BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Essex Book Festival - ECPv6.18.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Essex Book Festival
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Europe/London
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20230326T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20231029T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20240331T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20241027T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20250330T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20251026T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20260329T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20261025T010000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:BST
DTSTART:20270328T010000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:GMT
DTSTART:20271031T010000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260613T184500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260613T200000
DTSTAMP:20260430T133523Z
CREATED:20260326T090050Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260430T133523Z
UID:11502-1781376300-1781380800@essexbookfestival.org.uk
SUMMARY:How to Become a Peregrine
DESCRIPTION:The Cabinet of Living Cinema\nHow to Become a Peregrine\nSaturday 13 June 2026\, 6.45pm – 8.00pm\nLakeside Theatre\, University of Essex\, Colchester\, CO4 3SQ\n\nStep into the wild world of How to Become a Peregrine at Essex Book Festival. \nJoin the Cabinet of Living Cinema for the world premiere of its new film How to Become a Peregrine inspired by J.A. Baker’s The Peregrine\, and accompanied by a soaring and immersive live soundscape by composer Kieron Chissik. \nBefore the film screens explore the project’s creative output by young people from Dorset and Somerset including wallpaper sky & bird puppets. Narrators will be invited to share their favourite passages. \nThe evening concludes with a panel discussion. \nHow to Become a Peregrine is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Find out more about the project at thecabinetoflivingcinema.org.uk/project/how-to-become-a-peregrine/. \nTickets: £8 / £5 concessions (students\, under 27s and unwaged)\nBox Office: eventbrite.co.uk \n\nLimited Edition prints of this How to Become a Peregrine montage illustration by Hannah Eaton will be available to buy at this event. \n\n\n\n\nThis event is part of The Writers Room\nEssex Book Festival and the University of Essex are hosting an exciting 1-day programme of writers’ and writing events. Events include author talks and workshops\, multi-genre panel discussions\, and The Pitch (a 10-minute speed-date with an industry professional). Plus\, an opportunity to engage with and explore the J.A. Baker Archive. \n  \nThe Writers Room Day Pass\nFive events for £25 / £15 concessions \n1. What it takes to Make a Book – Eva Verde in conversation with Sabah Khan\n2. Nature Memoir: What Next? – James Canton\n3. Breaking the Mould – Holly Pester\, Ben Pester and Rebecca Perry\n4. Freedom to Write\, Freedom to Read – English PEN\n5. How to Become a Peregrine – The Cabinet of Living Cinema \nBook a Writers Room Day Pass here
URL:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/how-to-become-a-peregrine/
LOCATION:Lakeside Theatre\, University of Essex\, Wivenhoe Park\, Colchester\, CO4 3SQ
CATEGORIES:Discussion,Film
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/How-to-Become-a-Peregrine-3x2-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260613T160000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260613T170000
DTSTAMP:20261102T124433Z
CREATED:20260326T090032Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261102T124433Z
UID:11500-1781366400-1781370000@essexbookfestival.org.uk
SUMMARY:Freedom to Read\, Freedom to Write\, Freedom to Move
DESCRIPTION:Freedom to Read\, Freedom to Write\, Freedom to Move – In partnership with English PEN\nTareq Baconi\, Rémy Ngamije\, Khaled Alesmael\nSaturday 13 June 2026\, 4.00pm – 5.00pm\nLakeside Theatre\, University of Essex\, Colchester\, CO4 3SQ\nJoin English PEN\, in partnership with Essex Book Festival\, for a conversation between writers on the relationships between literature\, place\, and movement.\n\nPalestinian writer\, scholar\, and activist Tareq Baconi\, Namibian author\, editor\, and publisher Rémy Ngamije\, and Syria-born author and journalist Khaled Alesmael will appear in conversation with Turkish Cypriot writer and multidisciplinary artist from North London Tice Cin.\n\nThey will ask: how do experiences of home\, migration\, diaspora\, and safety inform their writing? How do relationships to place – to land\, to sea\, to borders\, to movement across them\, to departures\, to arrivals – shape creative identity and the literary landscape? And how do the freedoms to write and to read relate to the freedom to move – and to its restriction?\n\nThe event will include an audience Q&A. The speakers’ books will be available to buy and have signed.\n\nTickets: £8 / £5 concessions (students\, under 27s and unwaged)\nBox Office: Eventbrite.co.uk\n\n \nThis event is part of The Writers Room\nEssex Book Festival and the University of Essex are hosting an exciting 1-day programme of writers’ and writing events. Events include author talks and workshops\, multi-genre panel discussions\, and The Pitch (a 10-minute speed-date with an industry professional). Plus\, an opportunity to engage with and explore the J.A. Baker Archive.\n\n \nThe Writers Room Day Pass\nFive events for £25 / £15 concessions\n\n1. What it takes to Make a Book – Eva Verde in conversation with Sabah Khan\n2. Nature Memoir: What Next? – James Canton\n3. Breaking the Mould – Holly Pester\, Ben Pester and Rebecca Perry\n4. Freedom to Write\, Freedom to Read – English PEN\n5. How to Become a Peregrine – The Cabinet of Living Cinema\n\nBook a Writers Room Day Pass here\n\n\n\n \nKhaled Alesmael\n\n\nKhaled Alesmael was born in Syria and lives and writes in London. He began his career as a radio journalist and writer of children’s poetry for major Arabic broadcasters\, before working as a journalist across the Arab world and Europe. His debut novel Selamlik (translated from the Arabic by Leri Price) is in development as an art house film; his second book\, which queers the Arab Spring\, bears witness to the lives of nine queer Arabs. An English translation is forthcoming from World Editions in 2027. khaledalesmael.com\n\n \nRémy Ngamije\nImage credit: photo of Rémy Ngamije by Abantu Book Festival \n\nRémy Ngamije is a Rwandan-born Namibian author\, editor\, publisher\, photographer\, and literary educator. He is the author of The Eternal Audience Of One\, his award-winning debut novel\, and Only Stars Know The Meaning Of Space\, his collection of award-winning fiction. In 2021\, he won the Africa Regional Prize of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Rémy is the founder and chairperson of Doek\, an independent arts organisation in Namibia supporting the literary arts and the editor-in-chief of Doek! Literary Magazine\, the country’s first and only literary magazine. remythequill.com\n\n \nTareq Baconi\n\n\nTareq Baconi is a Palestinian writer\, scholar\, and activist. He is the grandson of refugees from Jerusalem and Haifa and grew up between Amman and Beirut. His work has appeared in\, among others\, The New York Times and The Baffler\, and he contributes essays to The New York Review of Books and the London Review of Books. He has also written for film; his award-winning BFI short One Like Him\, a queer love story set in Jordan\, screened in over thirty festivals. He is the author of What Now\, Hamas Contained\, and Fire in Every Direction. tareqbaconi.com\n\n \nTice Cin\n\n\nTice Cin is a Turkish Cypriot writer and interdisciplinary artist from North London. Her debut novel Keeping the House (2021) received a Somerset Maugham Award and was shortlisted for a British Book Award and the Desmond Elliot Prize among other accolades\, with its mixtape having her named as one of Notion Magazine’s Ones to Watch. Her BBC Radio 4 documentary How Much Can You Say? (2024) won an Audio Production Award. Her practice currently traces outsiderness\, cold roads and loss.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n 
URL:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/freedom-to-read-freedom-to-write-freedom-to-move/
LOCATION:Lakeside Theatre\, University of Essex\, Wivenhoe Park\, Colchester\, CO4 3SQ
CATEGORIES:Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/English-PEN-Tareq-Baconi-Remy-Ngamije-Khaled-Alesmael-Tice-Cin-1200x800-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260613T143000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260613T153000
DTSTAMP:20261102T124551Z
CREATED:20260326T090055Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261102T124551Z
UID:11495-1781361000-1781364600@essexbookfestival.org.uk
SUMMARY:Breaking the Mould
DESCRIPTION:Holly Pester\, Ben Pester\, Rebecca Perry\nBreaking the Mould\nGranta Books is renowned for championing challenging and innovative ground-breaking literature. Join three acclaimed Granta authors Holly Pester\, Ben Pester\, and Rebecca Perry as they discuss their individual and shared writing processes.\n\nThis event is kindly funded by The Bean Trust.\n\nTickets: £8 / £5 concessions (students\, under 27s and unwaged)\nBox Office: eventbrite.co.uk\n\nThis event is part of The Writers Room\nEssex Book Festival and the University of Essex are hosting an exciting 1-day programme of writers’ and writing events. Events include author talks and workshops\, multi-genre panel discussions\, and The Pitch (a 10-minute speed-date with an industry professional). Plus\, an opportunity to engage with and explore the J.A. Baker Archive.\n\nThe Writers Room Day Pass\nFive events for £25 / £15 concessions\n\n1. What it takes to Make a Book – Eva Verde in conversation with Sabah Khan\n2. Nature Memoir: What Next? – James Canton\n3. Breaking the Mould – Holly Pester\, Ben Pester and Rebecca Perry\n4. Freedom to Write\, Freedom to Read – English PEN\n5. How to Become a Peregrine – The Cabinet of Living Cinema\n\nBook a Writers Room Day Pass here\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Lodgers by Holly Pester\n\n\n‘What it said to me was that I was here again\, I was back\, back from the great nowhere of somewhere else\, returned\, all too officially\, to the whereabouts of Moffa.’\n\nAfter a year away\, a woman arrives back in her hometown to keep an eye on her wayward mother\, Moffa. Living in a precarious sub-let\, she is always on edge\, anticipating a visit from the landlord or the arrival of the other resident. But her thoughts also drift back to the rented room she has just left\, now occupied by a new lodger she has never met\, but whose imagined navigations within the house and home become her fascination.\n\nThe minor dramas of temporary living are prised open and ransacked in Holly Pester’s irreverent reckoning with those who house us. This is a story about what it means to live and love within and outside of family structures. It is also a stunning first novel from a writer already hailed as one of the best poets of her generation.\n\nThe Expansion Project by Ben Pester\n\n\nShortlisted for the Nero Debut Fiction Award 2025\n\nPlans for the expansion of the Capmeadow Business Park are in full swing – its mission is to become the greatest business park in the region. Tom Crowley\, a mid-level employee\, loses his daughter at ‘bring your daughter to work day’. He raises the alarm\, and his colleagues rush to help him find her. Eventually\, after no sign of her is found\, it transpires she was never there. And yet\, as time goes on\, Tom still cannot reconcile that she is really at home. Refusing to accept that she is safe\, Tom continues to search for her in the maze of corridors and impossible multi-dimensional spaces that make up his place of work…\n\nBecause Capmeadow is expanding in unexpected ways\, a Liaison Officer becomes the central focus for complaints about how the expansion is impacting the lives of the employees – unexpected buildings\, years-long business days\, cursed farmers’ markets\, and corridors of the mind are draining the life from Tom and everyone he works with.\n\nYears pass\, and Tom remains at the company\, convinced he is in the presence of his now adult daughter. But has he judged it correctly? And can anything go back to the way it was??\n\n\n\nMay we Feed the King by Rebecca Perry\n\n\nShe is a curator\, who spends her time dressing the rooms of historic buildings to bring them to life. But in the lush private quarters of a medieval palace\, she finds herself so transfixed by the reign of an almost-forgotten King that the edges of her life begin to blur.\n\nHe is a reluctant ruler with no hunger for power\, rushed to the throne after the untimely deaths of his older brothers. But it isn’t long before whispers begin to fly around the court. And with the growing belief that the King is not fit for the throne comes the idea that another might rule in his stead.\n\nMay We Feed the King dances between the lives of a historical subject who risks the future of his kingdom and a woman who turns to the past to hide from her present. Laced with desire and longing\, it is a playful\, stirring meditation on history and storytelling: on what makes a King ‘Great’\, and a life meaningful.\n\n\n\nPhoto of Holly Pester © Eleanor Vonne Brown\nPhoto of Ben Pester © Caitlin Mogridge\nPhoto of Rebecca Perry © Robin Christian
URL:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/breaking-the-mould/
LOCATION:Lakeside Theatre\, University of Essex\, Wivenhoe Park\, Colchester\, CO4 3SQ
CATEGORIES:Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Granta-panel-3x2-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260613T130000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260613T140000
DTSTAMP:20260609T133140Z
CREATED:20260326T090000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T133140Z
UID:11492-1781355600-1781359200@essexbookfestival.org.uk
SUMMARY:Nature Memoir: What Next?
DESCRIPTION:Nature Memoir: What Next?\nChloe Hadjimatheou\, Helen Oliver-Masters and James Canton\nSaturday 13 June 2026\, 1.00pm – 2.00pm\nLakeside Theatre\, University of Essex\, Colchester\, CO4 3SQ\nIn the last decade from H is for Hawk to Raising Hare via The Salt Path\, nature memoir has witnessed a meteoric rise. Where does the genre go from here? \nFor this special panel will be joined by Chloe Hadjimatheouo\, the Observer’s Narrative Editor who broke the incredible story of the lies behind the best selling memoir and film The Salt Path\, and Creative Writing student\, Helen Oliver-Masters. James Canton\, author of The Oak Papers and Renaturing\, will be chairing the panel as they discuss what the future holds for this compelling genre. \nThis event is kindly funded by The Bean Trust. \nTickets: £8 / £5 concessions (students\, under 27s and unwaged)\nBox Office: eventbrite.co.uk \n  \nThis event is part of The Writers Room\nEssex Book Festival and the University of Essex are hosting an exciting 1-day programme of writers’ and writing events. Events include author talks and workshops\, multi-genre panel discussions\, and The Pitch (a 10-minute speed-date with an industry professional). Plus\, an opportunity to engage with and explore the J.A. Baker Archive. \nThe Writers Room Day Pass\nFive events for £25 / £15 concessions\n1. What it takes to Make a Book – Eva Verde in conversation with Sabah Khan\n2. Nature Memoir: What Next? – Chloe Hadjimatheou\, Helen Oliver-Masters and James Canton\n3. Breaking the Mould – Holly Pester\, Ben Pester and Rebecca Perry\n4. Freedom to Write\, Freedom to Read – Tareq Baconi\, Rémy Ngamije\, Khaled Alesmael and Tice Cin (English PEN)\n5. How to Become a Peregrine – The Cabinet of Living Cinema \nBook a Writers Room Day Pass here \n  \nChloe Hadjimatheou\n \nChloe Hadjimatheou is the Observer‘s Narrative Editor. She has reported six podcast series so far\, from Mayday to Lucky Boy and The Gas Man. She also focuses on stories in the Middle East\, particularly Israel-Palestine and Syria. \nIn 2025 Chloe broke the incredible story of the lies behind the best selling memoir and film The Salt Path. She has been shortlisted for Private Eye’s Paul Foot award and the Orwell Prize for her investigative journalism. She is currently working on a new podcast series about the British first lady of Syria. \n  \nHelen Oliver-Masters\n \nHelen is a student at University of Essex studying Creative Writing. Helen’s areas of interest are Nature writing and poetry. She also has a small dog breeding business. \n  \nRenaturing by James Canton\n  \n \nWhen James Canton moved to a farm labourer’s cottage\, he knew that the two-acre patch of earth behind it held potential as a place for nature to return and flourish. While ‘rewilding’ requires vast landscapes to become self-sustaining\, he wondered what might be possible on the scale of his field – or even that of a garden or a window box. \nRenaturing is the story of how he learned to dig a pond\, forge meadowlands\, create habitats for birds and insects and encourage plants that support wildlife. Gradually\, what was once just a grassy space was buzzing with life. The process revealed that rather than rewilding\, we could all ‘renature’: even on the smallest scale we can create habitats to support diverse ecosystems. \nAbove all\, it shows how we can all make positive change\, however large or small\, in caring for and restoring the natural world. \nPhoto of James Canton © Lawrence Cawley
URL:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/nature-memoir-what-next/
LOCATION:Lakeside Theatre\, University of Essex\, Wivenhoe Park\, Colchester\, CO4 3SQ
CATEGORIES:Discussion,Nature Writing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Chloe-Hadjimatheou-and-James-Canton-3x2-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260610T183000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260610T203000
DTSTAMP:20260610T085223Z
CREATED:20260326T090015Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260610T085223Z
UID:11531-1781116200-1781123400@essexbookfestival.org.uk
SUMMARY:Common Treasures: Ambitious Thinking About the Future of Rural Communities
DESCRIPTION:Giles Smith\, Hana Loftus and Ken Worpole\nCommon Treasures: Ambitious Thinking About the Future of Rural Communities\nWednesday 10 June 2026\, 6.30pm – 8.30pm\nThe Commons Community Kitchen & Café at The Minories\, 74 High Street\, Colchester\, CO1 1UE\nGiles Smith\, founding partner of the architecture and design collective Assemble\, Winner of the 2015 Turner Prize\, will be discussing the Common Treasures project and accompanying books with writer\, designer\, and Essex-based planner Hana Loftus\, and writer and social historian\, Ken Worpole. \nCommon Treasures in an anthology that offers a credible and compelling vision of what life in a rural future might look like. \nTickets: £10 / £8 concessions (students\, under 27s and unwaged)\nBox Office: eventbrite.co.uk \nThis event will be chaired by Joanne Ooi\, founder of @eafestivaluk & EA Sustain\, events about environment\, culture\, literature\, art & more and Chair of @creativecolchester.  Follow Joanne @culture.vlog. \n  \nCommon Treasures – The Project\nAmbitious thinking about the future of rural places\nCommon Treasures explores the challenges faced by rural communities by bringing together people with a broad range of different skills and experiences who are committed to a form of rural development that prioritises communities over profit\, promotes sustainable agriculture and land stewardship\, and combines lasting economic impact with ecological and social values. The project has emerged from ongoing conversations between members of the architecture collective Assemble and Common Ground\, which focussed on alternative approaches to rural housing — rethinking how it is developed\, designed and built — and emerged through the Raise the Roof project. \nFind out more about the Common Treasures project at commontreasures.org. \nCommon Treasures – The Books\n \n  \nPublished by Little Toller Books\, Common Treasures emerged from ongoing conversations between members of the architecture collective Assemble and the arts organisation Common Ground\, seeking fresh\, connected approaches to rural housing\, land and livelihoods. \nVol. 1 – Common Treasures: Land\, Food and Farming (July 2025) explores food systems\, regenerative agriculture and rural livelihoods. Contributions range from reviving British wool and flax production to more sustainable farming methods\, community-led land ownership and strategies for strengthening local economies.\nContributors: Maria Benjamin\, Philip Trevelyan\, Megan Willoughby\, Charlotte Hollins\, Stella Peyerl\, Stephen Davies\, Jez Ralph\, Clare Hill\, Alice Clark\, Colleen McCulloch\, Stefan Laxness and Kaye Song \nVol. 2 – Common Treasures: Housing\, Planning and Construction (September 2025) focuses on rethinking housing development\, planning policy and building methods to support rural regeneration. Essays cover community land trusts\, sustainable construction materials\, and collaborative approaches to housing delivery.\nContributors: Rebecca Smith\, Rob Hopkins & Frances Northrop\, Ruth Munns\, Andrew Kirby\, James Shorten\, Loretta Bosence\, Hana Loftus\, Barbara Jones\, Kim Squirrell\, Ken Worpole\, Tim Crabtree and Summer Islam \nThe Common Treasures series bridges architecture\, agriculture\, planning and community action\, offering practical blueprints for resilient rural futures. Across both volumes\, farmers\, architects\, planners and campaigners share lived experience and tested strategies\, making this a vital resource for anyone shaping life in the countryside. \nBuy a copy of the book from: commmontreasures.org. \nFollow Common Treasures on Instagram: @commontreasures_ \n  \nCopies of Common Treasures volume 2\, which Hana Loftus and Ken Worpole contributed to\, will be available for sale at the event. \n  \nCommon Ground\nCommon Ground is charity based in Dorset\, which has been at the forefront of community conservation and environmental education in England for the last thirty years. We are not a think tank or political pressure group. We are a small\, grassroots organisation that collaborate openly to reconnect people with nature and inspires communities to become responsible for their local environment. \nWe believe that enjoying where you live and celebrating the connections people have with the wildlife and landscape on their doorstep\, is at the root of meaningful conservation. \nFind out more about Common Ground at commonground.org.uk. \nGiles Smith\nPhoto of Giles Smith by Hannah Thual  \nGiles Smith is an architect\, writer and educator. He is a founding partner of the award-winning architecture practice Assemble\, where his work focuses on socially-oriented projects at scales that range from furniture and events to complex buildings and masterplanning. Much of this work intersects with cultural infrastructure which builds on his experience as the chair of trustees for a South London Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation. As well as Assemble\, Giles has co-founded the celebrated play project Assemble Play (now Playworks Studio) and the organisation Common Treasures which undertakes projects relating to contemporary challenges in rural communities. He has taught at numerous institutions and currently teaches at the University of Cambridge. \nHana Loftus\nPhoto of Hana Loftus by Polly Alderton  \nHana Loftus is a planner\, designer and writer based in Essex. She co-directs HAT Projects\, an architecture and planning practice based in Colchester\, and as a writer has been published in Apollo\, Icon and widely in the architecture and planning press. Her first full-length book\, Sixteen Acres\, will be published by Profile Books in 2027 and an early version was shortlisted for the Fitzcarraldo Editions Essay Prize in 2025. \nHana contributed an essay to Volume 2 of Common Treasures. \n  \nKen Worpole\n \nWriter and social historian Ken Worpole is ‘a literary original\, a social and architectural historian whose books combine ‘the Orwellian ideal of common decency with understated erudition\,’ according to The NewStatesman. Ken has pursued a lifelong interest in the social history of London’s East End and its relationship to the Thames Estuary and coastal East Anglia. His two most recent books are No Matter How Many Skies Have Fallen: Back to the land in wartime Britain (2022)\, and Brightening from the East: Essays on landscape & memory (2025)\, the latter being chosen by Geoff Dyer as one of the New Statesman’s ‘Books of the Year’ 2025. \nKen is a contributor to Common Treasures. \n 
URL:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/common-treasures/
LOCATION:The Commons Community Kitchen & Cafe at The Minories\, 74 High Street\, Colchester\, Essex\, CO1 1UE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Discussion,Non-fiction,ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Common-Treasures-Giles-Hana-and-Ken-3x2-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250625T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250625T210000
DTSTAMP:20250514T191431Z
CREATED:20250514T191431Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T191431Z
UID:10580-1750879800-1750885200@essexbookfestival.org.uk
SUMMARY:Creative/Critical Writing- Live Art Writers Network
DESCRIPTION:Creative/Critical Writing – Live Art Writers Network with performingborders\nWednesday 25 June\, 7.30pm – 9.30pm\nChalkwell Hall\, Southend-on-Sea\, SS0 8NB\nFree event\nJoin Xavier and Anahi from performingborders for an evening of relaxed sharing\, reflecting and connecting for creatives who are thinking through borders\, geographic\, social\, personal\, as sites of knowledge-making\, and who are working through lived experiences of intersectional borders in their practices. \nperformingborders will host a sharing of their ongoing LAWN project\, explore prompts and performances from their archive\, and spark conversations with creatives to think together about alternative ways of writing\, documenting\, and relating to live art. \nAll creatives welcome! This will be a gentle\, participatory space for creatives with an interest in writing and performance\, live art\, poetry and all the weird and interesting spaces between. \n  \nTickets: Free\, booking recommended\nBox Office: eventbrite\n  \n  \nPart of Essex Writers House\nEssex Writers House is back this June 2025 – and it’s bigger\, bolder\, and bursting with creative opportunities. \nAn inspiring lineup of events including wild swimming\, wild hot desks\, estuary mud walks\, writing walks\, film screenings\, open advice sessions and collaborative co-writing spaces. \nCome write\, connect\, and get muddy with us. \nVisit metalculture.com/projects/essex-writers-house-2025/ for full programme details \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/creative-critical-writing-live-art-writers-network/
LOCATION:Metal at Chalkwell Hall\, Chalkwell Avenue\, Southend-on-Sea\, SS0 8NB
CATEGORIES:Discussion,Essex Writers House,FREE
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Creative-Critical-Writing-Live-Art-Wrtiers-Network-3x2-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250612T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250612T220000
DTSTAMP:20250514T080440Z
CREATED:20250513T193635Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T080440Z
UID:10562-1749754800-1749765600@essexbookfestival.org.uk
SUMMARY:Is Wellness the new Clubbing?
DESCRIPTION:Is Wellness the new Clubbing? An evening of connection and conversation.\nThursday 12 June\, 7-10pm\nAll welcome. Free\, booking essential.\nAn evening of creative conversation with: \n– Marc Miller Events and Evening & Nighttime Economy Manager Chelmsford For You \n– India Kelly Founder of Studio Libre and host of Groovy House Yoga \n– Julia Pinkney DJ and Founder of Street Eats ‘n’ Beats Festival \n– Jaiden Buck-Auld Founder of Night Til Dawn and Ragga Food and Vybz \nHosted by Sofia Rojas\, Project Manager at Creative Coop \n  \nExploring themes including \n– The challenges facing the nighttime economy\n– The rise of sober and day time raves\n– Finding new forms of connection and community through wellness and fitness \nExpect a lively discussion and a chance to share your own thoughts with time for Q+A! \nThe Patch bar will be open before and afterwards for relaxed socialising and the opportunity to spark connections and share ideas. \nSpaces are limited so book early to secure your spot – come with a friend or come alone and join the conversation! \n  \n\n  \nAbout Patch\nPatch is your neighbourhood space for work\, community and events. From hybrid workers and teams to sole traders and startups\, our variety of workspaces and flexible memberships are designed to fit your needs and nice-to-haves. Book a tour or drop in next time you’re passing. We’d love to show you around. \nYou can also follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn\, or sign up to our newsletter to stay in the loop of all the events happening in Chelmsford. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/is-wellness-the-new-clubbing/
LOCATION:Patch Chelmsford\, Springfield Road\, Chelmsford\, Essex\, CM2 6QR\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Discussion,FREE,Partner Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Is-Wellness-the-New-Clubbing-3x2-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250608T133000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250608T203000
DTSTAMP:20250514T161137Z
CREATED:20250514T155118Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250514T161137Z
UID:10571-1749389400-1749414600@essexbookfestival.org.uk
SUMMARY:How to Approach an Island: Walking the Broomway
DESCRIPTION:How to Approach an Island: Walking the Broomway with Helen Galliano of Arbonauts\nSunday 08 June\, 1.30pm – 8.30pm\nChalkwell Hall → Great Wakering Stairs → Foulness Island\n  \nJoin us for a one-of-a-kind guided walk along Essex’s most legendary coastal route\, the Broomway — a hauntingly beautiful path to Foulness Island\, with Arbonauts artist Helen Galliano and local farmer John Burroughs. Along the walk there will be a gentle introduction to site-specific movement lead by Helen\, set against the backdrop of the Estuary. \nAfter our walk\, we will gather back at Chalkwell Hall for a nourishing meal and share an evening of guided conversation and ideas for creative writing. This workshop carries on from Arbonauts’ research project How to Approach an Island \nExpect to get your feet wet on a wild guided walk\, followed by a nourishing dinner and guided conversation to inspire creative writing workshop at Chalkwell Hall. \n  \nTickets: £25\nBox Office: eventbrite \n  \nPart of Essex Writers House\nEssex Writers House is back this June 2025 – and it’s bigger\, bolder\, and bursting with creative opportunities. \nAn inspiring lineup of events including wild swimming\, wild hot desks\, estuary mud walks\, writing walks\, film screenings\, open advice sessions and collaborative co-writing spaces. \nCome write\, connect\, and get muddy with us. \nVisit metalculture.com/projects/essex-writers-house-2025/ for full programme details. \n  \nImage By: Philippa Stewart \n  \n 
URL:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/how-to-approach-an-island-walking-the-broomway/
LOCATION:Metal at Chalkwell Hall\, Chalkwell Avenue\, Southend-on-Sea\, SS0 8NB
CATEGORIES:Discussion,Essex Writers House,Guided Walk,Radical Islands
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/How-to-Approach-an-Island-3x2-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250529T160000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250529T180000
DTSTAMP:20250515T191938Z
CREATED:20250515T191751Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250515T191938Z
UID:10586-1748534400-1748541600@essexbookfestival.org.uk
SUMMARY:Tea and Talks - Drawing on Memories
DESCRIPTION:Tea and Talk – Drawing on Memories\nFollowing the successful Harlow Open 2025\, Harlow Art Trust is pleased to present a new exhibition at the Gibberd Gallery as well as an afternoon of Tea and Talks: \nDrawing on Memories – Exhibition\nSaturday 3 May – Saturday 7 June\nOpen Monday to Saturday\, 11am–4pm (Closed Sundays & Bank Holidays)\nAdmission Free\nTea and Talks – Drawing on Memories\nThursday 29 May\, 4pm – 6pm\nTickets: Free\, booking essential\nPlease Book by email gallery@harlowarttrust.org.uk Subject Line ‘Tea and Talk’\nPlease make sure you let them know about any dietary needs. \nJoin Harlow Art Trust for tea and refreshments and meet the people behind the scenes of Drawing on Memories as they discuss and answer questions from you about this exhibition. \nDrawing on Memories marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War\, offering visitors a chance to explore the period through a combination of artworks\, historical objects\, and community stories. \nThe exhibition highlights the work of 11 artists who served as official war artists or documented life during the war\, including Edward Bawden\, Dame Laura Knight\, Henry Moore\, John Piper\, and Graham Sutherland. These works provide a glimpse into life during wartime and the varied ways artists responded to the events around them. \nHarlow Art Trust are grateful to the team at Harlow Museum for their support and for contributing and curating specially selected objects from their collections as part of the exhibition. \nAs part of the display\, they are also inviting visitors to contribute their own family memories\, photographs\, or stories related to the Second World War. \nTo learn more about Harlow Museum visit harlowmuseum.com. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/tea-and-talks-drawing-on-memories/
LOCATION:Gibberd Gallery\, Civic Centre\, The Water Gardens\, Harlow\, Essex\, CM20 1WG\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Discussion,Exhibition,FREE,Partner Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Drawing-on-Memories-exhibition-photograph-by-Gunta-Andrews-3x2-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240615T150000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240615T170000
DTSTAMP:20240604T195020Z
CREATED:20240418T111538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240604T195020Z
UID:9332-1718463600-1718470800@essexbookfestival.org.uk
SUMMARY:Blood and Belonging Panel Discussion
DESCRIPTION:Panel Discussion with Blood and Belonging Writers\nRaine Geoghegan\, Richard O’Neill & Damian Le Bas (writers from a variety of Romany Traveller backgrounds)\, chaired by Louise Doughty\nSaturday 15 June\, 3.00pm\nRaine Geoghegan\, Richard O’Neill and Damian Le Bas: three different writers from a variety of Romany Traveller backgrounds come together for a reading and event chaired by Louise Doughty. Blood and Belonging is the title of Louise’s Guest Edition of the online writing magazine Writers Mosaic. \nRaine\, Richard and Damian will be reading from their contributions and talking about the importance of their GRT ancestry – how does a blood lineage give you a sense of belonging? Is there any such thing as a GRT community when so much of it is so diverse? \nJoin us for discussion and celebration of what we have in common. \n  \nVenue: Metal\, Chalkwell Hall\, Chalkwell Park\, Southend-on-Sea\, SS0 8NB\nTickets: Free\, booking required\nBox Office: eventbrite.co.uk\n  \nPart of Essex Writers House – for full event listings visit: metalculture.com/projects/essex-writers-house-2024/ \n  \n\n  \nAbout Richard\nRichard O’Neill is a storyteller\, author\, playwright\, animation scriptwriter and workshop leader based in the North of England. He conducts nomadic storytelling training sessions across Europe and co-founded Diverse Book Week to champion inclusivity and amplify diverse voices. \nHis upbringing in a traditional nomadic Romani family deeply influences his work\, inspiring him to leverage the power of storytelling in various formats to promote inclusion and acceptance. \nAwards include the ‘National Literacy Hero’ award for his impact on promoting literacy and diversity in literature\, the Beacon Leadership Award for community development and inclusion\, and a Royal Society of Literature Award. \n  \nAbout Raine\nRaine Geoghegan (she/her) is a prize winning multi-disciplinary artist with an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Chichester. Born in the Welsh Valleys\, she is of Romany\, Welsh and Irish ethnicity. Her poems and prose have been published with Under the Radar\, Romany Routes Journal\, Poetry Ireland Review\, The Clearing\, Travellers’ Times and were featured in the documentary film\, Stories from the Hop Yards. \nRaine’s first pamphlet Apple Water: Povel Panni (2018) was chosen as a 2019 Spring Selection by the Poetry Book Society. Her second and third pamphlets are also published with Hedgehog Press. Her first full collection The Talking Stick: O Pookering Kosh (2022) was published by Salmon Poetry Press. She currently gives readings in the UK and Ireland and Australia. \n  \nAbout Damian\nDamian Le Bas is a writer from the south coast of England. His first book The Stopping Places: a Journey through Gypsy Britain (2018) won the Somerset Maugham award\, a Royal Society of Literature Jerwood award\, and was shortlisted for the Stanford Dolman Travel Book of the Year. He is currently writing a book about the sea\, diving and Atlantis\, due to be published by Chatto & Windus in 2025. \n  \nAbout Louise\nLouise Doughty is the author of ten novels\, including Fires in the Dark\, about the Romany Holocaust\, and Stone Cradle\, based on her own English Romanichal background. Of her other books\, Apple Tree Yard was a number one bestseller and adapted as a major BBC One series starring Emily Watson; Platform Seven has been filmed for ITV. She also created and wrote the hit series Crossfire\, starring Keeley Hawes. She has been nominated for multiple awards including the Costa Novel Award\, the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Sunday Times Short Story Prize. Her work has been translated into thirty languages. \n  \nPart of Essex Writers House: This June\, Metal Southend will become a house for writers to read\, to write overlooking the Thames Estuary\, to get help and feedback on your work or to have lively\, meandering conversations with other writers. You can book a writing desk\, join a writing group for sharing and solidarity\, meet our writers in residence or have an advice session with Metal and our associate writers. \n  \n  \n \n  \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/blood-and-belonging-panel-discussion/
LOCATION:Metal at Chalkwell Hall\, Chalkwell Avenue\, Southend-on-Sea\, SS0 8NB
CATEGORIES:Discussion,Essex Writers House,FREE
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Blood-and-Belonging-panel-discussion-3x2-1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20240601T114500
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20240601T123000
DTSTAMP:20240404T152214Z
CREATED:20240404T090034Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240404T152214Z
UID:8975-1717242300-1717245000@essexbookfestival.org.uk
SUMMARY:Don't Starve the Arts - Feed Them
DESCRIPTION:Marina Cusí and Dr Jordan Savage\, Don’t Starve the Arts – Feed Them\nA much-needed Long Table conversation about the Arts as part of our Incubator programme. \nDon’t Starve the Arts – Feed Them will be debated by authors\, artists\, poets\, performers\, actors\, and students. \nAll welcome to join in. Talking is the only course! Leading the debate will be artistic director\, Mad\,Who? Marina Cusí\, and academic/principle investigator of The Hungry Human\, Dr Jordan Savage. \nSaturday 1 June\, 11.45am-12.30pm \nVenue: Lakeside Theatre\, University of Essex\, Wivenhoe Park\, Colchester\, CO4 3SQ\nTickets: Free\, booking recommended\nBox Office: Ticket Tailor \n  \nPart of our This Land: Launch Day events on Saturday 1st June at University of Essex. Join us for a day of talks\, performances\, debates\, walks and workshops to mark the 25th Edition of Essex Book Festival and the 60th Anniversary of University of Essex. \n  \n  \n \n  \n \n 
URL:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/dont-starve-the-arts-feed-them/
LOCATION:Lakeside Theatre\, University of Essex\, Wivenhoe Park\, Colchester\, CO4 3SQ
CATEGORIES:Discussion,FREE,LAUNCH EVENT
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://essexbookfestival.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Long-Table-Escaping-Climate-Change-cropped.png
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR