Neil Nixon

Location: Maidstone, Kent
About The Speaker...

Neil Nixon is an author and creative consultant who has written or edited almost 30 books and contributed to 20 more. He has written for stage, screen and radio including the radio play Mr Lennon which was nominated for a Sony Radio Academy Award. Neil led the developments that founded the UK’s first higher education programme in Professional Writing and managed the course for 20 years. Much of his written work has focused on the paranormal and popular music and his current offer of talks includes material on both subjects based on books written by Neil.

About Their Talks...

My talks provide insights, surprises and occasional humour, covering subjects that remain a passion for me. The talks listed here are all designed for groups used to booking speakers and I have presented to U3A, WI and Rotary audiences, as well as groups like a local branch of Parkinson’s UK. I am always willing to negotiate specific elements of a talk in advance and all of the listed talks can be adapted to suit specific needs if required. More than anything, I aim to engage with a group, provide a unique insight and some laughs and energy and leave time for questions and comments.

Fee:

Basic talk fees are currently set at £75, I add additional fees if travelling over an hour from home – Maidstone – and am also happy to negotiate longer events (for example, adding a workshop with the writing talk or longer Q&A sessions to all talks).

My Contact Details:
Phone:

07947749075

Getting a Break as a Writer

A pragmatic insight into all of the ways someone intending to write for a living might earn money, make contacts and shorten their odds against rejection. I have been writing for publication all of my adult life and spent 20 years combining that with running a university course in Professional Writing (employment that gave me insights into areas of the writing world I’d never thought to inhabit myself). The talk is easily adapted for groups with an interest in writing and can – by negotiation – include practical writing exercises and/or additional work feeding back on writing samples from audience members.

Beatles Myths and Legends

Probably the one Beatles story you don’t know well. A, by-turns, amazing, chilling and hilarious account of stories told about the Fab Four that beggar belief but are – occasionally – true. The imaginative genius and terrifying reality of Beatle fandom is here exposed in a range of tales from the fairly well known (John was assassinated to order/Paul died in 1966 and was replaced by an impostor) to the lesser known story of George’s similar replacement in the mid-seventies and the widely held belief among some that the band recorded under assumed names well into the late 1970’s. Somewhere along the line we’ll also attack the myth that there is very little that’s interesting about Ringo Starr!

UFOs, Aliens and the Battle for the Truth

An accessible history of all things strange in the sky (and a few abduction claims). Based on the book of the same name this is an objective overview of a range of claims from the fantastic to the highly skeptical taking in the best known UFO cases (like the Roswell incident), along with some jaw dropping incidents rarely discussed (including the midlands housewife who offered mince pies to visiting aliens and the retired soldier rejected by ageist aliens for abduction in Aldershot in 1983). I’ll share a few of my own tales from a lifetime of involvement, research and writing including the one time I communicated with aliens (by post, to an Oxfordshire address) and the time M15 interrupted my reporting on a mystery and chased me across Kent.

Elvis, Someone You'll Never Forget

An overview of the most successful solo artist in the history of popular music with detours to some strange and little known facts about the career of The King. Something for everyone, from die-hard fans to those with little interest, and a chance to explore the life, and strange after-life of a man who remains a hero to millions.

Why Mystery Matters

Most of us love a mystery, but few of us take time to think about the role mystery plays in our lives. Neil Nixon has spent a lifetime fascinated with the big mysteries – especially those classed as paranormal – and this talk draws on his published work dealing with subjects like UFOs and ghosts, but also takes time to consider the importance to all our lives of connecting with something bigger than ourselves that we struggle to explain. Thought provoking, insightful and occasionally hilarious it’s also a presentation that can easily be adapted to the needs of specific groups.

Neil Nixon Contact Details:
Phone:

07947749075

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