- 31 May -30 June 2024
- Online
Defining Legacies: Stand Up For Diversity in Museums, Libraries and Archives
All are welcome to this online event, an evening of three-minute mini-talks online, for those wanting to champion and celebrate diversity in museums, libraries and archives. Read more
- Fiction
- Online
- Partner Event
The Manningtree Witches
Appetite Book Club and Essex Book Festival are very excited to host this online event with debut author A.K. Blakemore. In The Manningtree Witches fear and destruction take root in the lives of the local women 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. Read more
- Book Club Event
- Fiction
- In partnership
- Online
Essex Book Festival (UK) in partnership with Roving Heights Book Club (Nigeria) presents Ukamaka Olisakwe
A modern feminist classic in the making from a rising star of the Nigerian literature scene Ogadinma or, Everything Will be All Right tells the story of the naive and trusting Ogadinma as she battles against Nigeria's societal expectations in the 1980s. After a rape and unwanted pregnancy leave her exiled from her family in Kano, thwarting her plans to go to university, she is sent to her aunt's in Lagos and pressured into a marriage with an older man.… Read more
- Festival Finale
- Workshop
Scallywags Press, Children’s workshops
Essex Book Festival is teaming up with children’s publisher Scallywag Press for a series of fabulous author/artist events as part of our Festival Finale. All events are suitable for ages 4+ An adult must accompany children. Rob Ramsden Join Rob Ramsden as he reads from his brilliant picture book I Saw a Bee. He’ll also be exploring nature and the importance of bees through an activity inspired by Cressing Temple Barns own buzzy inhabitants. More information and booking … Read more
- Book Club Event
- Non-fiction
Essex Book Festival and the African and Caribbean Books and Writers Group present a digital book club with Toby Green – A Fistful of Shells
A Fistful of Shells: West Africa from the Rise of the Slave Trade to the Age of Revolution. Described a s a book "that shakes history", Winner of the Historical Writers Association Non-Fiction Crown, the Jerry Bentley Prize in World History and the Nayef Al-Rohdan Prize for Global Cultural Understanding amongst many many other accolades. Toby Green, historian joins the Essex Book Festival and African and Caribbean Book and Writers Group digital book club to discuss, share his outstanding book.… Read more
- In partnership
Stand Up for Diversity : Celebrating Women in Essex
Stand Up For Diversity Snapping the Stiletto: Campaigning for Equality Book your place at su4d-women-in-essex.eventbrite.co.uk All are invited to an evening of three-minute mini-talks, short soap-box shout-outs that put a spotlight on women and diversity. Snapping the Stiletto: Campaigning for Equality, is an exciting project that seeks to re-examine the Essex Girl identity and represent what it is to be a woman living in Essex today. The event will bring together people who want to champion and celebrate women and diversity in… Read more
- Essex Writers House
- 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
- 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
- In partnership
- ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!
- 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
- Essex Writers House
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
- Non-fiction
- SOLD OUT!
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. Meeting 11am Pitsea Station Length: up to 4/5 Hours Difficulty: Flat terrain but mixture of footing Read more
- Discussion
- Festival Launch
- Non-fiction
- ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!
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
- 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
- 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
- ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!
- Theatre
MASKED – a zoom theatre event plus Q & A
MASKED – a zoom theatre event plus Q&A Written by award winning Essex writer, Nicola Werenowska, 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? MASKED is directed by Jeni Draper and supported by Arts Council… Read more
- 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
- ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!
- 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 – By Popular demand!! Another walk added for 2pm !!!
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 2nd Walk 2.15… Read more
- Essex Writers House
- ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!
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
- ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Essex Writers House
- ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!
- Outside
Walk, Wade, Write
Join Southend writer Daniel Kramb, for a walk by the beach and a swim, followed by a haiku inspired poetry writing session in Chalkwell Park. More info: Places limited http://www.essexwritershouse.com 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
- Partner Event
Zoom readings by Patrician Press Authors
Join Patrician Press whose Authors are sharing readings from Chaos Poetry Anthology, Rebel Alliance Short Story Anthology and Now This - reflections on our arts and cultures. Please contact [email protected] for more details and Zoom log in link below . Here are the Zoom details. https://us04web.zoom.us/j/78951253012?pwd=UlZlZzRBQkk3OCtjM0lkN1NxZWlKdz09 Meeting ID: 789 5125 3012 Passcode: patpress THIS IS A PARTNER EVENT AND SO ANY ENQUIRIES NEED TO BE DIRECTED TO PATRICIAN PRESS 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
- SOLD OUT!
- 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 : £20 / £15… Read more
- Flash Fiction
- SOLD OUT!
- 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
- SOLD OUT!
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
- 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
- ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!
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
- 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
- ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!
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
- In Conversation
- In person
- Layer Marney Tower
- Non-fiction
Henry ‘Chips’ Channon: The Diaries (Volume 1): 1918-38
Born in Chicago in 1897, Henry 'Chips' Channon settled in England after the Great War, married into the immensely rich Guinness family, and served as Conservative MP for Southend-on-Sea from 1935 until his death in 1958. His political career was unremarkable. His diaries are quite the opposite. Elegant, gossipy and bitchy by turns, they are the unfettered observations of a man who went everywhere and knew everybody. Whether describing the antics of London society in the interwar years, or the… Read more
- In person
- Partner Event
- Spoken Word
Spoken Word at Hedingham Castle
One of the UK’s most feted spoken word artists, Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa, will be performing a range of poems from her forthcoming collection ‘The Inheritance’, to be published by Out-Spoken Press in 2022/23. Her poems have been cultivated from her ground-breaking technique, where she incorporates both dance and body language into her performance. She has been showered with numerous accolades, including the 2020 New Voice in Poetry Prize by Culture Recordings, the 2019 BBC Edinburgh Fringe Slam Championship and the… Read more
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
- Outside
- SOLD OUT!
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
- Discussion
- In person
- Partner Event
“Let’s Talk About Sex”
1 Aug @ 2:15 PM – 3:00 PM Writers Rowan Pelling, Daisy Buchanan and Jonnie Bayfield compare notes on how behaviour and attitudes towards sex and relationships have changed because of mass media, technology, social media and economic forces. Each panelist brings their unique perspective on the subject, illuminating the dilemmas of dating and loving in today’s society. Pelling is well known for editing the Erotic Review and launching the Amorist, Buchanan is author of The Times’ best-selling novel Insatiable:… Read more
- In person
- Partner Event
Fens, Forests & Fields: stories from a unique Essex landscape
We invite you to join us as we celebrate the Land of the Fanns and Kinetika's Community Mapping Project. Hear from the team who made it all possible - how the stories were collected, how the flags were designed and painted during lockdown, members of the local community who filmed their stories, the costumes created and the walks which took place to explore this wonderful landscape we live in. All of this comes together in a fascinating new book; Fens,… 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
- Essex Writers House
- In partnership
- Young Essex
Jacqson Diego – The 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
- In Conversation
**Moved to Digital Platform more tickets available ** 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** THIS EVENT HAS MOVED TO DIGITAL PLATFORM if you have purchased tickets you will receive an email shortly. Read more
CREATE98 in partnership with Essex Writers house presents a Beginners Writing Workshop
Don't know how to get started? Getting going on that first writing project can be difficult, so Create98 resident screenwriter Richard Kurti and novelist Samantha Lierens are here to take you through the various ways to overcome the blank page. Are you a planner or a dreamer? Are you led by interesting characters or pulled in by a dynamic plot or compelling theme? There are many different approaches to writing, we can help untangle them and find a way-in just right for you. in-the-Park (Chalkwell Park) Saturday 14 August (conditions permitting) £20 for 2 hour session Read more
- In person
- Partner Event
A Duty Toward the Land
Talk by Ken Worpole and Tour of Old Hall Community, East Bergholt, Suffolk, Saturday 14 Aug 2021 2 - 4 pm. In his 1953 memoir, Community Farm, the writer and social idealist John Middleton Murry, wrote that 'work on the land is necessary to the life of man in a way no other work can be.' He was associated with a number of 'back to the land' projects on the Essex/Suffolk border in the 1930s and 1940s. In this illustrated… 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
- SOLD OUT!
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 - TBC Length : 8 Miles ( 4 miles each way) or 1.5… 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 – Mat Osman in conversation with Zoe Howe
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. Mat will be talking in depth to Zoe Howe, acclaimed author, music and presenter, sharing thoughts, stories and how The Ruins took shape. Osman will draw us into his turbulent 2010 where banks are on the edge of oblivion, a volcano is erupting in Iceland and marauding… 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
- Festival Finale
- In person
- The Children's University
- Young Essex
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 per child Read more
- Discussion
- Festival Finale
- Fiction
- For Writers
- In Conversation
- In partnership
- In person
- Non-fiction
- Outside
- Storytelling
- The Children's University
- Workshop
- Young Essex
Essex Book Camp
Join in the fun at the Essex Book Camp With a huge range of events for all ages, from author events with the likes of Good Morning Britain’s Dr Hilary Jones through to our fabulous storytelling yurt; woodland crafts and meditation walks; drop-in family yoga sessions and more, Cressing Temple Barns is the place to be this August Bank Holiday Sunday. Free Drop-In Activities for all ages we just need one large image of Shane Ibbs telling stories for this… Read more
- Festival Finale
- In partnership
- The Children's University
- Workshop
- Young Essex
Scallywag Press : Workshops for younger readers
Scallywag Press : Author WorkshopsWe are teaming up with multi-award children’s publisher Scallywag Press for four fabulous hands on author and artist workshops for young children. Ages vary. Deborah will help little ones explore the food they eat every day to find out where it comes from and how it ends up on the table in her fun Follow My Food writing workshop. She’ll also read from her new book Milly Cow Gives Milk. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/152741866033 Age 4+ ( Adults Free) Children must be… Read more
- Festival Finale
- 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
- Festival Finale
- Workshop
- Young Essex
Shelter Building
Shelter building and Magical world in the secret woodland. Join the Essex Book festival adventurers as they create magical worlds and shelters throughout the day in the magic woodland. We will be doing workshops - book in for the first below or come and join us in the secret woodland for more magical adventures. 1.15 - 2.15pm https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/shelter-building-with-explorer-and-adventurer-belinda-kirk-tickets-163606546585 Read more
- Festival Finale
- In person
- Podcast Workshop
- The Children's University
- Workshop
- Young Essex
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
- Festival Finale
- In Conversation
- In person
- Residency
- Storytelling
Building Imaginary Worlds : Life Made Magic – Change of venue –
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. This event will now take place in the Storytelling Tent due to circumstances beyond our control! Read more
- Essex Writers House
Essex Writers House 2022
For the month of April we invite anybody interested in writing to take part in a range of events, workshops and sharings. Beginners, established authors, book lovers, families and storytellers of all kinds welcome. Read more
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
- ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!
- Outside
- SOLD OUT!
In John Clare’s Boots: The Poet in Epping Forest – In My Steps: Radical Walks in Essex – SOLD OUT!
Join the poet Robert Hamberger to follow in the footsteps of the ‘peasant poet' John Clare in Epping Forest Read more
- Festival Launch
- Music
- Performance
- Poetry
Launch Event: The Ballad of Shingle Street and other East Anglian poems
A performance of poetry with music featuring poet and novelist Blake Morrison accompanied by music composed and played by the multi-instrumentalist members of The Hosepipe Band. Read more
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
- ONLY A FEW TICKETS LEFT!
- Outside
Sculpture and the use of space in Harlow – In My Steps: Radical Walks in Essex
A guided walk with outdoor writer Peter Aylmer who will lead you round a selection of Harlow's 100+ public sculptures Read more