Speaking

Every year I get invited to dozens of schools, universities, literary groups, libraries…anywhere that loves to talk books.

I come with an incredible portfolio of anecdotes featuring the stories behind the stories.

Whether you want to know what goes on in an X Factor dressing room on the night of the final, or about the phone call from Northumbria Police in the week David Rathband’s book came out, or my client getting dragged into a meeting with the BBC and being told ‘publish that book and you’ll never work again’…the list goes on and on.

Hundreds of thousands of hours recorded in conversation with clients equal a lifetime of stories – both funny and tragic. I will talk about the process of writing and lift the lid on some of the characters I have worked with.

Fee varies according to the event but is based on The Society of Authors’ recommendations and should factor in travel and accommodation. Also available but in a smaller price strand, I am happy to appear virtually if preferable to your organisation.

For more information Hello@SecretsOfAGhostwriter.com

Some of my most popular talks:

1. THE A-Z OF GHOSTWRITING
   A whistle-stop tour through some incredible people I have ghostwritten for: 

2. MOAT
   The true story of what happened to the late PC David Rathband in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the summer of 2010. Featuring recorded contributions from David’s twin, Darren. 

3. TALENT OR NO TALENT?
   Writing for those who chase their fifteen minutes of fame, appearing on talent shows. From Celebrity Big Brother to X Factor. 

4. THE BOOK THE BBC TRIED TO BAN
   This is the rollercoaster journey Craig Summers went on after leaving the Beeb for Sky and being encouraged to write his memoir by the esteemed John Simpson…the corporation called Craig in for a meeting to try to stop his book Bodyguard being released even though he no longer worked for them! 

5. SECRETS OF A GHOSTWRITER
   What is a ghostwriter and how does it work? How do you persuade someone to share their life story and make 90,000 words out of it? Is it really a job? Where do you find work? 

6. BULLDOG
   The story of a darts champ, Shayne Burgess, World Number One for just 24 hours! By the time, his transatlantic plane had landed, a rival had usurped him and he fell back to Number Three. 

7. BOOKS THAT BOMBED
   Not every book is a hit, every time. Hear about the mistakes Tony made in selecting wrong clients or indeed, those who he started work with and then came to his senses and pulled out. 

8. SERIAL KILLERS
   The most famous case in UK crime history – The Moors Murders. When 14 year old Terry West was too poorly to take his 10 year old sister to the fair on Boxing Day 1964, she went alone. Lesley Ann Downey never came home. 
   Terry, who passed away in 2024, struggled to tell his story. 

9. RADIO BY DAY, BOOKS BY NIGHT…WORDS ARE ALL I HAVE
   How does a very high profile breakfast presenter end up turning his back on radio and becoming a ghostwriter? Hear some cracking stories from my radio life from the celebrity guests to the complaints and the lawsuits, and how I turned those skills into penning best-selling memoirs. 

10. UNDERCOVER
    A study of three incredible people who lived under the radar. One is a cop. An other an aid worker who broke the law to help people. The third lived illegally in America for 12 years without detection.  

11. TRUE CRIME MASTERCLASS
    Writing for victims, but also gangsters. Writing for those who investigate crime but also those who are wrongly imprisoned. Writing for whistleblowers who risked it all to expose corruption… and many many more. The law from all angles!