Sophie’s illustrated talks include:
- ‘The Secrets of Filming Swallows & Amazons’
- ‘Swallows & Amazons – the film locations’
- ‘Swallows & Amazons – filming afloat’
- ‘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 and the work of Bible Society.
- ‘The Waterberg Trust’ ~ a charity supporting rural people in S.Africa.
- Litter picking along Solent shores
Talks 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 come and give a talk please e-mail ~ 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
Recent talks have included ~
- Q&A with Diana Quick at Aldeburgh Cinema in association with Aldeburgh Bookshop
- Speaking at TARS Literary Weekend at the Royal Agricultural University
- Sophie joined authors Julia Jones and Peter Willis at the Essex Book Festival
- 28th July 2018 – Q&A after a screening of the original film ‘Swallows and Amazons'(1974) in association with the Keswick Convention.
- April – A Talk at the Roseland Festival 2017 in St Mawes at the Hotel Tresanton cinema.
- a 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 after a screening of Swallows & Amazons.
- Q&A and talk at the Curious Arts Festival 2015 in the New Forest
photo: George Ping
- An illustrated talk on ‘The Secrets of filming Coot Club and The Big Six‘ in East Anglia.
- An Illustrated talk on ‘Swallows & Amazons’, the film locations’ for the The Arthur Ransome Society in Scotland.
- An illustrated talk on Swallows & Amazons at the Royal London Yacht Club in Cowes, Isle of Wight.
- Q&A at Zeffirelli’s in Ambleside, the cinema visited by the cast and crew of Swallows & Amazons (1974)
- Swallows & Amazons was screened at the Brewery Arts Centre Cinema, Kendal with Q&A by Sophie Neville.
- Q&A after the 40th Anniversary screening of ‘Swallows & Amazons’ (U) at The Hackney PictureHouse, London.
- Introducing a 40th Anniversary screening of StudioCanal’s digitally restored version of Swallows & Amazons (U) at the Electric Cinema in Hastings as part of the Pirate Day celebrations. To book tickets for 2015 please click here.
- An illustrated talk on ‘Charts and Mapping’. Contact TARS for details of talks in 2015.
- 40th Anniversary talk on ‘Swallows & Amazons, the film locations’ ~ for The Arthur Ransome Society with The Arthur Ransome Trust.
- 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 on ‘The Secrets of Filming ‘Swallows & Amazons’ for TARS East in Suffolk.
- An introduction to Swallows & Amazons (1974) at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club.
- An illustrated talk for the Solent Section of the Cruising Association at The Mercury Marina on the Hamble.
- An illustrated talk for parents and pupils at Walhampton School.
- ‘China’s Bestseller and the Amity Printing Press’ in the Waterberg, South Africa
- 30th Anniversary talk on BBC adaptations of ‘Coot Club’ and ‘The Big Six’ at the Royal Harwich Yacht Club.
- 40th Anniversary talk for The Arthur Ransome Society IAGM at Brockenhurst College in the New Forest.
- A talk about ‘Funnily Enough’ for the Oakridge Book Club
- The Michael Croft Theatre for Dulwich Film
- Royal Lymington Yacht Club on Filming ‘Swallows & Amazons’
- River Severn Motor Yacht Club in aid of Comic Relief
The Secrets of Filming of ‘Swallows & Amazons’
- Emmanuel Stoughton, Guildford on the Amity Printing Press and China’s Bestseller
- For videos on the subject please click on : ~ http://vimeo.com/28709358
- Meeting members of the Guildford Chinese Student Christian Union at the talk ~
- An illustrated talk at Orwell Park.
- Speaking at The Arthur Ransome Society Southern Region annual lunch in Arundel
- An illustrated talk for The Arthur Ransome Society’s 11th Literary Weekend 2011
- 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 at Lymington Baptist Church .
- St Barnabus Church, Weeke, Winchester a talk for Bible Sunday and a talk with slides 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.
An unexpected guest, who turned up at my talk on Otter Conservation in 2001 ~
Fascinating – wish I lived near Lymington
Over 120 people attended a superb Talk given by Sophie at The Royal Lymington Yacht Club on 20 March. The talk was hugely informative, not only about the filming of ‘Swallow and Amazons’, but also about film work in general. It was highly entertaining: many secrets were revealed! The audience was enchanted by the wonderful tales, photos and footage. Well done!
Thank you so much for coming along! I had quite a few phone calls from people who couldn’t come but wanted to, and I know the Club had to turn others away, so we might be able to put on another sometime soon. I thought the screen, lighting and other electronic facilities at the club were great. If we do it again in this area I’ll make it a little different – perhaps less focused on how to shoot sailing scenes.