Talks, Presentations and Workshops
Jan can be booked to give talks and workshops for both schools and adults. His style has been called 'motivational comedy' - designed to inspire. For more information see The Green Light Literary Rescue Service. You can book him directly, or through agencies like AILA, Lamont Books or Speakers Ink. Jan charges standard ASA recommended rates.
Testimonials
Your work is an examplar of our values - Queensland Writers Centre.
Everyone has raved about your presentation. We LOVED it. Charmaine Clancy & Chris Titheradge. Organisers. The Rainforest Writers Retreat.
Thanks for your excellent talk at the Writers Group Convention yesterday, we received some great feedback about how enjoyable it was!
Gillian Lloyd. Brisbane Writers Convention.
Coming home from your camp, I have seen something remarkable in W___. He was captivated by your presence. He said he learnt so much and was so inspired by you. He has spoken very highly of your genuine care and interest in the kids and I cannot thank you enough for making it such a wonderful, rewarding experience for them all. S.H. (Mother of pupil). Gumburu Writers Camp. Paluma
Jan was incredibly engaging and put a unique spin on the writing process. He was generous with his time and went above and beyond our expectations when guiding our students through the creation of their short stories. We would not hesitate to have Jan return to our school in future years!
Dana Cypher. Head of English. The Cathedral School, Townsville.
Jan-Andrew was wonderful to work with on our very first Killarney Story Weekend. He was always very professional, punctual and organised. And a fantastic storyteller! Jan was always very responsive to my queries as I worked on putting the event together. A great sounding board and ready to create a series of workshops to meet our vision and the audience. He was a very engaging and entertaining presenter who was able to respond to the needs of his audience over the weekend; tailoring his presentation to suit them best. He left the attendees feeling empowered and with the practical tools and tips to create their own works. He certainly inspired a few future authors among them. Thanks for all of your help, Jan. I look forward to working with you again!
Louise Brosnan. Organiser. Killarney Storytelling Weekend.
You are an extremely entertaining speaker (and lunch companion!). You kept the students laughing. It was clear that you had our students’ full engagement by the number of questions and the reluctance of students to leave at the end of the session. I particularly noted that students hovered around you and the table of books as they left. Even more striking was one of our shyest year 7’s requesting your autograph at the end of the day (this has never happened before). Further to this I have one young writer email me requesting your contact details so she can send her work through to you (consider yourself warned!).
Chris Barker. Teacher Librarian, Emmaus College, Brisbane.
I wanted to say a big thank you for today. The boys really enjoyed listening to you and talked about it a lot after you left... which is a big achievement as they aren’t always like that after an author visit.
Dani Smith Teacher Librarian, Brisbane Grammar School.
Thank you so much for sharing your time, skill and talent with us, the children throughly enjoyed your visit and love “their” story.
Lynette Rogers. Milford Road Kindergarten, Ipswich.
The students were engaged, captivated and definitely entertained! I would recommend you to all schools.
Melinda Parkinson, Coordinator of Library Services, A. B. Paterson College Gold Coast QLD.
The year 7s are still talking about you. It’s always wonderful to see students inspired to love reading.
Rachael Cuthbert. Head of Department - English. Wellington Point State High School
Thank you so much, your talk/workshop was awesome and I had a lot to learn from it. M. L. Wellington Point State School. Brisbane.
Thank you so much for being here. I’ve learned so much and will use the what if and why technique with me forever. Lucy J. Pupil. Cathedral School Townsville.
You are the coolest writer. I am so happy you taught us. Imogen. Pupil. Cathedral School, Townsville.
Jan, I have learned so much from this, it has been a great weekend. Thanks. Gianlura. Gumburu Writers Camp. Paluma
Jan, you were such a good author and you helped me so much with my story. Tavish. Gumburu Writers Camp. Paluma
Hey sir, you came to my school today. I absolutely loved you, you were a fantastic speaker and I love your books. I am so glad I got to meet you.
T. M. Pupil. Forest Lake High School, Brisbane.
The children thoroughly enjoyed your presentation and are madly writing stories. We fully intend to use your storyboard method of planning. Thanks again, the children (and adults) had a great time and learned a lot.
Deb Rametta. Senior Teacher, Moggill Primary School, Brisbane.
Jan regaled us with interesting and amusing stories in regard to his writing and publishing journey - Marisa Parker. President. Gold Coast Writer’s Association.
J A Henderson visited our school as part of a scheme to enthuse reluctant boy readers in lower school; he certainly did that! The boys were mesmerised by his stories. They talked about his visit for weeks afterwards!
Sarah Culshaw, Librarian Elfed High School.
You single handedly have inspired me in a way I cannot describe.
M.Y. Pupil Lasswade High School.
Really good, interesting and the funniest day of my life! Your adventures have made me want to be an author! D.P. Pupil, Elfed High School.
You left an awesome impression on me. I used to think authors were quite dull and boring but you seem like such a laid-back cool (but crazy) guy. I love how you don’t mind expressing yourself, your intense curiosity and you’re simply hilarious.
H.F. Pupil, Beath High School.
It was very inspiring how anyone can become writer, not just people who have had that dream since they were a child or were the top English-geeks at school. I don’t think I could write a novel but you did help me realise that there’s more out there than I might think and to keep my options open. So thank you. And no my teachers didn’t make me do this, haha.
N.T. Pupil, Beath High School.
Brilliant, funny but also inspiring. He had my stomach sore, I was laughing so much. H.F. Pupil, Lasswade High School.
My friend and I thought we were going to listen to a boring writer that talked for hours in an expressionless voice. We were wrong. Your talk was brilliant…. I think you gave us great advice. H.H. Pupil, Lasswade High School.
Sound guy, kept everyone happy. Very imaginative, really enjoyed it.
A.L., Pupil, Irvine Royal Academy.
Not like other writers, very different with good ideas.
T.L. Pupil, Irvine Royal Academy.
I just wanted to send you a personal thank you for a very entertaining afternoon. You captured the attention of S1’s for an hour and that is some feat!
Janice Bourelle, Librarian, Crieff High School.
I wanted to let you know I really enjoyed listening to your journey on becoming a writer. Wow, it was hilarious. I’m going to sit and come up with a brilliant idea.
H.G. Pupil, Glenrothes High School.
Your talk was funny and everyone at school was talking about it.
C.S. Pupil, St Augustine School.
Editing
Jan-Andrew Henderson provided an amazing line and copy edit on my 100,000 word novel ‘Dog’. Dog is a complex book with time shifts, three narrators, four genres and a very particular prose style. He navigated that brilliantly. Every change he suggested enhanced what I was trying to achieve. I read his edit with a smile on my face, saying ‘yes, perfect, thank you’ all the way through… sometimes out loud. He improved clarity and flow, made the changes I’d have made myself if I’d been able to see my own work with fresh eyes. I never expected to feel so uplifted by red-pen corrections! Jan has not only improved the book, he’s also restored my confidence in it.
Award winning playwright Anita Sullivan (BBC Radio Drama Award. Writers Guild Award. Race in the Media Award).
From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank you for your time, mentorship, advice and providing some amazing feedback regarding my writing.
TY Hanson (Author of Millennium Exile).
Jan has a fantastic way of seeing missing plot points and character aspects no-one else catches. His gift for clearly capturing setting and character with minimal words and his clear and succinct editing make him invaluable. He is simply the best in his field.
Aiki Flinthart (Aurealis winning author of Blackbirds Sing and The Kalima Chronicles).
I love your suggestions... Sooooo many good ways of improving the MS. You are a genius!
Melanie Page (Author of An Affair of Honour, The Chaperone, Sweet Captivity, A Twist of Fate, Tale Spinning: The Art of the Short Story and Bunyip Creek).
Was super happy with the edits Jan-Andrew gave me. His advice and editing skills are truly superb! Pamela Jeffs (Winner of the Aurealis Award, Morrison Mentoring Short Story Award, Doug Murray Literary Award and Fraser Coast Writing Competition, Elyne Mitchell Short Story Award and Toowoomba Literary Awards).
Jan’s insightful suggestions regarding character and plot weaknesses have been invaluable in taking my manuscript to the next level. In addition, his relaxed style was exactly what a fledgling author like me needed to feel at ease with the editing process. Karen Lieversz (Short story writer).
Jan, you were invaluable in taking this manuscript and making it leaner, fitter, better. You have been a wonderful editor to work with.
Louisa Duval (Author of Whisky and Sunshine and Memories of Ash).
Green Light’s services have been above and beyond. Helpful, insightful, and patient, Jan has been fantastic throughout the whole process. His edits and ideas improved the work immeasurably without changing its essence. For me he turned a good novel into an outstanding one.
David Shield (Author of My Father is an Evil Necromancer - shortlisted for the Publishable competition).
He’s made me sound like a writer! I’m so pleased and happy. It’s so much tighter and the changes completely make sense. It reads so beautifully. Far better than I could have dreamed of doing on my own. Neen Cohen (Author of Forgiving Reflections and Cold As Hell)
Thank you again for all your guidance and knowledge in helping me make this book what it is now. I really appreciate it! Matthew Lycakis (Author of Accepted)
I was having no success getting my non-fiction book published until Jan worked with me on a new cover letter, proposal and synopsis. A publisher who had ignored my previous communications immediately accepted it.
Charlotte Golledge (Author of The Graveyard and Cemeteries of Edinburgh and Greyfriars Graveyard).
Jan edited my book and helped polish the dialogue. Then, when I admitted I didn’t like my ending, he suggested a crazy alternative. It was exactly what the novel needed. Now I send everything I write to him for input.
Samantha Maclaren (Features writer in New York).
Thank you Jan for giving me such constructive feedback! You’ve presented it so positively and gave me great direction. You’ve made my day!
Caroline Ann (Author of The Girl in the Gift Shop).
Half way through my first novel I was completely stuck. Jan suggested brilliant new forms and avenues for the plot and characters and provided me with ideas galore. It inspired me to complete a work I would never have finished otherwise.
Charlie Guy (Author of Twist the Knifeman).
I had the pleasure of working with Jan Henderson across multiple manuscripts. His expertise in character development is unrivalled and he’s extremely knowledgeable in world building, pacing and story development. Most importantly, he respected my voice as an author.
Jemima McCusker (Author of Stone Guardians, Crossfire and The Last Druid).
Your work is an examplar of our values - Queensland Writers Centre.
Everyone has raved about your presentation. We LOVED it. Charmaine Clancy & Chris Titheradge. Organisers. The Rainforest Writers Retreat.
Thanks for your excellent talk at the Writers Group Convention yesterday, we received some great feedback about how enjoyable it was!
Gillian Lloyd. Brisbane Writers Convention.
Coming home from your camp, I have seen something remarkable in W___. He was captivated by your presence. He said he learnt so much and was so inspired by you. He has spoken very highly of your genuine care and interest in the kids and I cannot thank you enough for making it such a wonderful, rewarding experience for them all. S.H. (Mother of pupil). Gumburu Writers Camp. Paluma
Jan was incredibly engaging and put a unique spin on the writing process. He was generous with his time and went above and beyond our expectations when guiding our students through the creation of their short stories. We would not hesitate to have Jan return to our school in future years!
Dana Cypher. Head of English. The Cathedral School, Townsville.
Jan-Andrew was wonderful to work with on our very first Killarney Story Weekend. He was always very professional, punctual and organised. And a fantastic storyteller! Jan was always very responsive to my queries as I worked on putting the event together. A great sounding board and ready to create a series of workshops to meet our vision and the audience. He was a very engaging and entertaining presenter who was able to respond to the needs of his audience over the weekend; tailoring his presentation to suit them best. He left the attendees feeling empowered and with the practical tools and tips to create their own works. He certainly inspired a few future authors among them. Thanks for all of your help, Jan. I look forward to working with you again!
Louise Brosnan. Organiser. Killarney Storytelling Weekend.
You are an extremely entertaining speaker (and lunch companion!). You kept the students laughing. It was clear that you had our students’ full engagement by the number of questions and the reluctance of students to leave at the end of the session. I particularly noted that students hovered around you and the table of books as they left. Even more striking was one of our shyest year 7’s requesting your autograph at the end of the day (this has never happened before). Further to this I have one young writer email me requesting your contact details so she can send her work through to you (consider yourself warned!).
Chris Barker. Teacher Librarian, Emmaus College, Brisbane.
I wanted to say a big thank you for today. The boys really enjoyed listening to you and talked about it a lot after you left... which is a big achievement as they aren’t always like that after an author visit.
Dani Smith Teacher Librarian, Brisbane Grammar School.
Thank you so much for sharing your time, skill and talent with us, the children throughly enjoyed your visit and love “their” story.
Lynette Rogers. Milford Road Kindergarten, Ipswich.
The students were engaged, captivated and definitely entertained! I would recommend you to all schools.
Melinda Parkinson, Coordinator of Library Services, A. B. Paterson College Gold Coast QLD.
The year 7s are still talking about you. It’s always wonderful to see students inspired to love reading.
Rachael Cuthbert. Head of Department - English. Wellington Point State High School
Thank you so much, your talk/workshop was awesome and I had a lot to learn from it. M. L. Wellington Point State School. Brisbane.
Thank you so much for being here. I’ve learned so much and will use the what if and why technique with me forever. Lucy J. Pupil. Cathedral School Townsville.
You are the coolest writer. I am so happy you taught us. Imogen. Pupil. Cathedral School, Townsville.
Jan, I have learned so much from this, it has been a great weekend. Thanks. Gianlura. Gumburu Writers Camp. Paluma
Jan, you were such a good author and you helped me so much with my story. Tavish. Gumburu Writers Camp. Paluma
Hey sir, you came to my school today. I absolutely loved you, you were a fantastic speaker and I love your books. I am so glad I got to meet you.
T. M. Pupil. Forest Lake High School, Brisbane.
The children thoroughly enjoyed your presentation and are madly writing stories. We fully intend to use your storyboard method of planning. Thanks again, the children (and adults) had a great time and learned a lot.
Deb Rametta. Senior Teacher, Moggill Primary School, Brisbane.
Jan regaled us with interesting and amusing stories in regard to his writing and publishing journey - Marisa Parker. President. Gold Coast Writer’s Association.
J A Henderson visited our school as part of a scheme to enthuse reluctant boy readers in lower school; he certainly did that! The boys were mesmerised by his stories. They talked about his visit for weeks afterwards!
Sarah Culshaw, Librarian Elfed High School.
You single handedly have inspired me in a way I cannot describe.
M.Y. Pupil Lasswade High School.
Really good, interesting and the funniest day of my life! Your adventures have made me want to be an author! D.P. Pupil, Elfed High School.
You left an awesome impression on me. I used to think authors were quite dull and boring but you seem like such a laid-back cool (but crazy) guy. I love how you don’t mind expressing yourself, your intense curiosity and you’re simply hilarious.
H.F. Pupil, Beath High School.
It was very inspiring how anyone can become writer, not just people who have had that dream since they were a child or were the top English-geeks at school. I don’t think I could write a novel but you did help me realise that there’s more out there than I might think and to keep my options open. So thank you. And no my teachers didn’t make me do this, haha.
N.T. Pupil, Beath High School.
Brilliant, funny but also inspiring. He had my stomach sore, I was laughing so much. H.F. Pupil, Lasswade High School.
My friend and I thought we were going to listen to a boring writer that talked for hours in an expressionless voice. We were wrong. Your talk was brilliant…. I think you gave us great advice. H.H. Pupil, Lasswade High School.
Sound guy, kept everyone happy. Very imaginative, really enjoyed it.
A.L., Pupil, Irvine Royal Academy.
Not like other writers, very different with good ideas.
T.L. Pupil, Irvine Royal Academy.
I just wanted to send you a personal thank you for a very entertaining afternoon. You captured the attention of S1’s for an hour and that is some feat!
Janice Bourelle, Librarian, Crieff High School.
I wanted to let you know I really enjoyed listening to your journey on becoming a writer. Wow, it was hilarious. I’m going to sit and come up with a brilliant idea.
H.G. Pupil, Glenrothes High School.
Your talk was funny and everyone at school was talking about it.
C.S. Pupil, St Augustine School.
Editing
Jan-Andrew Henderson provided an amazing line and copy edit on my 100,000 word novel ‘Dog’. Dog is a complex book with time shifts, three narrators, four genres and a very particular prose style. He navigated that brilliantly. Every change he suggested enhanced what I was trying to achieve. I read his edit with a smile on my face, saying ‘yes, perfect, thank you’ all the way through… sometimes out loud. He improved clarity and flow, made the changes I’d have made myself if I’d been able to see my own work with fresh eyes. I never expected to feel so uplifted by red-pen corrections! Jan has not only improved the book, he’s also restored my confidence in it.
Award winning playwright Anita Sullivan (BBC Radio Drama Award. Writers Guild Award. Race in the Media Award).
From the bottom of my heart, I’d like to thank you for your time, mentorship, advice and providing some amazing feedback regarding my writing.
TY Hanson (Author of Millennium Exile).
Jan has a fantastic way of seeing missing plot points and character aspects no-one else catches. His gift for clearly capturing setting and character with minimal words and his clear and succinct editing make him invaluable. He is simply the best in his field.
Aiki Flinthart (Aurealis winning author of Blackbirds Sing and The Kalima Chronicles).
I love your suggestions... Sooooo many good ways of improving the MS. You are a genius!
Melanie Page (Author of An Affair of Honour, The Chaperone, Sweet Captivity, A Twist of Fate, Tale Spinning: The Art of the Short Story and Bunyip Creek).
Was super happy with the edits Jan-Andrew gave me. His advice and editing skills are truly superb! Pamela Jeffs (Winner of the Aurealis Award, Morrison Mentoring Short Story Award, Doug Murray Literary Award and Fraser Coast Writing Competition, Elyne Mitchell Short Story Award and Toowoomba Literary Awards).
Jan’s insightful suggestions regarding character and plot weaknesses have been invaluable in taking my manuscript to the next level. In addition, his relaxed style was exactly what a fledgling author like me needed to feel at ease with the editing process. Karen Lieversz (Short story writer).
Jan, you were invaluable in taking this manuscript and making it leaner, fitter, better. You have been a wonderful editor to work with.
Louisa Duval (Author of Whisky and Sunshine and Memories of Ash).
Green Light’s services have been above and beyond. Helpful, insightful, and patient, Jan has been fantastic throughout the whole process. His edits and ideas improved the work immeasurably without changing its essence. For me he turned a good novel into an outstanding one.
David Shield (Author of My Father is an Evil Necromancer - shortlisted for the Publishable competition).
He’s made me sound like a writer! I’m so pleased and happy. It’s so much tighter and the changes completely make sense. It reads so beautifully. Far better than I could have dreamed of doing on my own. Neen Cohen (Author of Forgiving Reflections and Cold As Hell)
Thank you again for all your guidance and knowledge in helping me make this book what it is now. I really appreciate it! Matthew Lycakis (Author of Accepted)
I was having no success getting my non-fiction book published until Jan worked with me on a new cover letter, proposal and synopsis. A publisher who had ignored my previous communications immediately accepted it.
Charlotte Golledge (Author of The Graveyard and Cemeteries of Edinburgh and Greyfriars Graveyard).
Jan edited my book and helped polish the dialogue. Then, when I admitted I didn’t like my ending, he suggested a crazy alternative. It was exactly what the novel needed. Now I send everything I write to him for input.
Samantha Maclaren (Features writer in New York).
Thank you Jan for giving me such constructive feedback! You’ve presented it so positively and gave me great direction. You’ve made my day!
Caroline Ann (Author of The Girl in the Gift Shop).
Half way through my first novel I was completely stuck. Jan suggested brilliant new forms and avenues for the plot and characters and provided me with ideas galore. It inspired me to complete a work I would never have finished otherwise.
Charlie Guy (Author of Twist the Knifeman).
I had the pleasure of working with Jan Henderson across multiple manuscripts. His expertise in character development is unrivalled and he’s extremely knowledgeable in world building, pacing and story development. Most importantly, he respected my voice as an author.
Jemima McCusker (Author of Stone Guardians, Crossfire and The Last Druid).