Come and join in the fun at our It’s A Wrap! Festival Finale in Jaywick Martello Tower, one of county’s most intriguing and iconic heritage buildings on the Essex Coast, where there’ll be activities and workshops for all ages.

Here’s an overview (click on the links for more information and to book):

Festival Peace Wall
All day
Come and see and participate in our Festival Peace Wall. Both children and adults have been sharing what peace means to them, writing and drawing messages of peace to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War. We’ve invited children in Tendring and across Essex to exchange messages with new friends from Jaywick’s twin towns: Valance in France, Biberach in Germany and Świdnica in Poland, in this exciting postcard exchange project. All day, free, drop-in

100o Peace Cranes
Help Essex Book Festival and friends in their pledge to make 1000 origami cranes, in memory of Sadako Sasaki, a victim of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. All cranes made so far this March will be exhibited at the Tower. All day, free, drop-in

Peace Bunting Print Workshop
10.30am – 12.30pm
Come along for a sun printing workshop on fabric, to make bunting with a message of peace using plant material, letters and acetates, with artist Angenita Hardy-Teekens You’ll learn all about the cyanotype method, an early Victorian way of making shadows with objects using the suns UV light. Suitable for all ages (3+). Free , donations welcome.

Tower Tales
11.00am – 3.00pm
Climb the tower to join the JMT’s Writer-in-Residence Ruth Raymer. Listen to some Tower Tales or join in the Pop-Up Peace Tower by doing some writing of your own. Suitable for all ages. Free, drop-in.

If you’re an early bird…. Join Ruth at 10am for a short morning stroll along the sea wall, gathering inspiration for writing later in the day.

Wild Writing Workshop: Beachcombing for Words
10.30am – 12.30pm
A workshop inspired by the beach, involving some beachcombing, with a return to the Tower for some writing exercises and work on creative writing with Essex-based writers Judith Wolton and Wendy Constance. Participants should leave with at least ideas and the start for a poem or a piece of prose responding to the beach experience. Please bring writing materials, and be prepared for a brief beach walk. Suitable for ages 16+, £5 payable on the door.

Sumi Ink Club
1.30 – 4.00pm
Everyone is invited to come along and create a community mural that will evole and grow throughout the afternoon on the theme of Pease, Place and Community. Bring yourselves, bring your friends, bring your grandparents – come and draw with us! Sumi Ink Club is run by Liz Spalding, Robert Lock and Andy Gibbs. Suitable for all ages. Free, drop-in.

Our Natural World Storytelling hour
2.00 – 3.00pm
From Ants, Bees and Cranes to Whales, Yellow butterflies and Zebras, this storytelling hour involves not only listening to stories, but also making up stories about creatures great and small in our natural world. Led by award-winning shoildren’s author Wendy Constance. Suitable for ages 6-9. Free, donations welcome

All Essex Book Festival YOUNG ESSEX events are Children’s University Learning Destinations – bring your Passport to Learning, get it stamped and enjoy your learning journey!

Essex Book Festival is partnering up once again with Essex Children’s University, which provides 5-14 year olds with exciting learning experiences outside school. Issued with a Passport to Learning, CU Learners collect stamps, working towards a special Graduation Ceremony. For more info and how to get a Passport to Learning, visit essexchildrensuniversity.co.uk