Sally Gardner: The Woman Who Reached Into the Fog and Found Magic
“Sally Gardner is not just a storyteller — she is a force of imagination. A Costa and Carnegie Medal-winning novelist, bestselling children’s author, and advocate for creative minds everywhere, Sally brings stories to life in ways that defy boundaries.
Once labelled ‘unteachable’ due to severe dyslexia, she went on to become a leading voice in children’s literature, writing modern classics like I, Coriander, The Red Necklace, and Maggot Moon. Her work spans magic, mystery, historical drama, and futuristic fantasy — but at its heart beats a fierce belief in the power of the outsider and the triumph of the unexpected.
Today, Sally inspires audiences not just with her words, but with her revolutionary message: that creativity is intelligence with imagination. A champion for those who think differently, Sally shows how the barriers society places on learning and life can — and must — be torn down. Get ready for a talk that will enchant, provoke, and transform the way you see the world.”
Speaker Topics
- The Magic of Thinking Differently
- Stories that Dare to be Brave
- Building Worlds from Scrap and Spark
- Invisible Children, Powerful Stories
- The Secret Life of Fairytales
- Resilience, Rejection, and Rising Again
- Wonder in the Everyday
- Fiction as Freedom: Why Stories Matter
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The Power of Thinking Differently: How Dyslexia Shaped My Creative Life
Sally shares her journey from being labelled ‘unteachable’ to becoming a bestselling author. She explores how learning difficulties masked extraordinary potential and how society must rethink what ‘intelligence’ really means. A keynote about resilience, reinvention, and imagination.
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Stories that Break the Rules: Why Children’s Literature Needs to Be Brave
Sally shows how children’s fiction can and should tackle complex ideas like revolution, injustice, and freedom. This talk challenges publishers, teachers, and parents to trust young readers with big, bold stories.
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Building Worlds: How History and Fantasy Collide in My Fiction
An exploration of Sally’s creative process: how historical research and fantasy imagination come together to create vivid, believable worlds.
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Invisible Children: Giving Voice to Outsiders Through Storytelling
Sally discusses why literature must give dignity and space to society’s “invisible” children, and how her characters are built with fierce empathy, not stereotype.
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Dyslexia: A Superpower in Disguise
Far from a limitation, Sally demonstrates how dyslexia is a radical creative advantage and calls for a new way of valuing different kinds of intelligence.
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Surviving Rejection: What Publishing Taught Me About Resilience
Candid lessons from facing rejection and disbelief, offering strategies for perseverance and reinvention in creative industries and beyond.
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The Magic of the Ordinary: Finding Wonder in Everyday Life
Sally reveals how observing overlooked details fuels her creativity and encourages audiences to rediscover wonder in the everyday.
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Fiction as Resistance: Why We Need Stories More Than Ever
A passionate argument for storytelling as a vital tool for truth-telling and cultural resistance in uncertain times.
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From Page to Stage: Adapting Stories for Performance
Insights into how books transition into stage and screen, with advice for writers seeking adaptation opportunities.
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The Secret History of Fairytales: How Ancient Stories Still Shape Us
Unpacking the deep, often dark meanings of fairy tales and how they continue to influence modern culture and identity.
SALLY GARDNER
Author | Illustrator | Librettist | Advocate for Neurodivergent Creatives | Location: South East, UK
Photographer Urszula Soltys