reading for pleasure over the Summer Reading Challenge with the children and families who attended. The sessions engage the children in writing and reading through the medium of chocolate and allows them to use their imagination to be creative and have fun which is what reading should be all about, it breaks down the barriers to reading being boring or not for me. We are looking forward to working with Chris in the future and have short listed The Great Chocoplot for Stockton Children’s Book of the Year as we feel it is a brilliant quirky read for children full of adventure.”

Lucy Carlton-Walker, Children & Young Person’s Librarian, Stockton-on-Tees Libraries.

The Great Chocoplot Big Friendly Read Tour!

I was delighted that The Great Chocoplot was chosen by The Reading Agency to be one of the recommended reads in 2016’s Summer Reading Challenge.

This is a scheme which aims to encourage children to continue reading during the summer months.

That year to celebrate Roald Dahl‘s 100th birthday, the theme was The Big Friendly Read.

North Tyneside Libraries and Stockton Borough Libraries asked me to visit many of their libraries during the summer to promote this brilliant scheme and talk about my book. I even got the chance to hand out medals and certificates at the end of the summer to all those dedicated readers who read six books during their holidays. It was huge fun!