top of page

I love visiting schools, libraries, festivals and hospitals - in fact I'll visit you in pretty much any setting, in real life or online, for a one-hour workshop, day or half day or even a longer residency! Scroll down for a sample of my illustrator & author workshops and talks which can be tailored to age-groups from under 5 to 16 and older. If you're in Scotland then Scottish Book Trust can help you with the cost of a visit. Just visit their Live Literature Fund for more details. This is my Scottish Book Trust Page

 

'I don't often have boys fighting over books but they were today!'
- Teacher, St Joseph's Primary, Aberdeen

ink drops.jpg
Screen Shot 2019-05-24 at 15.36.06.png
Screen-Shot-2019-05-26-at-21.10.42.jpg

Events Q&A

Biggest ever audience? 750 children at Hay Festival

Smallest ever audience? 1 person in an Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity bedside workshop

Favourite festival? I love going to new festivals and back to festivals I've been to before. Some festivals I've visited are Edinburgh International Book festival, Glasgow West End Festival, Bath Kids' Lit Fest, Glastonbury & Latitude festivals, Pop Up, Cardiff Children’s Lit Fest, Wee Write, Nessbookfest, and Aberdeen & Glenrothes Booked! Festivals.

Best question you have ever been asked? 'Are you over 100?'

Most famous person you have ever met? I've been lucky enough to meet lots of amazing artists such as Spike Milligan, Ralph Steadman, Gerald Scarfe and Fritz Wegner. The most famous person ever to see me at an event is First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon.

First Minister & Tom Morgan-Jones.jpg
inky splat 06 inkymess.jpg
HAY event Tom Morgan-Jones & Tony Bradman.jpg
Hay festival shakespeare Tony Bradman Tom Morgan-Jones.jpg

About my approach

I have 20 years' experience tutoring art and illustration and believe that participation in visual art is immensely beneficial to children and young people. My work is focused on unlocking confidence, enjoying mark-making, telling stories and expressing ideas and feelings through drawing. I enjoy collaborating with teachers and other learning professionals to ensure that I understand the needs of all children in any group and can deliver inclusive experiences.

 

I am dyslexic and understand the challenge  books present for some children. I aim to bring the text off the page through fun, participative activities and I hope the testimonials on this page give you a flavour of how much teachers and pupils have enjoyed and appreciated them.

I am also passionate about the environment and am part of 'Mission Explore', a series of books, packs, workshops and experiences which encourage children to be curious and engage with the world around them in new and different ways. I have delivered dozens of young people's workshops and programmes as part of this project, working with National Geographic Kids, the Scouts, The John Muir Trust, National Parks and many others.

'The children have been really inspired to do some of the best illustrations they have ever done, it has sparked their imaginations and led to some really creative learning'

 

- Teacher, Skegness Junior Academy  

'Exceptionally engaging, even the least eager children joined in'

 

 

- Teacher, Kingswood Primary, Corby

Scottish Book Trust school visit by Tom Morgan-Jones.jpg
Scottish Book Trust live event with Tom Morgan-Jones.jpg
inky splats 09 inkymess.jpg
TMJ portrait library visit.jpg

SCHOOLS & FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS
 

MONSTER MAPPING

I start the workshop talking about how enjoyable and powerful drawing is, making mistakes is part of the process and most importantly we can all draw really well because drawing is about making marks and having fun. We are all storytellers. We create a creature/monster together as a group. I give top insider illustration tips as we go. We then create our own monster personal to us. And then we would individually create a world or map where this creature exists. Most people like a monster, and most peoples monsters are very personal to themselves.

1 or 2 hour workshops, 5 - 60 participants (more are possible depending on facilities, please contact to discuss) Use of a flip chart is appreciated and in turn I will donate the artwork created on the day to your school.

monster 01.jpg
cyclops.jpg
four pencil draw.jpg
shark monster.jpg
cat head B&W.jpg
monster drawing with pencils.jpg
castle of things.jpg
monster 02.jpg

THE ILLUSTRATION GAME

   In this super, book-inspired roller-coaster of a game, you will solve possibly the most dangerous riddle in the world, enjoy draw-alongs, and face trials of physical dexterity. Rounds include "The Frog Of Hopportunity", " Lowbrow Highbrow Eyebrow" and "The Crash Hat of Who". Find out about mark-making and how book illustration works while having a lotta lotta fun!

  Your host Tom has illustrated over 75 books for children. He's also had his work appear on the side of milk cartons, on top of cakes, all over satirical board games, inside museums, on the outside of schools, behind bands and poets, on chocolate bars and the back of buses and all the way around tins of dog biscuits and Norway's National football stadium so you will be in safe hands!

The Illustration Game for web with TMJ.jpg
TIG with Alan.jpg

Tom's event was introduced at the Borders Book Festival by author and publisher extraordinaire Alan Windram

ZINE WORKSHOPS - ALL AGES

These are workshops I devised whilst working with Edinburgh's Children's Hospital Charity for both bedside and group work in hospital. Zines are handmade magazines on the subject of your choice. Everything and anything is possible in the world of your zine. We make a zine, and we become writers, illustrators, editors & publishers.
 

Here we have a zine cover from an Edinburgh Children's Hospital Charity workshop I ran. I think it's out of this world.

guest zine cover tom morgan-jones.jpg
stranger things zine.jpg

And here we have zines from a series of 'Scabby Knees' workshops I ran in the summer of 2024 at The Great Tapestry of Scotland Centre.

still game zine.jpg
magic zine.jpg
animal ideas zine.jpg
liverpool zine.jpg
star wars page.jpg
star wars zine cover.jpg
star wars characters zine.jpg

STRONG BRAVE TRUE  P2 - P6

STRONG BRAVE TRUE Great Scots Who Changed The World - And How You Can Too!

Strong Brave True is the story of the many great Scots who changed the world we live in - and aims to inspire young people to do the same.

Stories include Williamina Fleming, who discovered the Horsehead Nebula in Orion (but struggled to gain recognition for it as a woman), Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, Robert Burns, Elsie Inglis and many more.

This inspiring event engages children with learning across the curriculum, with a focus on equalities, environmental issues, and expressive arts. It includes draw-alongs and discussion, science experiments and silliness and is guaranteed to get everyone joining in and engaging with reading.

1 hour, 30 - 60 participants (more or less possible depending on facilities, please contact to discuss)
Use of a flip chart is appreciated and in turn I will donate the artwork created on the day to your school.


 

Strong Brave True book cover fan.jpg
Mairi Kidd & Tom Morgan-Jones portobello bookshop strong brave true event.jpg

THE RED DREAD  P1 - P3

inky splats 07 inkymess.jpg
The red dread picture book event tom morgan-jones.jpg

Witty, lively and gently thought-provoking, this picture book about a group of animals and the unseen monster in their midst will have readers laughing out loud. The story questions our fear of the other and the workshop offers a chance to explore what frightens us, and why we can't let fear run riot. There is also lots of fun with a monster draw-along.

1 hour, up to 30 participants
Includes free teachers' pack
Use of a flip chart is appreciated and in turn Tom will donate the artwork created on the day to your school.

inky splat 01 inkymess.jpg

NORMAN THE NORMAN FROM NORMANDY P2 - P4

Norman is a very small Norman on a very large quest... On the back of his wild boar Truffle, he must journey to all three of his father's graves to pay his last respects. Listen to Tom tell this laugh-out-loud story guaranteed to get pupils chuckling, pull fun faces as you learn to draw expressions and use different rubbing surfaces to create illustrations with texture and depth. Finally, everyone works together to create a 'Bayeaux Tapestry' for the school to keep and display.

1 hour, up to 60 participants (or more or less dependent on facilities, please contact to discuss).
Use of a flip chart is appreciated and in turn Tom will donate the artwork created on the day to your school.

norman the norman book covers tom morgan-jones.jpg
Tom Morgan-Jones before Norman the Norman event.jpg
Tom Morgan-Jones at Norman the Norman event.jpg

MISSION:EXPLORE P5 - P7

mission explore food book shot tom morgan-jones.jpg
mission-explore tom morgan-jones.jpg

Pupils become publishers, writers and illustrators and create their own book of missions to explore the world in this amazing interactive workshop. Learn to fold paper into a book, take part in a draw-along with Tom to create the cover, fill the book with missions - and get exploring! Can you capture the smell of your school? Can you find minibeasts in the playground? Can you climb Mount Kilimanjaro - without ever leaving the house?

This workshop ties into Mission Explore: Food, a fabulous resource that encourages children to understand where their food comes from and their environmental impact as consumers of food.

1 hour, up to 30 participants.
Use of a flip chart is appreciated and in turn Tom will donate the artwork created on the day to your school.


 

inky splat 06 inkymess.jpg

THE BOY AND THE GLOBE P4 - P7

The Boy and the Globe cover shot tom morgan-jones.jpg
Boy and the globe workshop tom morgan-jones.jpg

So who was William Shakespeare and why was he so special? Listen along as Tom brings to life the story of Toby Cuffe, an orphan boy who helps the greatest playwright in the world get over a case of writers' block. Try out a quill pen and ink, learn to draw William Shakespeare and create your own models of the Globe Theatre to keep and display.

1 hour, up to 60 participants (more possible depending on facilities, please contact to discuss)/
Use of a flip chart is appreciated and in turn Tom will donate the artwork created on the day to your school.

Tom can also work with schools to tailor longer programmes or specific workshops to your needs.

HOW TO BOOK - FUNDING AVAILABLE!

 

Tom is registered with the Scottish Book Trust Live Literature Scheme from Scottish Book Trust, which covers part of the costs of an author or illustrator visit in Scotland.

 

Visit here to apply for support.

Tom is very happy to travel internationally too, he's happy to pop down to England or across to Wales, or indeed further afield, on this continent or another. Please do get in touch to discuss

Contact Tom to discuss available dates and requirements and/or to arrange a call to discuss.

IMGP3450.jpg
inky splats 04 inkymess.jpg
inky insta logo.jpg
inky twitter logo.jpg

Top photo featuring tartan jacket © Callum Mackay @yabba61

bottom of page