- June 6 - August 29 #wordsmatter
May 2021
- Digital
- Essex Writers House
- ESTUARY 2021
- Partner Event
ESTUARY 2021
23 Days of Art, Music, Literature and Film Estuary 2021 is the second edition of the large-scale arts festival that celebrates the lives, landscapes and histories of the spectacular Thames Estuary. Taking place on the river itself, and along the 83 miles of South Essex and North Kent coastline, contemporary artworks, discussion and events explore and respond to powerful themes resonant to the estuary. Artworks set in the landscape, online and within Covid-safe venues, explore the estuary through the lens… Read more
- Essex Writers House
- ESTUARY 2021
- Partner Event
Cafe Valise
WED – SUN, 22 MAY – 29 AUG, 12.00 – 7.00PM Enjoy a cuppa at Metal’s pop-up Cafe Valise on the veranda of the grade II listed Chalkwell Hall and be inspired by the beautiful surroundings of Chalkwell Park whilst you write your novel, do your homework or share your ideas. From Voltaire to Hemingway and Sue Townsend to JK Rowling, writers have a long tradition of writing and observing life from cafés and bars. www.essexwritershouse.com Read more
June 2021
- Essex Writers House
- In partnership
- Residency
Remote Writers Residency
Essex Writers' House in partnership with English Pen as part of their centenary celebrations, have created a remote residency opportunity for one writer based in Essex to create a new piece of writing that will be shared at the end of the month across Essex Writers House, Essex Book Festival and other platforms. Be sure to follow their journey. www.essexwritershouse.com Read more
- Digital
- In partnership
- Re-Writing the Archive
- Workshop
Re-Writing the Archive – Online Writing Workshop with Thurrock Museum
Essex Book Festival has joined forces with the Essex Museums on an exciting new writing project: Rewriting the Archive. A team of writers and artists, assisted by four curators, have each been invited to select ten objects from the County’s heritage collections that tell difficult ‘stories’. These objects will form the basis of four two-hour online writing/artist workshops. Thurrock Museums hosts Syd Moore, writer, activist and founding member of Essex Girls Liberation Front as she explores the collection at Thurrock… Read more
- Flash Fiction
- Outside
- Storytelling
- The Story Hunters
- Workshop
The Story Hunters Project and Competition
As the story goes, Ernest Hemingway won a bet by writing a short story that was only six words long: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Essex Book Festival and Explore Essex challenge you to do the same. You are invited to write a piece of fiction or a poem between 50-250 words based on a visit to 1 of 20 designated Essex heritage sites or Green Spaces. Once you have submitted your story, it will be posted on our… Read more
- Digital
- Essex Writers House
- Partner Event
ESSEX WRITERS HOUSE 2021
June - August Essex Writers’ House pop-up festival in partnership with Essex Book Festival is back for 2021. We are bringing you a range of inspiring online and uplifting outdoor events with opportunities to raise the spirits and reconnect through writing and words. Anchored to the grade II listed Chalkwell Hall in Chalkwell Park - Essex Writers’ House is an opportunity to meet new people, share ideas, get inspired and explore the power of creative writing on the road to… Read more
- Essex Writers House
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
- Non-fiction
Radical Marshes – Wat Tyler Country
Tom King has an unsurpassed knowledge and passion for walking the Thames Estuary coastline. On this outing Tom takes us across the radical marshes into Wat Tyler country, leading us to where The Peasants Revolt began, through the lowlands and across the marshes to the White Lion Pub in Fobbing (which is thought to be haunted by previous occupants) for some respite. Meet at Wat Tyler Park Length: 3 Hours Difficulty: Flat terrain but mixture of footing Read more
- Digital
- Discussion
- Festival Launch
- Non-fiction
Festival Launch – We need to talk about Essex Girls
Join us for the Launch event of the 2021 festival with the amazing Women of Essex: Sarah Perry, Patron of Essex Book Festival, Syd Moore, Writer, Co- founder of the Essex Girls Liberation Front, Sadie Hasler, Playwright, Journalist and Director of Old Trunk Theatre Company, and honorary Essex Girl, Festival Director Ros Green, who will be discussing what it means to be an Essex Girl: the jokes, the misconceptions, and the strengths and growing movements that are starting to challenge… Read more
- Digital
- Discussion
- In Conversation
- In partnership
- Non-fiction
Index on Censorship Panel Discussion – Poland Today: Women, Censorship and Human Rights
The times we live in offer no escape from politics and the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people in Poland have been rapidly deteriorating under the current right-wing, populist government. Continued attacks and attempts to curb rights and freedoms – such as a near-total ban on abortion and local authorities proclaiming “LGBTQ+-free zones” – have resulted in protests, marches and arrests of those who are being silenced and marginalised. But how has this upheaval impacted literature? Has there been an… Read more
- In Conversation
- In partnership
- Non-fiction
How Britain Ends
Award-winning TV and Radio presenter, Scottish novelist and Journalist Gavin Esler will be discussing his latest book How Britain Ends to Professor Lorna Fox O’ Mahoney. Essential reading for anyone interested in how the UK has become so fractured, and how it might be put back together. This is a partnership event with University of Essex. Tickets : £10/ £8 /£5 Read more
- Digital
- In Conversation
- In partnership
- Non-fiction
1, 2, 3, 4 The Beatles in Time
From the bestselling author of Ma’am Darling comes a kaleidoscopic mixture of history, etymology, diaries, autobiography, fan letters, essays, parallel lives, party lists, charts, interviews, announcements and stories. Best known for his parodies in Private Eye, critic and satirist Craig Brown’s One Two Three Four: The Beatles In Time, Winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2020. This a partnership event with Anglia Ruskin University. Tickets are £10/ £8 / £5. Read more
- Digital
- Theatre
MASKED – Launch / Virtual Opening Night
MASKED explores undiagnosed female neurodivergency through the lives of three women. What happens when you know you’re the weird girl? The one no one wants to play with. The one who can’t hold down a job. How do you hide who you are? And what happens when you can’t hide it anymore? Written by award winning Essex writer, Nicola Werenowska and directed by Jeni Draper. The theatre screening will be followed by a live panel discussion with writer, cast and… Read more
- ESTUARY 2021
- In partnership
- Online
Meet the Writers – Sutton Manor
Hosted by curator Gareth Evans, this online event brings together Amina Atiq, Season Butler, Alison Moore and Martha Pailing to read from their work, discuss their approaches to the commission and share their impressions of the distant and removed Sutton Manor. It will be hosted from our Live programme page on http://www.estuaryfestival.com/ Read more
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
- Non-fiction
- SOLD OUT!
Witch Trail – Manningtree to Mistley
Syd Moore leads a guided walk from Manningtree to Mistley the setting for one of the biggest witch hysteria’s the county has ever seen, and which are mentioned in several of her books. The walk promises a discussion about witchfinder general and associates and their motivations, and a commemoration to some who the lost their lives. The walk brings the villages to life, where the participants are transformed back to the time of the witch trials. Read more
- For Writers
- Workshop
Self Editing and Self Publishing Workshop
Why is it important to self-edit your manuscript and how should you do it? What are the advantages of self-publishing your book, and what do you need to be aware of if you’re looking to collaborate with a professional or publishing business? Find the answers to these questions in this Zoom workshop with author and editor, Maddy Glenn. Read more
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
Riots and Rebellion in Colchester
Colchester has always been an epicentre of radicalism: from John Ball’s Peasants Revolt to The modern Poll Tax riots: and from the three day battle of St Botolphs to the Siege: the fight for margarine in Long Wyre Street and the one-boy battle against caning. Join Dorian Kelly as he takes you in his inimitable combination of stories, poetry and street theatre on a covid-safe constitutional cabinet of curiosities through the town centre. Tickets: £8 / £5 Read more
- Digital
- Essex Writers House
Fens, Forests and Fields
Fens, forests and Fields is an astonishing new book about a landscape in Essex that time forgot; The Land of the Fanns: www.landofthefanns.org In this talk, one of its authors, Ken Worpole, will discuss what he discovered on his journeys through ‘the Fanns’, exploring the ebb and flow between London and Essex that has created this liminal landscape. Ken Worpole is a renowned author and social historian. His many books include 350 Miles: An Essex Journey (2005) & The New… Read more
- Essex Writers House
- Outside
- Partner Event
Fens, Forest and Field Bike Ride
Join Ken Worpole on a gentle cycle across ‘the Fanns’, exploring hidden gems and local stories that uncover the history of this unique landscape. Starting and finishing in Rainham, a maximum of 12 miles. More Info: : www.essexwritershouse.com Read more
- In partnership
- Online
- Re-Writing the Archive
- Workshop
Re-Writing the Archive with Southend Museums
Essex Book Festival has joined forces with Essex Museums on an exciting new writing project: Rewriting the Archive. A team of writers and artists, assisted by four curators, have each been invited to select ten objects from the County’s heritage collections that tell difficult ‘stories’. These objects will form the basis of four two-hour online writing/artist workshops. Delaine Le Bas, British Multi-Media Artist explores life from a British Romany perspective using objects and archival material based within Southend Museum’s… Read more
- Digital
- In partnership
- Re-Writing the Archive
- Workshop
Re-Writing the Archive with Harlow Museums
Essex Book Festival has joined forces with Essex Museums on an exciting new writing project: Rewriting the Archive. A team of writers and artists, assisted by four curators, have each been invited to select ten objects from the County’s heritage collections that tell difficult ‘stories’. These objects will form the basis of four two-hour online writing/artist workshops. UK-based Polish writer Agnieszka Dale explores the Outsider’s experience using objects from Harlow Museum’s collection. Tickets: £5 pp Limited places book early Read more
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
- Partner Event
Beach of Dreams, 500 Miles 500 people, 500 Dreams,500 Silks
A collaborative walk from Lowerstoft to Tilbury. Beach of Dreamsis an epic journey to discover hidden gems of the East of England Coast line, inviting collaboration from communities and artists along the way in Suffolk, Essex, Southend and Thurrock. Kinetika’s Artistic Director, Ali Pretty, and Guardian journalist Kevin Rushby are walking the entire route, joined by artists, writers, scientists, and local residents. Together, guided by strong environmental themes and the challenges of our current time, they will consider the question… Read more
- Art
- Exhibition
SHE HEALS
Digital Artist and Composer Lily Hunter Green collaborates with Essex Steamettes, a group of young female coders (9-19 years), and computer scientist Karun Matharu, to create an exciting new work SHE HEALS. An immersive digital Sci-Art hive populated by LED drone bees, SHE HEALS tells the mesmerizing story of how female honeybees work as a collective to protect their community from viral attacks. SHE HEALS has evolved out of Lily Hunter Green’s previous work Silencing The Virus, a Chelmsford City… Read more
- Outside
- The Story Hunters
- Workshop
Story Hunter Workshop – Danbury Country Park
The Story Hunters Project Creative Writing Workshops In tandem with our Story Hunters Flash Fiction Competition we are hosting a series of four writing workshops in four of the designated Story Hunter sites: Jaywick Martello Tower, Cressing Temple Barns, Danbury Park, and Hadleigh County Park. Each writing workshop will include a guided tour of the site. Join novelist and lecturer Jonathan Crane, author of We Need To Talk, on a tour of Danbury Country Park, followed by a 2-hour Flash… Read more
July 2021
- Essex Writers House
- For Writers
- In partnership
Hotdesks
Wednesday - Saturday 10.30 - 17.30 Essex Writers’ House Hot Desks are back by popular demand and with additional slots and social distancing protocols. Two FREE hot desks will be available each day at Chalkwell Hall, with inspiring Thames Estuary views. BOOK HERE www.esssexwritershouse.com Read more
- Essex Writers House
- Workshop
Creative Journalling Workshop
Inspired by the beautiful journals created by people living along both sides of the Estuary as part of ‘The Water Replies’ project, this workshop will take you on a journey exploring the art of journalling through creative wellbeing exercises and fast-paced poetry. This workshop is open to complete beginners and seasoned journalers, offering a fun, relaxed and supportive online session. With time for journal sharing and chatting too! www.essexwritershouse.com Read more
- Fiction
The Secrets of the Lake
Liz Trenow, bestselling author of In Love and War and Under a Wartime Sky, returns to her East Anglian roots for her latest novel The Secrets of the Lake. Inspired by the intriguing legend of a dragon said to live in a supposedly bottomless lake on the Essex/Suffolk border, it is a coming of age story with a tragic mystery at its heart. The traumas of two world wars reverberate through a rural village, rocking the community and threatening the… Read more
- In partnership
- Poetry
A Fire In My Head
Nigerian poet, novelist, short-story writer and playwright Ben Okri, will be discussing his latest collection of poems A Fire in My Head with Dr Jak Peake. A powerful testament to today, the collection covers topics as far reaching as the refugee crisis, Obama, Grenfell Tower, and the impact of Covid. This is a partnership event with University of Essex. Tickets £10 / Pay What You Can Read more
- Outside
- The Story Hunters
- Workshop
The Story Hunters Workshop – Cressing Temple Barns
The Story Hunters Project Creative Writing Workshops In tandem with our Story Hunters Flash Fiction Competition we are hosting a series of four writing workshops in four of the designated Story Hunter sites: Jaywick Martello Tower, Cressing Temple Barns, Danbury Park, and Hadleigh County Park. Each writing workshop will include a guided tour of the site. Join UK-based polish writer Agnieszka Dale, author of The Fox Season, on a tour of Cressing Temple Barns, followed by a 2-hour Short Fiction… Read more
- Digital
- Essex Writers House
- Memoir
Inventory of a Life Mislaid – An Unreliable Memoir
Inventory Of A Life Mislaid follows Marina Warner’s beautiful, penniless young mother Ilia as she leaves southern Italy in 1945 to travel alone to London. Her husband, an English colonel is still away; in the war in the East as she begins to learn how to be Mrs Esmond Warner, an Englishwoman. Marina Warner is a writer of fiction, criticism and history; her works include novels and short stories as well as studies of art, myths, symbols and fairy stories.… Read more
- Non-fiction
100 Great Black Britains
A pivotal investigation into the role Black Britons have played in the island’s history over the past thousand years, that brings many unjustly neglected figures vividly to life. This book is in collaboration with the 100 Great Black Britons campaign founded and run by Patrick Vernon OBE. In the wake of the 2018 Windrush scandal, and against the backdrop of Brexit, the rise of right-wing populism and the continuing inequality faced by black communities across the UK, the need for this… Read more
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
- Outside
- SOLD OUT!
Ancient Oaks and the Roundheads
Trees operate at a different pace to humans. When the Honywood Oak was a mere sapling, the Magna Carta was signed, 400 years on Parliamentarian soldiers gathered beneath its boughs before marching to join the siege of Colchester in 1648. Join James Canton, author of The Oak Papers, under the book’s massive chief protagonist, the Honywood Oak, before exploring the fascinating grounds of Marks Hall Estate in Coggeshall. Tickets: Walk £8 / £5 Read more
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
- Workshop
Writing the Wild Workshop
James Canton is a writer and lecturer who has written widely in creative non- fiction forms and taught on the MA in Wild Writing at the University of Essex since its inception in 2009, exploring the fascinating ties between the literature and landscape of East Anglia. Join James for a workshop which delves into the nature that exists in the cracks between our human constructs, in the wilds just a few feet from our doors. Tickets : £15 or £20… Read more
- Flash Fiction
- The Story Hunters
- Workshop
The Story Hunters – Jaywick Martello Tower
In tandem with our Story Hunters Flash Fiction Competition we are hosting a series of four writing workshops in four of the designated Story Hunter sites: Jaywick Martello Tower, Cressing Temple Barns, Danbury Park, and Hadleigh County Park. Each writing workshop will include a guided tour followed by a 2 hour short fiction workshop Join novelist AK Blakemore, author of The Manningtree Witches, on a tour of Jaywick Martello Tower, followed by a 2-hour Writing the Place Workshop. Suitable 14+… Read more
- Fiction
The Mermaid of the Black Conch
**Overall Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2020** Set on an imaginary Caribbean island, this tantalising tale of disruption brought about by a beautiful stranger marries mythical elements with the piercing realism of everyday life. Themes of unconditional love, friendship, family and loss, are examined without sentimentality. Join us at Chelmsford Library to hear Monique talk about her latest mesmerising novel. Tickets: £7 / £5 Read more
- Non-fiction
The Oak Papers
THE ESSEX READ 2021 James Canton spent two years sitting with and studying the ancient Honywood Oak. A colossus of a tree, it would have been a sapling when the Magna Carta was signed. Blending personal experience with cultural legacy, The Oak Papers is a meditative and healing book about the lessons we can learn from the natural world, if only we slow down enough to listen A BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week. A homage to the oak… Read more
- Non-fiction
How Spies Think; Ten lessons in Intelligence
Recounting the lessons learned from a career at the very top of the espionage tree, former GCHQ director David Omand demonstrates how the techniques employed by spies can prove hugely beneficial when tackling crises in everyday life. Join David at Shenfield Library to learn the methodology used by the British intelligence agencies to reach judgements, establish the right level of confidence and act decisively. “An invaluable guide to avoiding self-deception and fake news” - Melanie Phillips, The Times Tickets: Box… Read more
- Digital
- Essex Writers House
Library Love Letters
“The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library” - Albert Einstein Do you love libraries? Join this celebration of our libraries and hear some amazing stories & anecdotes from our library teams and listen to people including Essex writers read love letters of gratitude to them. Tickets: Free Ticket Info: http://www.essexwritershouse.com Read more
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
- In person
- Music
Mountaineers of Essex Expedition 001
Did you know Essex has 28 mountains? Join husband and wife artist team Hartle O’Hare on their first summit expedition of the Mountaineers of Essex: Canvey Heights, a man-made mountain with expansive views out towards the mouth of the Thames Estuary and across to Kent. Muse upon the marvellous vistas, discuss perception and the effect on the emotions of place, experience Canvey Island from its constructed giddy heights. Like life, it could be that the journey is more important than… Read more
- Flash Fiction
- Outside
- The Story Hunters
- Workshop
The Story Hunters – Hadleigh Country Park
In tandem with our Story Hunters Flash Fiction Competition we are hosting a series of four writing workshops in four of the designated Story Hunter sites: Jaywick Martello Tower, Cressing Temple Barns, Danbury Park, and Hadleigh Country Park. Each writing workshop will include a guided tour of the site. There are limited spaces so get in early. Join Iranian Artist/Animator/Writer Majid Adin, creator of the official music video for Elton John’s Rocket Man, and Award-winning Storyteller/Writer Glenys Newton on a… Read more
- Non-fiction
Thames Estuary Trail – A Journey Round the End of the World
Writer Tom King will be discussing the new edition of his now legendary book Thames Estuary Trail, complete with new chapters and adventures. Join us for what is sure to be an educating and illuminating night full of Tom’s many musings from along the trail, together a discussion around the two additional chapters with the opportunity to see and purchase the newly designed edition published on 30th May 2021 as part of Estuary 2021. Read more
August 2021
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
- Outside
No Matter How Many Skies Have Fallen: a rural community in time of war
Join writer Ken Worpole in a walk from Wivenhoe Station to Frating Hall Farm, the subject of his new book, No Matter How Many Skies Have Fallen. This tells the story of how a group of Christian socialists and pacifists took over the farm in 1942 and created a thriving community. The walk finishes at the farm, where some of those who grew up there will recall those heady days. Meet: Wivenhoe Station Length: 4 miles Difficulty: Easy to Moderate… Read more
- Fiction
Unsettled Ground
What if the life you’ve always known is taken from you in an instant? What would you do to get it back? Claire Fuller returns with her fourth novel, a tale of a dysfunctional family hiding dark secrets. Unsettled Ground is a heart-stopping novel of betrayal and resilience, love and survival. It is a portrait of life on the fringes of society that explores with dazzling emotional power how we can build our lives on broken foundations, and spin light from… Read more
- Fiction
This Lovely City
Observer Top 10 Debut Novelist 2020, Louise Hare, will be discussing her debut novel This Lovely City, a poignant, conversation-starting story set around Brixton’s Windrush community in London in the aftermath of the Second World War. Beautiful and soaring, this heart-breaking yet hopeful debut explores themes of race, poverty and community. Read more
- Fiction
The Manningtree Witches
Fear and destruction take root in the lives of the women of Manningtree when the Witchfinder General comes to town in this dark and thrilling debut. A.K. Blakemore gives a striking account of the everyday mechanics of misogyny, power and privilege—and a masterfully crafted, ferociously compelling story. It is a visceral, thrilling book that announces a bold new talent. Tickets: £7 / £5 Read more
- Workshop
- Young Essex
Makaton Workshop (am)
Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate. Join Ace Music Therapy CIC for a fun and interactive sessions. It is suitable for under 5’s and their parents. You will learn to sign along to popular children’s stories and well-known nursery rhymes, with Makaton signs. It will be a great opportunity for you to introduce live music making, singing and signing to your little ones. Tickets available by telephone from Mercury… Read more
Makaton Workshop (pm)
Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate. Join Ace Music Therapy CIC for a fun and interactive sessions. It is suitable for under 5’s and their parents. You will learn to sign along to popular children’s stories and well-known nursery rhymes, with Makaton signs. It will be a great opportunity for you to introduce live music making, singing and signing to your little ones. Tickets available via Mercury Box office… Read more
- Workshop
- Young Essex
The Tindims of Rubbish Island
Turn rubbish into treasure with the tiny Tindims. Mother and daughter duo, prize-winning Sally Gardner and Lydia Corry, team up to create a fun and funny cast of characters and adventures in their empowering new series for 5-8 year olds inspiring conservation and inventive ways to recycle. Printed in dyslexia- friendly font with pictures on every page and perfect for the reluctant reader, the Tindims show keen young ecologists how to help protect our planet for the future. Tickets: £10… Read more
- Digital
- Essex Writers House
- In partnership
- Young Essex
JACQSON DIEGO INTRODUCES – VAMPIRATES
Online Author event for 8 – 12 years and their families. We are so excited to be joined by author Justin Somper for his thoughts on this exhilarating series of books, beloved by everyone who has read them. First published in 2005, the Vampirates were instant international bestsellers, this white-knuckle series is ready for a new generation of young readers. Tickets: £10 including a signed copy of Vampirates: Demon of the Seas or £42 Ticket available to include all 6… Read more
- Fiction
The House that Alice Built
A heart-warming summer read set in Portugal. Home is where the heart is. Alice Mathews is very much a homebody until a postcard from her ex turns her life upside down. She finds herself on the coast in Portugal ‘going with the flow’. A lesson that sees her cat-sitting, paddle boarding, dancing on top of bars and rediscovering her artistic talents. But perhaps the most important part of the lesson for Alice is that you don't always need a house to… Read more
- Fiction
Common Ground
Did you ever have a friend who made you see the world differently? From the acclaimed author of the story collection Escape Routes comes a timely, bittersweet and beautifully observed coming of age story about a friendship that defines two lives, and about the value of loyalty in a divided world. **An Evening Standard Must Read for 2021** Read more
- Digital
- Essex Writers House
- For Writers
- LAB
Essex Rebels : Emerging Writers OPEN CALL
In partnership with English Pen as part of their centenary celebrations and as part of Essex Writers House 2021, ten young writers are invited to join this week-long online writing LAB inspired by protest & freedom of expression. This remote writing LAB is designed for emerging & early career writers aged 18 - 25 years based in Essex working in any genre. Tickets: Free - emerging writers receive a fee of £200 to attend the LAB Ticket MORE INFORMATION… Read more
Poetry in Lockdown
During the lockdown in 2020 prisoners at HMP/YOI Chelmsford were invited to write poems about how lockdown made them feel and the difficulties they faced. The project was a great success with over 70 wonderful entries. To ensure the project to be inclusive to all, the project was opened out to those who prefer to express themselves creatively with drawings representing ‘hope’ and a further 90 fantastic entries were received. The poems have now been made into a short book.… Read more
- Fiction
Girl A
The Sunday Times best seller, an astonishing new crime thriller debut novel from the biggest literary fiction voice of 2021. She thoughts had escaped her past. But there're some things you can't outrun. Following the news that their abusive mother has died in prison, Lex and her siblings must face the horrors of their past once more in this arresting debut that is both a page-turning thriller and a searing portrait of survival. Read more
- Fiction
A More Perfect Union
This extraordinary debut novel heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in Black women’s writing. It is an interracial love story set in pre-Civil War America, and inspired by the true story of author Tammye’s great-great grandparents. Along with love and race, it touches on themes of identity, sacrifice, belonging and survival. **BBC Radio 2 Book Club choice" and "The Times Best Books for October** Read more
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
Destination St. Peters
Author of Excellent Essex, Gillian Darley’s walk offers a day’s immersion in the strange, remote Dengie peninsula, with a very compelling destination: the tiny 7th century church of St Peter-on-the-Wall which sits on the foundations of Othona Roman fort. Salt marshes, cockle beds, birds and ships combine to make up the landscape, but it’s the resonance of history that will make the day memorable. Meet : Tillingham Length : 8 Miles or 1.5 Miles Difficulty : Moderate / Easy Read more
- Memoir
- Non-fiction
Why Can’t We All get Along : Shout Less and Listen More
Why Can’t We All Just Get Along: Shout Less and Listen More is part-memoir, part-polemic about the state of public discourse in Britain and the world today. LBC radio presenter and political commentator Iain Dale talks about our increasingly divided society, and explores the reasons behind why we have all become so disrespectful and intolerant. Tickets: £15 / £12 Read more
- A Criminally Good Day
- Fiction
The House of Killers
Samantha Lee Howe began her professional writing career predominantly writing writing horror and fantasy under the pen name Sam Stone. To date, Samantha has written 20 novels, 3 novellas, 3 collections, over 40 short stories, an audio drama and a ‘Doctor Who’ spin-off drama that went to DVD. Samantha will be discussing her success with The Stranger in Our Bed (2020) and her latest spy thriller series The House of Killers (2021). Tickets: £8 / £6 Read more
- A Criminally Good Day
- Workshop
Period Writing Workshop
The past is a different place, they do things differently there – in this workshop Alec Marsh explores how the past can be used to bring your creative writing to life, just as your creative writing can also bring the past to life too. Read more
- A Criminally Good Day
- Non-fiction
Patricia Highsmith Centenary Discussion
Patricia Highsmith, who was born in the USA, spent much of her life in Europe and lived for some time in Suffolk. She was a complex person and there were many who did not like her character or her views. However no one is in doubt that she wrote some brilliant psychological thrillers, notably Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr Ripley, both of which have been made into successful films. Read more
- A Criminally Good Day
- Workshop
Character Driven Action in Suspense and Thrillers Workshop
Samantha Lee Howe delivers one of her inspiring writing workshops. Explore the art of increasing suspense and introducing twists in action, thriller and suspense writing. Learn about character motivation and its impact on the story arc. This is a participatory workshop so please bring paper and pen or other preferred writing materials. Tickets: £20/£15 Read more
- A Criminally Good Day
- Workshop
How To Start Writing A Novel (even if you’re not a Rock Star)
Join Mat Osman, novelist and bass player of the acclaimed British rock band Suede for a special writer’s workshop on writing your first novel, finding time to write around a busy schedule and life’s demands, and how to find joy in the process. £20 / £15 Read more
- A Criminally Good Day
- Non-fiction
Dorothy L Sayers Lecture: Crime Fiction – A Readers Guide
Barry Forshaw, the UK’s leading crime fiction expert, examines – in lively detail – how female writers have energised the genre from the Golden Age to the present. Barry has met most of the key women writers from Patricia Highsmith to Patricia Cornwell and has a fund of fascinating anecdotes. Barry’s Crime Fiction: A Reader’s Guide covers everything from the beginnings of the genre to current bestselling writers from America, Britain, and all across the world. Read more
- A Criminally Good Day
- Memoir
In Black and White
In her debut book, In Black and White, Alexandra Wilson re-creates the tense courtroom scenes, the heart- breaking meetings with teenage clients, and the moments of frustration and triumph that make up a young barrister’s life. Alexandra shows us how it feels to defend someone who hates the colour of your skin, or someone you suspect is guilty. Read more
- A Criminally Good Day
- In Conversation
The Ruins
Spend an Evening with Mat Osman - author and bass player of acclaimed British rock band Suede - as he opens the pages on his intoxicating debut novel magic, music and murder; The Ruins Sitting down with BBC Essex's Tony Fisher, Osman will draw us into his turbulent 2010 where banks are on the edge of oblivion, a volcano is erupting in Iceland and marauding gunmen sport Donald Duck masks. Exploring the place where music and literature meet, Osman will… Read more
- Fiction
You, Me and the Sea
Compelling, moving and teeming with feral desire: You, Me & the Sea is a contemporary story of love and redemption set on a remote, windswept Scottish island from the bestselling author of Into the Darkest Corner and The Murder of Harriet Monckton. “This is escapism in the best possible way"- Marian Keyes Read more
- Layer Marney Tower
Katharine Parr : The Sixth Wife
Two husbands dead: a life marred by sadness. And now Katharine is in love for the first time in her life. The eye of an aging and dangerous king falls upon her. She cannot refuse him. She must stifle her feelings and never betray that she wanted another. She is the sixth wife. Her queenship is a holy mission yet fearfully she recalls the tragic parade of the women that went before her. Alison Weir recounts the extraordinary story of a… Read more
- Essex Book Camp
- Festival Finale
- Fiction
- For Writers
- In Conversation
- In partnership
- In person
- Residency
- The Story Hunters
- Workshop
- Young Essex
Essex Book Camp
Join in the fun at our Essex Book Camp and Festival Finale! With a huge range of events for all ages, including storytelling with some of East Anglia’s finest tellers; author talks and discussions; writing and art workshops; woodland crafts; drop-in family yoga sessions, The Global Village and much, much more, Cressing Temple Barns is the place to be this August Bank Holiday The Storytelling Tent “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop… Read more
- Essex Book Camp
- Festival Finale
- Workshop
Animalympics Workshop
The greatest sporting event of the century is happening at Cressing Temple Barns on 29 August. Join the Animalympics crew to get involved in creating sport/animal-inspired crafts with children’s author Josie Dom while listening to extracts of the story with badminton-playing peacocks, javelin-throwing octopus and hurdling gazelles amongst many others. Come dressed as your favourite animal to win a prize! Tickets : £4 Read more
- Essex Book Camp
- Fiction
Harvest
Acclaimed author Georgina Harding will be talking about her latest book Harvest: an illuminating, tense and masterly meditation on memory, place and trauma set on a Norfolk farm in the 1970s. The third in Harding’s cycle of novels about the Ashe family unearths the secrets of the past. “A masterly achievement, illuminating with wisdom and compassion the darkest corners of the human heart.” – The Guardian Read more
- Essex Book Camp
- Festival Finale
- Podcast
- Workshop
Make your own Podcast Workshop
CCR FM presenter Michelle Durant will be sharing insights into developing your own podcast for broadcast. Take part in an interview with a special guest. Contribute to Essex Book Festival and Chelmsford Community Radio’s special Eco-Cast Project to be launched in September at British Science Festival in Chelmsford. Read more
- Essex Book Camp
- Festival Finale
- Fiction
Frontline
Introducing a sweeping, sumptuous World War One medical drama and an epic new historical series from TV’s Dr Hilary Jones. Frontline is a riveting epic of WW1, the Spanish flu – and a love so powerful it can survive both. “A masterly achievement, illuminating with wisdom and compassion the darkest corners of the human heart.” – The Guardian Ticket £10 / £8 Read more
- Essex Book Camp
- For Writers
- Workshop
Script-writing Workshop
Join writer Neil D’Arcy-Jones, artistic director of Packing Shed Theatre, for a 2-hour scriptwriting workshop looking at the theatre of place. Packing Shed Theatre was set up in 2016 to create and produce work inspired by the people and places of East Anglia. In this work shop aimed at adults and older teens, you will explore script writing and how to structure pieces to develop your ideas. Tickets : Limited numbers: £15 / £12 Read more
- Residency
Building Imaginary Worlds : Life Made Magic
Following her week-long residency at Talliston House and Gardens, Britain’s most extraordinary house, writer and storyteller Glenys Newton chats to author John Tarrow about his own extraordinary twenty-five year journey transforming a semi- detached ex-council house in Great Dunmow into a wonderland of inspirational rooms and locations, each set in a different time and place. Read more