Events

To find out about school or nursery visits, or arrange an event or workshop, please email daisy.hirst@icloud.com

Sunday 15th September 2024 3.30-4.30pm
ALPHONSE, YOU’RE RUINING THE SHOW!
Pickled Pepper Books, London

Join me at Pickled Pepper for fun with Nathalie and Alphonse! In my latest book Natalie and Alphonse are staying the night at Granny’s house – and putting on their own play! Storytime, creative activities and book-signing. Info and booking at Pickled Pepper.

Saturday 28th October 2023 10.45-11.30 am
GET REAL, MALLORY!
Malvern Festival of Stories, Great Malvern
Join me at the Coach House Theatre for an interactive morning of storytelling and drawing based on the characters from my latest picture book, GET REAL, MALLORY! A children’s event, suitable for ages 3-6. See Malvern Festival of Stories for tickets and info. 

 

Tuesday 31st October 2023 1-4pm
Orange Beak Workshops: Developing Text and Image in Picture Books with Daisy Hirst
Online (Zoom)
This is my second time delivering this adults’ workshop for the brilliant Orange Beak Studio: it’s a chance to look in-depth at the ways words and images work together in picture books to communicate, create meaning, and provide rich reading experiences.

I will draw on my experience as a picture book maker – and a picture book enthusiast – to explore what makes for a strong, dynamic text-image relationship and how you might develop and enhance this in your own picture book projects.

Visit Orange Beak Studio for tickets and details.

Wednesday 1st November 2023 11 am-12 noon
GET REAL, MALLORY!
Waterstones bookshop, Worcester
Join me at Worcester Waterstones for stories and drawing, inspired by my latest picture book, GET REAL, MALLORY! A free children’s event, suitable for ages 3-7. 

 

Past Events

Saturday 11th March 2023 10.30-11.30 am
GET REAL, MALLORY!
Malvern Book Coop, Malvern
A free children’s event, suitable for ages 3-7. I’ll read my new book, GET REAL, MALLORY! and there’ll be a chance for everyone to do some drawing. I’ll also be signing and drawing in books.

Wednesday 8th February 2023 4pm
GET REAL, MALLORY!
Queens Crescent Library, Camden, London
A free children’s event, suitable for ages 3-7. I’ll read my new book, GET REAL, MALLORY! and there’ll be a chance for everyone to do some drawing. You can also buy a book and get it signed (and doodled in!).

Sunday 12th February 2023 10am
GET REAL, MALLORY!
Ink@84 bookshop, Highbury, London
A free children’s event, suitable for ages 3-7. With a reading of my new book, GET REAL, MALLORY! and a chance for everyone to do some drawing. I’d also love to sign and doodle in the book for you. Book a free ticket here.

Tuesday 13th April 2021 10-11am
ALPHONSE, THERE’S MUD ON THE CEILING!
Online (Zoom) for Westminster and RBKC Libraries
I’ll be reading Natalie and Alphonse’s latest adventure and making wild pop-up cupboards at this online library event. It’s free but please book a space via Westminster or RBKC libraries.

Thursday 10th December 2020 7-9pm
Orange Beak Evenings: Daisy Hirst
Online (Zoom)
I’ll be talking to Maisie and Ness of Orange Beak Studios about my career, process and inspirations. I’ll be happy to answer any questions and we’ll fit in some drawing together too. For more information and to book your place, visit Orange Beak.

9th September 2019 7-9pm
Two Hoots triple launch party
Gosh! London
Please come along and help us celebrate our new books! RSVP to maisiedaisykate.booklaunch@gmail.com or join the Facebook event.

23rd August 2019, 1-2 pm
ALPHONSE, THERE’S MUD ON THE CEILING! 
Foyles Westfield Stratford City, London 
Come and meet author-illustrator Daisy Hirst and hear her new Natalie and Alphonse story, Alphonse, There’s Mud on the Ceiling! Natalie and Alphonse live in a flat in the city, but they still find ways to be wild – including night-time jungle adventures on their balcony! After the story there’ll be a chance to draw and collage your very own night-time adventure! Book your free place online

21st August 2019, 3-4 pm
ALPHONSE, THERE’S MUD ON THE CEILING!
Children’s Heffers, Cambridge
Come and join Daisy Hirst for an activity session based around her latest book, Alphonse, there’s Mud on the Ceiling!

Free to attend but please register online as spaces are limited.

1st August 2019, 11.15 am
ALPHONSE, THERE’S MUD ON THE CEILING! 
Discover Children’s Story Centre, London
In Alphonse, There’s Mud on the Ceiling! Natalie and Alphonse hear strange noises coming from a cupboard in their flat: is it lions, or the heating? Or bears? Natalie and Alphonse decide there should be a wild beasts’ jungle cave in their cupboard: what other extraordinary places might we find in everyday spaces? Make your own wild cupboard scenes with paper pop-ups!

Free with Discover day pass but booking essential. Day pass free to Newnham residents. Age 4+

22nd June 2019, 3 pm
ALPHONSE, THERE’S MUD ON THE CEILING!
Pickled Pepper Books, London
Come and meet me, Natalie and Alphonse for a story time and craft activity for 2-7-year-olds. My new picture book, ALPHONSE, THERE’S MUD ON THE CEILING! is about mud, sticks, dens and sunflowers, living in a flat and being WILD. 

This is Natalie and Alphonse’s third adventure, following on from ALPHONSE THAT IS NOT OK TO DO! and I DO NOT LIKE BOOKS ANYMORE!

Details and tickets (£5,  redeemable against the cost of a copy of ALPHONSE, THERE’S MUD ON THE CEILING!) from Pickled Pepper

7th-9th June
East London Comics & Arts Festival (ELCAF)
The Round Chapel, London
I’ll be back at my favourite comics festival for the 6th time with Brolly Lolly collective. We’ll have screenprints, comics and zines, signed books, badges, stickers, tote-bags, ALL MANNER OF THINGS! Come and say hullo why don’t you? Details and tickets on the ELCAF site.

3rd June
Book launch: ALPHONSE, THERE’S MUD ON THE CEILING!
Gosh! London
Come and help celebrate Natalie and Alphonse’s third adventure at the exceedingly good comic shop that is Gosh! Drinks, books, comics, probable baked-goods AND free Fairy Alphonse stickers! More details on the Facebook event page.

2nd December 2018, 12 noon-1 pm
Storytime and Christmas workshop
Heffers Bookshop, Cambridge

Free storytime and children’s workshop inspired by Hilda and the Runaway Baby as part of a day of Christmas fun in Heffers’ incredible children’s department. We’ll be making animal christmas decorations (why stick to robins and reindeer? Pigs and crocodiles like Christmas too).

11th October 2018
Children’s storytime and workshop
St John’s Wood Library, London

Details from Westminster Libraries.

10th-29th September 2018
The Art of Storytelling exhibition
The Michaelhouse Centre, Cambridge
An exhibition of new children’s book illustration by graduates of the MA Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art.

This should be a really exciting exhibition – see facebook or instagram for details and artists taking part. The private view will be on Thursday 13th September, 6.30-8.30pm.

8th August 2018
I Do Not Like Books Anymore workshop
Heffers Bookshop, Cambridge

Storytime and workshop based on my new book, I Do Not Like Books Anymore! Come and meet Natalie and Alphonse and make your own picture books at Cambridge’s very best bookshop. 2-4pm, free but booking required.

7th-20th June 2018
World Illustration Awards Exhibition
Somerset House, London (then touring)

I DO NOT LIKE BOOKS ANYMORE! has been shortlisted for the AOI’s World Illustration Awards, so some of the screen-printed artwork is included in this free exhibition: LOOK at all the amazing stuff that will be there too! Exhibition details from Somerset House. The exhibition will tour the UK throughout 2018 and 2019 (and travel to the Seoul Illustration Fair!).

22nd-24th June 2018
ELCAF (East London Comics & Arts Festival)
The Round Chapel, Hackney, London
I’ll be at ELCAF with Brolly Lolly collective for the FIFTH time (they keep letting us come back – strange but yay) with lots of signed books, comics, prints, bags, badges and STUFF. There’s loads on the programme and Brolly Lolly are running a workshop too. Please come and say hello!

10th May 2018
I DO NOT LIKE BOOKS ANYMORE! Book Launch
Gosh! London

Come and help celebrate Natalie and Alphonse’s second adventure, I DO NOT LIKE BOOKS ANYMORE! at London’s most beautiful comic shop. See Gosh! on facebook for info. There may be monster biscuits…

21st April 2018
Adult Masterclass: Developing Ideas for Picture Books
House of Illustration, London

Trying to come up with a picture book idea can be daunting and developing an idea for publication can take years. How can we trick ourselves into remaining playful, in order to surprise ourselves and our readers?

Find out more and book at House of Illustration

9th December 2017
The Illustrators’ Christmas Fair at House of Illustration, London
For the first time ever I’ll have a table all on my own – please come and say hello! I’ll have original screenprints from The Girl with the Parrot on her Head, Alphonse that is not ok to do! and Hilda and the Runaway Baby, little prints, Christmas cards, screenprinted tote bags, signed books, comics, badges… MANY THINGS. Details from House of Illustration.

9th July 2017
The Illustrators’ Fair at House of Illustration, London
I’ll be at selling signed books, comics, prints, badges, pencil cases and STUFF on the Brolly Lolly table at House of Illustration’s summer fair. Please come say hi.

15th July 2017
Hilda and the Runaway Baby printmaking family workshop at House of Illustration, London
In Hilda and the Runaway Baby, Hilda the red pig becomes an unlikely hero and changes her own life forever when she rescues an adventurous baby careering down a hill. Explore animal characters as heroes and friends, invent your own and experiment with various kinds of printmaking. Tickets from House of Illustration.

16 – 18th June 2017
ELCAF (East London Comics & Arts Festival), London
My fourth time at ELCAF with Brolly Lolly collective.

27th May 2015
ALPHONSE, THAT IS NOT OK TO DO! Monster finger puppet workshop
Greenwich Book Festival, London
A reading and workshop based on my second book at Greenwich Book festival.

27th March – 26th April 2017
Hilda and the Runaway Baby in Hatched!
Exhibition at the Hive, Worcester
A group exhibition at the Hive library, featuring original artwork and development work for new books by four University of Worcester Illustration tutors: Piet Grobler, Becky Palmer, Stephen Fowler and me. Becky and I ran some children’s workshops too. Read more about Hatched!

21st-24th February 2017
WayWord festival at Chester Town Hall
My third attempt at being Festival Illustrator for Chester’s children’s festival involved three workshops – on paper puppets, fabric-printing and drawing games – and drawing everybody as animals. Blogpost here.

21st October 2016
ALPHONSE, THAT IS NOT OK TO DO! at Loogabarooga Festival, Loughborough Library
A chance to hear all about Natalie and Alphonse and make MONSTER PUPPETS at this reading and workshop for children aged 4+ at the best-named festival of them all, Loogabarooga!

1st May 2016
The Girl with the Parrot on her Head, Stratford-upon-Avon Literary Festival, Stratford Artshouse
A reading and workshop for children aged 4+ at Stratford-upon-Avon Literary Festival, featuring the boy with the t-rex on his head.

30th April 2016
ALPHONSE, THAT IS NOT OK TO DO! Workshop, House of Illustration, London
Natalie and Alphonse are small monsters who like to make things, and to draw strange and exciting adventures for themselves. Alphonse also eats books. A workshop about making monster puppets and adventurous illustrations based on my second picture book: read all about the workshop here.
20th April 2016

ALPHONSE, THAT IS NOT OK TO DO! Launch party, Gosh! London
A party to celebrate my new book, complete with baking by Emily Wilkinson (of the wolf biscuits) at London’s best and most beautiful comic shop. Here’s a blogpost all about it.

9th April 2016
Window residency at Mainstreet Trading Company, St. Boswells
I went all the way to Scotland to paint a window and fill it with cardboard monsters Mainstreet Trading Company, a beautiful book shop in the borders. Read more in this blogpost.

13th-17th February 2016
ALPHONSE, THAT IS NOT OK TO DO!
WayWord Festival, Chester
I had the most amazing time running workshops inspired by The Girl with the Parrot on her Head at WayWord in 2015, so I was very happy to be Festival llustrator again in 2016. As well as drawing all the goings-on I did a reading and drawing event and two workshops based on ALPHONSE, THAT IS NOT OK TO DO! Read more in this blogpost.

13-15th November 2015
China Shanghai International Children’s Bookfair
The Girl with the Parrot on her Head was a finalist in the Golden Pinwheel Young Illustrators Competition and illustrations from the book featured in an exhibition at China’s children’s bookfair.

29th September 2015
The Girl with the Parrot on her Head at Henley Literary Festival
A reading and workshop for children aged 3+ as part of the Henley Literary Festival: families and children from local nurseries did some great drawing and made parrots and other beasts to live on their heads.

5th September-30th October 2015
Exhibition: prints from The Girl with the Parrot on her Head, Hornsey Library, London
Most of the original artwork for my first book was included in this exhibition in the brilliant children’s department at Hornsey Library, Crouch End. This exhibition spent the summer at Pickled Pepper Books and then travelled round the corner as it couldn’t quite bear to leave the area. The illustrations are hand-made screenprints (here’s a blog about them) of 4-9 colours; if you are interested in buying a print please get in touch.

5th June-4th September 2015
Exhibition: prints from The Girl with the Parrot on her Head, Pickled Pepper Books, London
An exhibition of the original screen-printed artwork for my first book, at Crouch End’s specialist children’s bookshop.

5th August 2015
Ladybird by Design family workshop at House of Illustration, London
This workshop I led with Becky Palmer was inspired by the Ladybird by Design exhibition at House of Illustration. We attempted to find out what kinds of Ladybird books (and 3D artefacts) ladybirds would make.
You can read about my last workshop at House of Illustration in this post I wrote for their blog.

20th-21st June 2015
ELCAF, London
I had a grand time exhibiting at the East London Comic Arts Festival with Brolly Lolly collective. We sold zines, books, badges, prints on paper, prints on t-shirts and I can’t remember what else – and we ran a free workshop entitled Masks of the Cloud Beasts.

13th June 2015
The Girl with the Parrot on her Head, Pickled Pepper Books, London
A reading and workshop for children aged 3+ as part of the Crouch End Festival: another batch of excellent head-beasts, including this very fine parrot and (as is usual in Haringey) unicorns.

30th May 2015
The Girl with the Parrot on her Head workshop, House of Illustration, London
The girl with the parrot on her head has a system for sorting things out: a box for everything from broken umbrellas to wolves. We made a new system in the form of a giant mural, animal friends to wear on our heads and cardboard beasts to take home. An afternoon of drawing, painting, making and stories for children aged 3+ and their parents/carers. Read all about it on the House of Illustration blog.

2nd May 2015
Free Comic Book Day, Gosh! London
A dead nice morning with a heap of amazing comics and picturebook makers and the splendid staff of Gosh! I got to doodle and sign books and DRAW ON THE WINDOW!

6th March 2015
World Book Day, Campsbourne School, London
Pickled Pepper arranged for me to visit Campsbourne in Haringey to join in their World Book Day celebrations. I had a great time reading The Girl with the Parrot on her Head with Reception, who were very good at spotting WOLVES and made excellent animal headbands (there are more girls with unicorns on their heads in Haringey than you might think).

14th-18th February 2015
WayWord Festival, Chester
As resident Illustrator at Chester’s Children’s festival WayWord I ran three fun workshops, read from and talked about The Girl with the Parrot on her Head, made new stories in a picturebook jam with Kate Pankhurst and did lots of drawings of the festival. I wrote about it in this blogpost.
(Photo © Mark Carline for Chester Performs)

3rd February 2015
Book launch for The Girl with the Parrot on her Head
At Daunt Books, Hampstead, with wolf biscuits by Love & Cake: read about it here.