Talks

“We like to invite inspirational women speakers and… would love to hear your story.”

“Your talk and the breadth of material covered was excellent and much appreciated.”

Sophie’s illustrated talks include:

•  ‘The Secrets of Filming Swallows & Amazons’ 
•  ‘Swallows & Amazons – the film locations’
•  Memories of a reluctant movie star
•  ‘The Secrets of filming Coot Club and The Big Six in Norfolk’
•  ‘Charts and decorative maps – the Arthur Ransome influence’
•  The extraordinary story of a Commonwealth Soldier in WWII 
•  ‘Funnily Enough, the true story’ ~ living with tame otters in the Cotswolds
•  ‘Ride the Wings of Morning’ ~ on working on horse safaris in Southern Africa
•  ‘Riding across South America on a horse’ and other great rides
•  ‘China’s Bestseller’ ~ on printing the Bible in China
•  ‘The Waterberg Trust’ ~ a charity supporting rural people in S.Africa
•  The Silent Sea: Litter picking along Solent shores

Talks or speeches last from 5 to 50 minutes, as requested. Each one is illustrated with a Power-point presentation of photographs or with DVDs. If you would like Sophie to give a talk please email  talks@sophieneville.co.uk

 ~ Please click here to listen to recent interviews with Sophie Neville ~

Please click here for dates of future talks and appearances at festivals

“The talk and slide-show were pitched perfectly for this group, as their fascination revealed. I think they could have carried on asking you questions all afternoon!”

Talks have included ~

• Q&A with Diana Quick at Aldeburgh Cinema
• Three talks at the Southampton International Boat Show
• Literary weekends at Edinburgh and Bristol Universities
• Illustrated talk at the Royal Thames Yacht Club, London
• Joining authors Julia Jones and Peter Willis at the Essex Book Festival

• Q&A after screening the movie ‘Swallows and Amazons'(1974) in association with the Keswick Convention

• A Talk at the Roseland Festival in St Mawes at the Hotel Tresanton cinema
• Q&A at the Riverside cinema to celebrate ‘100 Years of Film’

• Brewery Arts Centre Cinema, Kendal screening with Q&A by Sophie Neville

• Talk on ‘Open the Book’ at 24 Rivers in the Waterberg, South Africa
• Q&A from Sophie Neville at the Riverside Cinema in Woodbridge, Suffolk 
• Q&A and talk at the Curious Arts Festival in the New Forest

photo: George Ping

• Illustrated talks on ‘The Secrets of filming Coot Club and The Big Six‘

• A talk on ‘Swallows & Amazons'(1974), film Locations’ in Scotland.
• A talk at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club , Lymington Town Sailing Club, and the Royal London Yacht Club in Cowes on the Isle of Wight
• Q&A at  Zeffirelli’s Cinema in Ambleside

• Q&A after the 40th Anniversary screening of ‘Swallows & Amazons'(1974) at The Hackney PictureHouse, London

• Introducing a 40th Anniversary screening of StudioCanal’s digitally restored version of  Swallows & Amazons (1974) at the Electric Cinema in Hastings

• An illustrated talk on ‘Charts and Mapping’
• 40th Anniversary talk for The Arthur Ransome Society 
• A talk at the Arthur Ransome weekend at Rydal Hall
• An illustrated talk at St John’s Church in the Waterberg, South Africa
• An illustrated talk for the Cruising Association on the Hamble
• An illustrated talk for parents and pupils at Walhampton School

• ‘China’s Bestseller and the Amity Printing Press’ in South Africa
• Talk on ‘Coot Club’ and ‘The Big Six’  at the Royal Harwich Yacht Club
• 40th Anniversary talk at Brockenhurst College in the New Forest
• A talk about ‘Funnily Enough’ for Book Clubs
• The Michael Croft Theatre for Dulwich Film
• River Severn Motor Yacht Club in aid of Comic Relief

The Secrets of Filming of ‘Swallows & Amazons’

• Emmanuel Stoughton, Guildford on China’s Bestseller
• Meeting members of the Guildford Chinese Student Christian Union

• An illustrated talk  at Orwell Park.

•  Speaking at The Arthur Ransome Society annual lunch in Arundel

• An illustrated talk  for The Arthur Ransome Society’s Literary Weekend
• A power point presentation at St John’s Church Boldre on China’s bestseller  

• An illustrated talk on the Bible Society in China and World Mission

• St Barnabus Church, Winchester – a talk for Bible Sunday on China.
• St John’s Church, Nursling – an illustrated talk on China’s Best seller.

Comments following recent talks ~

‘It was not so much a talk as a first-rate full-on presentation. It was really very good indeed.  I, for one, was quite enthralled, and deeply fascinated by the insight you gave us into the making of the film, as well as a film… I was drawn into another world of which I had no previous knowledge.  Your enthusiasm and humour was infectious.  ‘Effervescence’ is a word that comes to mind!  Peter Bell The Arthur Ransome Society

‘You did a great job – very relaxed and natural but also passionate about the subject, well done!’  Don O’Connor, St John’s Church

‘…you are entertaining enough to listen to 5 times over ’ Magnus Smith of Sail Ransome

‘…you were a huge hit.’  Peter Wright of The Arthur Ransome Society Literary Weekend

‘We very much enjoyed your talk and the pictures…  your company really made the occasion.’  David Ross of the Arthur Ransome Society Southern Branch

‘A dream of a talk and a privilege to be there.’  Jill Goulder

‘lovely gentle charm –  truly representative of the Swallows and Amazon ‘dream’.  Thank you so much … sorry not to see you but you were busy!’  Caroline

‘It was very lively and I could hear every word!’ A member of TARS

A talk with DVD’s at Hordle Walhampton School on the Waterberg Welfare Society, who help rural people address the onslaught of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, where Sophie lived for twelve years.

When I first started giving talks ~

…they were often held outside with no microphone, let alone a power-point presentation but got large audiences.

An unexpected guest, who turned up at my talk on Otter Conservation in 2001 ~