An event presented in partnership with EA Festival and The Minories

Tuesday 20th May, 7.00pm
Venue: The Minories, 74 High Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1UE
Tickets: £15.00
Box Office: eafestival.com

On 20 May, EA Festival will kick off a new event series in partnership with Essex Book Festival and The Minories, with all the talks taking place at the latter. If you don’t know The Minories, it is located directly opposite Firstsite in Colchester and the exhibition space for the superb art collection of the Victor Batte Lay Foundation, in addition to being a vibrant hive of art and community activity.

To inaugurate the series of art-themed talks, James Birch, the curator, gallerist and art impresario with many ties to East Anglia, will introduce his newest book, Gilbert & George and the Communists.

The book memorialises James’ experience of mounting major art exhibitions in Moscow and China for the irreverent and iconic art duo, Gilbert & George, after the great success of bringing Francis Bacon to Russia in 1988. (The latter experience was documented by James in his book, Bacon in Moscow, published in 2022.)

The reader is propelled forward by Birch’s sensitive retelling of his relationship with Gilbert and George, and his quest to understand the moorings of their art, while negotiating the black box decision making processes of his Communist patrons, all during one of the most tumultuous eras of political upheaval in those two countries (perestroika and Tiananmen).

It’s a multi-faceted romp through the art world and politics of the late 80s and early 90s that James will bring to life when he joins us on stage at The Minories.

About James Birch

James is a curator who has promoted modern art exhibitions around the world for over 30 years. He opened his first gallery in 1983, followed by two more in London over the next two decades. James has exhibited artists including Grayson Perry, Francis Bacon, Gilbert & George, Genesis P Orridge, Austin Osman Spare and Denis Wirth-Miller.

The post Gilbert & George and the Communists appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

Wednesday 28 May

Venues across Harwich

Join in the fun at the finale of Essex Book Festival and Kinetika’s collaborative story-gathering project, Collecting Dreams, Shifting Futures: a community celebration of Harwich’s fascinating heritage and coastline, which forms part of the inspirational nationwide Beach of Dreams project.

After an early start on the beach with a Know Your Beach Workshop led by local educator and environmental campaigner Libby Scarfe, participants will have the opportunity to take part in the Beach of Dreams silk-flag procession through town, followed by mini-film screenings in the Electric Palace Cinema. For those who want to get the creative juices going, join spoken word artist TriggerBliss and digital artist Marley Karazimba for writing and film-making workshops.

Register at eventbrite.com to receive updates about this event.

9am Know Your Beach Workshop with Libby Scarfe, Seaside Explorers

Join Libby Scarfe, a local beach-enthusiast with a passion for education and outdoor adventures for this special Know Your Beach Workshop.

There will be story-telling and a chance to explore the natural coast environment. Take part in a community beach clean and then get creative with the items you find.

Wednesday 28th May, 9.00 – 10.00am
Location: Harwich Beach. Meet at Harwich Town Sailing Club
Meeting point: What3words ref ///existence.bridge.sailors
Tickets: £4 per young person. Accompanying adult free.
Box Office: eventbrite.com

Suits ages 5-11 but everybody welcome!

All those aged 12 or under must be accompanied by an adult. Accompanying adult free. Accompanying adult does not need a ticket.

Writing and Film-Making Workshop with TriggerBliss and Marley Karazimba

Join spoken word artist, TriggerBliss, and digital artist Marley Karazimba for writing and film-making workshops. Part of Celebrating Collecting Dreams, Shifting Futures – a community celebration of Harwich’s fascinating heritage and coastline, which forms part of the inspirational nationwide Beach of Dreams project.

Wednesday 28th May

10.30 – 11.30am Writing Workshop with spoken word artist TriggerBliss
11.30am – 12.30pm Film-making Workshop with digital artist Marley Karazimba

Venue: 1912 Centre, Cow Lane, Harwich, CO12 3ER
Tickets: Free, booking essential
Box Office: eventbrite.com

The Keeper of the Light – Beach of Dreams Silk-Flag Procession

A community procession of beautiful Beach of Dreams silk penants to celebrate the finale of Collecting Dreams, Shifting Futures project.

Wednesday 28th May, 1.30 – 2.15pm
Meeting point: The High Lighthouse, Saint Helen’s Green, Harwich, CO12 3NH
Tickets: Free, booking recommended
Book your place: eventbrite.com

A celebratory procession of Beach of Dreams silk-flags taking in some of Harwich’s key heritage sites including The High Lighthouse, Ha’penny Pier and Electric Palace Cinema. Led my spoken word artist, TriggerBliss.

Beach of Dreams Film Screenings at Electric Palace Cinema

More details coming here soon…

Join us in the evening for the Essex Book Festival 2025 Launch Event with Booker Prize-winning author, Ben Okri:

Ben Okri
Madame Sosostris & the Festival for the Broken Hearted

Part vision, part mystery, this story of a midsummer night’s madness, in multi-award-winning poet, playwright and novelist Ben Okri’s inimitable style, is as alive with echoes and reverberations as the enchanted forest itself. Think Ingmar Bergman meets William Shakespeare, with a dash of Mozart.

‘Ben Okri is that rare thing, a literary and social visionary..’. Ali Smith

Wednesday 28th May, 7.00pm
Venue: Electric Palace Cinema, King’s Quay Street, Harwich, CO12 3ER

Find out more and book tickets at essexbookfestival.org.uk/benokri.

Ben Okri
Madame Sosostris & the Festival for the Broken Hearted

Wednesday 28 May, 7pm
Electric Palace, Harwich

Part vision, part mystery, this story of a midsummer night’s madness, in multi-award-winning poet, playwright and novelist Ben Okri’s inimitable style, is as alive with echoes and reverberations as the enchanted forest itself. Think Ingmar Bergman meets William Shakespeare, with a dash of Mozart.

Find out more and book tickets here.

The post Celebrating Collecting Dreams, Shifting Futures appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

Join Libby Scarfe, a local beach-enthusiast with a passion for education and outdoor adventures for this special Know Your Beach Workshop.

There will be story-telling and a chance to explore the natural coast environment. Take part in a community beach clean and then get creative with the items you find.

Suits ages 5-11 but everybody welcome!

Wednesday 28th May, 9.00 – 10.00am
Location: Harwich Beach. Meet at Harwich Town Sailing Club
Meeting point: What3words ref ///existence.bridge.sailors
Tickets: £4 per young person. Accompanying adult free.
Box Office: eventbrite.com

Suits ages 5-11 but everybody welcome. All those aged 12 or under must be accompanied by an adult. Accompanying adult free. Accompanying adult does not need a ticket.

Part of Celebrating Collecting Dreams, Shifting Futures
Harwich on Wednesday 28th May

Join in the fun at the finale of Kinetika and Essex Book Festival’s collaborative story-gathering project, Collecting Dreams, Shifting Futures: a community celebration of Harwich’s fascinating heritage and coastline, which forms part of the inspirational nationwide Beach of Dreams project.

The post Know Your Beach Workshop appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

10.30 – 11.30am Writing Workshop with spoken word artist TriggerBliss
11.30am – 12.30pm Film-making Workshop with digital artist Marley Karazimba

Wednesday 28 May
Venue: 1912 Centre, Cow Lane, Harwich, CO12 3ER
Tickets: Free, booking essential
Box Office: eventbrite.com

Part of Celebrating Collecting Dreams, Shifting Futures – a community celebration of Harwich’s fascinating heritage and coastline, which forms part of the inspirational nationwide Beach of Dreams project.

The post Writing and Film-Making Workshop appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

Part vision,  part mystery, this story of a midsummer night’s madness, in multi-award-winning poet, playwright and novelist Ben Okri’s inimitable style, is as alive with echoes and reverberations as the enchanted forest itself. Think Ingmar Bergman meets William Shakespeare, with a dash of Mozart.

This event will include an audience Q&A and after the event there will be an opportunity to get your book signed by the author.

‘Ben Okri is that rare thing, a literary and social visionary..’ – Ali Smith

Venue: Electric Palace, King’s Quay Street, Harwich, CO12 3ER
Tickets: £12 / £10 concessions (Students, Under 27s and Unwaged)
Box Office: essexbookfestival.org.uk or Mercury Theatre 01206 573948

Celebrating Collecting Dreams, Shifting Futures
Wednesday 28th May, Harwich

During the day on Wednesday 28 May, we will be hosting a series of workshops, walks and film-screenings in Harwich as part of the finale of our collaborative story-gathering project, Collecting Dreams, Shifting Futures. For more information about the activities taking place on this day visit essexbookfestival.org.uk/event/celebrating-collecting-dreams-shifting-futures/.

Madame Sosostris & the Festival for the Broken Hearted by Ben Okri

What do you do when your heart has been made a wasteland by love?

Viv, who’s in the House of Lords, had the idea for the festival on the twentieth anniversary of the day her first husband left her. Six months later, crowds descend on the grounds of a dreamlike chateau in the South of France, avidly awaiting the experience of a lifetime, Viv’s
inaugural Festival for the Broken-Hearted.

Everyone is in fancy dress. No one knows who anyone is. They wander the beautiful woods with just one night to change everything. And to crown it all, a very special guest is expected: world-renowned clairvoyant and fortune-teller Madame Sosostris, known as the wisest woman in Europe, and not seen since the pages of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land. She will attend for one night only. But will she actually appear at all, or will Viv’s carefully orchestrated festival fall to pieces? Will Viv and her husband make it through the night? Will anyone else?

Part vision, part mystery, this story of a midsummer night’s madness is also an homage to Eliot’s famous poem, in Ben Okri’s inimitable style, as alive with echoes and reverberations as the enchanted forest itself. Think Ingmar Bergman meets William Shakespeare, with a dash of
Mozart.

Hearts will be healed, and hearts broken, but nobody will leave this festival exactly as they arrived.

“Heartbreak brings terrible self-confrontation. It shatters and exposes us and makes us naked to ourselves. It’s both existential and humbling. Heartbreak is as good a place as any to peek into the human condition. But this is a peek, not a prodding. The purpose of the novel is not to open wounds but to celebrate the transformations that come from surviving heartbreak. The hope is to delight and amuse.” – Sir Ben Okri

Order a copy of Madame Sosostris & the Festival for the Broken Hearted by Ben Okri at bookshop.org

Sir Ben Okri

Sir Ben Okri was born in Minna, Nigeria. His childhood was divided between Nigeria, where he saw first hand the consequences of war, and London. He has won many prizes over the years for his fiction, and is also an acclaimed essayist, playwright, and poet. In 2019 Astonishing the Gods was named as one of the BBC’s ‘100 Novels That Shaped Our World’.

The post Madame Sosostris & the Festival for the Broken Hearted appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

The photography students at Harlow College are proud to present their work, on the theme of ‘Community’.

The exhibition and their accompanying books represent their responses to the project set by Essex Book Festival.

Throughout the work, they have discovered new insights into their home town and provided empowering representations of areas of Harlow for the viewing public, that offer unique and sensitive perspectives on the people, and culture of Essex.

Venue: Harlow Library, Cross Street, Harlow, CM20 1HA
Tickets: Free, no booking required

The post Community – an exhibition appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

Fly over the rainbow with this exciting adaptation of The Wizard of Oz.

Join Dorothy as she goes on a magical adventure to the Land of Oz. Along the way she makes new friends with the Scarecrow who longs for a brain, the Tin Man who really wants a heart and the very cowardly Lion who is desperate to be brave and have some courage. Dorothy needs to find her way home, but it’s not going to be easy with the Wicked Witch of the West keeping a close eye on her. Will the Great and Powerful Oz be able to help?

Starring the fabulous Fanny Galore as Glinda Galore, alongside a professional cast of West End performers, this spectacular, panto-like, colourful story is packed with hilarious jokes, dazzling dance routines, glittering scenery and plenty more for all the family.

Sunday 1st June, 1.00pm and 4.30pm
Venue: Chelmsford Theatre, Fairfield Road, Chelmsford, CM1 1JG
Tickets: £16.50 – £18.50

Chelmsford Theatre members get £2 off tickets (adult ticket only / max 4 per member)

Group Booking discount available (one in every ten free)
Family ticket £66 (Family of 4)
A £2 fee is applicable per transaction
Wheelchair accessible and essential companion tickets must be booked via the Chelmsford Theatre Access Scheme

The post The Wizard of Oz appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

Join us for an event like no other – take a boat trip to the Packing Shed at Mersea Island, a unique piece of our Essex heritage and join two fascinating talks. There will also be an opportunity to explore the small island and Packing Shed building, ask the authors questions and get books signed. Ticket includes both author talks and boat crossings to and from the island.

Sunday 01 June, 2.30pm – 5.30pm
Venue: The Packing Shed, West Mersea, Colchester, CO5 8PA
Tickets: £20, includes both talks and boat crossing to and from the Packing Shed
Box Office: essexbookfestival.org.uk or Mercury Theatre 01206 573948

Ken Worpole – The Bulwark Shore

The Essex coastline is one of the longest of England’s seashores, with many distinctive islands, some playing a key defensive role in wartime, while others have provided sanctuaries for wildlife and long-standing residential settlements with rich histories. In Brightening from the East: Essays on landscape and memory (2025), writer Ken Worpole details the unique contribution the Essex islands have made to modern notions of ‘Englishness’, not only in landscape character but also in the 20th century story of environmental and social change.

Order a copy of Brightening from the East by Ken Worpole at bookshop.org

Jules Pretty – Sea Sagas of the North

The isles of Essex once were hilltops. Then glaciers and ice-sheets melted, and the sea rose up. At that time, the North Sea was a wide dry plain called Doggerland. The Sky People roamed with all the herds. What happened when they became the first climate migrants, forced to flee in small boats? In Sea Sagas of the North, Jules Pretty uses story and saga to explore how the Essex archipelago came to be, and how the Sky People were welcomed with kindness at the shore.

Order a copy of Sea Sagas of the North by Jules Pretty at bookshop.org

The post Radical Islands Launch appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

Throughout June, Metal Southend will become a home for Essex Writers to share, forge ideas, make connections, gossip, read and write.

You can book a wild outdoor writing desk, grab a spot overlooking the Thames Estuary, get advice on your writing and find your writing community.

02 – 30 June 2025

Metal, Chalkwell Hall, Chalkwell Park, Southend-on-Sea, SS0 8NB

For full event listings visit: metalculture.com/projects/essex-writers-house-2025/

Writers’ Hot Desks

Atmospheric attic room desks with spectacular views across the estuary to Kent never cease to provide inspiration for writers needing space to shape their ideas. Book a desk to carve out time for yourself away from the distractions of everyday life.

Wild Writing Desk

A special writer’s desk will be outdoors in a secluded area of Chalkwell Park. This is the perfect environment for those who love to write immersed in nature. Southend weather permitting.

Co-Working & Shared Spaces

Essex Writers House is a place for writers to come together. This year, we’re offering two drop-in spaces (Monday – Friday 10.00 – 16.30 throughout June). These spaces invite you to connect, create, and strengthen your local writing community.

Our Quiet Work Room will be a peaceful, self-directed space for writing, reading or studying in silence, gathered around a beautiful co-working table.

The Main Hall will be an informal space for discussion, reading aloud, and sharing work with others.

Open Advice Sessions

Book a time with the Metal team and our associate writers to gain valuable feedback, guidance, and signposting to further support. These sessions welcome writers at any stage of their journey, whether you’re just starting out, or refining a manuscript. The space is yours to discuss what you need for your writing development.

Meet Our Resident Writers

Opportunities to connect with resident writers from near and far.

Find Your Writing Community

A discussion in partnership with the National Centre for Writing, inspired by their Escalator programme, which celebrates East of England writers whose voices are under-represented on UK bookshelves.

More special events will be announced.

As events are confirmed they will be listed at: metalculture.com/projects/essex-writers-house-2025/

Wild Swimming Dip and Workshop

Photo credit Metal

Love to dip your toes in the water… Then join us for an intrepid wild swim at Chalkwell Beach, followed by a pen-dipping writing workshop at Chalkwell Hall. ‘Warm-up’ complimentary coffee and cakes will be at the ready!

This is a partnership event with Essex Book Festival, Metal, Essex Federation of Women’s Institutes, and the Blue Tits. All welcome.

‘When women support each other incredible things happen.’

Details to be confirmed soon.

If you are interested in coming to this event you can register your interest here. We will email you with the event details once they are confirmed.

The post Essex Writers House 2025 appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

It is no secret that writing is the best thing for writing – but sometimes you need some advice, or just to feel part of a community of writers. With other experienced tutors, Dr Adrian May, Community Fellow and former Deputy Director of Creative Writing at Essex University will be there on call every Tuesday in June 10am-12pm.

Venue: St Leonard at-the-Hythe Church, Hythe Hill, Colchester, CO1 2NP
Tickets: Free, drop-in, no booking required

The post Weekly Community Writing Surgery appeared first on Essex Book Festival.