Stuart Reid Reid
Author Profile - Stuart Reid
Stuart Reid has been a full-time children's author for 10 years, with eight books published in his 'Gorgeous George' series, and 100k hard copy book sales to date. He has performed at over 2,000 schools, libraries and book festivals throughout the UK, Ireland, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, India and Australia, inspiring more than half a million children.
Stuart's book events are designed to engage & excite children, especially boys and reluctant readers, to want to love reading, and his largest live audience (so far) has been 800 pupils aged between 5 and 11 years old. In 2017, Stuart was invited to host a series of book reading events in a Falkirk school as part of the First Minister's Reading Challenge project, and was delighted to receive congratulations from the First Minister. "Fantastic. Well done." Nicola Sturgeon.
He has hosted over 300 book events at the Edinburgh Fringe, Brighton Fringe and Adelaide Festivals. He has also worked with BBC Learning and been featured on ITV’s Get Britain Reading, as well as on radio and countless newspapers and magazines.
"Stuart Reid is a force of nature! Engaging, educational and extremely entertaining, Stuart is a master of his craft. We had a wonderful time at the Belfast Book Festival and would welcome him back in a heart beat!” Keith Acheson - Director, Belfast Book Festival
"Simply the best author performance I have EVER seen in 15 years of teaching. The best... by a long mile." Mr Mashiter, deputy headteacher, St Mary's Primary School, Blackburn.
In 2014, Ireland’s Children’s Laureate Eoin Colfer gave Stuart a tribute for the relaunch of his debut novel 'Gorgeous George and the Giant Geriatric Generator', which was chosen as Silver Seal winner at the Forward National Literature Awards in America and the ‘Top Pick’ in the Daily Record’s Book Club. Stuart was also presented with the Enterprise in Education Champion Award by Falkirk Council in 2015.
Stuart's second book, Gorgeous George and the Zigzag Zit-faced Zombies was released in January 2013 and this was followed in October with the launch of "Gorgeous George and the Unidentified Unsinkable Underpants Part 1" at the World Porridge Making Competition in Carrbridge.
The fourth book in the Gorgeous George series, "Gorgeous George and the Unidentified Unsinkable Underpants Part 2" was released at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2014.
The fifth book is entitled 'Gorgeous George and the Jumbo Jobby Juicer' whilst Book 6, 'Gorgeous George and his Stupid Stinky Stories' was launched at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2017.
Stuart's 7th book, 'Gorgeous George and the Timewarp Trouser Trumpets', was a 5-Star winner at the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, whilst his latest book 'Grandpa Jock and the Incredible Iron-Bru-Man Incident' was launched on TalkSport Radio to an audience of three million listeners.
Stuart's presentations and events are enthusiastic and inspirational; engaging pupils with audience participation, fun and energy. He believes that it is his job as an author to inspire young readers to learn to love reading for pleasure, to encourage pupils' creativity and to ignite their writing skills.
Recent feedback from a principal teacher includes 'Thank you very much for a fabulous, funny, fantastic, full of enthusiasm, fanfare of a presentation! I have never witnessed such a brilliant author presentation before - you had the children eating out of your hands for the whole time!'
Review - Daily Record 'Unmissable... this wickedly funny debut from a Scottish writer who is on course to be a star of the future.'
About writer's work
Stuart Reid's books are written to encourage children, especially boys and reluctant readers to want to read more often. They are yucky, funny, imaginative and exciting enough to engage even the most reluctant of readers, yet with a stretching vocabulary that suits more developed children. His school presentations focus on the joys of reading and how brilliant books can be, as well as talking about recycling, alternative energy and even career advice.
He draws from 25-years experience as a regional manager in the hospitality industry both in the UK and in the Middle East, including work as a chapter director for a large networking group, presenting on board the QE2 to the British Business Group, Sheikh Ahmed and Lord Digby of Birmingham. As a former general manager of a 300 bedroom hotel, Stuart was fortunate to write a 2000 word blog every week talking about life in Dubai. This page received 20,000 hits per month and was the most viewed on the company website.
Whilst in Dubai, Stuart also wrote four radio adverts which have been played over 6,000 times in the Middle East.
Current events and projects
Events – Book presentations, creative writing workshops, career and
motivational workshops, readings, residencies and workshops.
Themes/Topics/Ideas – humour, environment, alternative energy, life in Middle East, motivation speaking, coaching and self belief.
Stuart has also been
appointed as a Reading Ambassador in ten schools.
