Announcing the launch of The Book Project

We are absolutely delighted to announce our new The Book Project as part of this year’s Essex Book Festival thanks to funding from Essex County ...

Fancy being a flag-bearer?

We are very excited to be launching this year’s Essex Book Festival with a Radical Procession led by Beach of Dreams from St Leonard ...

Climate Film Screening, Chelmsford

Save the Children UK are holding a climate film screening on Anglia Ruskin University Campus, Chelmsford, to highlight the impact that the climate ...

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New Opportunity: Essex Book Festival Digital Media Assistant

We are looking for someone who has strong digital media skills (including BookTok) and who is passionate about books/storytelling in the widest sense, ...

New Writing & Talking National Saturday Club launched

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new Writing and Talking National Saturday Club which will be taking place every Saturday 10am-1pm from ...

Spoken Word Power Open Call is now open

Spoken Word Power Open Call is a free programme open to primary, secondary and SEND schools. Supporting schools across the UK to make poetry fun and ...

Chelmsford Museum exhibition to explore legacy of legendary local nature writer

An exhibition on the life and works of celebrated local nature author and conservationist, J.A. Baker, will open at Chelmsford Museum in spring 2024. ...

Espionage, betrayal, terrorism, corruption – the truth behind the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher.

A Red Lion Books event: No Ordinary Day – John Murray & Matt Johnson in conversation at Colchester Arts Centre On 17 April 1984, as ...

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Announcing Caroline Lucas MP as special guest at Youth Climate Summit

We are delighted that Caroline Lucas MP will be joining us at our Manifesto For Essex Youth Climate Summit taking place this Saturday 13th January at ...

Walk With Words

Competition deadline extended: Share your story – win £300

Walk with Words is an interactive walking route connecting Colchester City Centre, the University of Essex, and Greenstead. Arranged on 16 posts, a QR ...

2023 Eco-cast podcast – new episodes released

As part of Essex Book Festival 2023 young people were invited to take part in a 2 day podcast workshop with Chelmsford Community Radio to develop our ...

Volunteering Opportunity: Research and Editorial Role for Colchester-based Public Art Project

About Walk With Words Colchester City Council and the University of Essex have commissioned a wayfinding strategy for the walking routes between the ...

Essex County Council Arts & Cultural Fund: The Story So Far

Take a look at all of the wonderful cultural projects funded by Essex County Council in 2023. The Essex County Council Arts and Cultural Fund supports ...

Beginners 4 week creative writing course

An exciting 4 week course set in the heart of Colchester in the inspirational environment of the Minories Gallery. Starts Wed, 22 Nov 2023 18:00 – ...

Book-tainment like no other!

Children & Authors’ Literary Fanfare Event (Black History Month ’23) On it’s 3rd run, CALFE ’23 promises great ...

Your Stories, My Stories, Our Stories: Development Plan for 2023-2026

To say that we’re excited about the next three years is an understatement. Essex Book Festival is unique. It is the only festival of its kind to take ...

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AGM Announcement 2023

The AGM for Essex Book Festival will be taking place on Friday 29th September 2023 at 2pm online via Zoom. For more information please contact ...

Be Part of Essex Book Festival

Author / Artist submissions now open for 2024. Are you a writer, performer, poet, artist, activist or more? In 2024 we’ll be celebrating the ...

The moment Wes Streeting is reunited with his former teacher Dorothy Eden. Photo by Colchester Labour Party

Wes Streeting reunited with teacher who changed his life at Essex Book Festival event

Colchester book launch sees emotional meeting. Wes Streeting, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Health, had an emotional reunion with his former primary ...

Layer Marney Tower 500 Year Commemorations

This year, Layer Marney Tower are commemorating Henry, 1st Lord Marney, who built Layer Marney Tower, the tallest of all Tudor Gatehouses in the ...

Stand Up For Diversity in Harlow

A huge thank you to our partner Essex Cultural Diversity Project and to Gibberd Galley and Harlow Art Trust for hosting our latest Stand Up For ...

Historical musicians, Pearl in the Egg, to perform at Alison Weir event

We are delighted that historical musicians, Pearl in the Egg, will be joining us at our special The History Books day at Layer Marney Tower as part of ...

Extra tickets for Telling Tales released

Due to popular demand, Lemmings Theatre and Essex Libraries have arranged to release extra tickets for the Telling Tales library tour. Don’t ...

Silent Film announced

We’re very excited to reveal the ‘mystery’ silent film at Harwich’s Electric Palace Cinema as part of our Criminally Good ...

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Change of Date for James Naughtie’s event in Harwich Electric Palace Cinema

Due to unforeseen circumstances, BBC Presenter and lead on Radio 4’s Bookclub James Naughtie’s author event at Harwich’s Electric ...

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Want to be a Human Book in The Human Library?

Do you defy a stereotype? Are you like an open book and do you have valuable experiences that readers could benefit from learning about? Are you ...

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Spoken Word Power – a free programme open to primary, secondary and SEND schools

Discovering, celebrating, and publishing the next generation of youth poets. Spoken Word Power supports schools across the UK to make poetry fun and ...

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Calling all writing tutors!

Essex Libraries’ popular Essex Authors Day is back as part of the 2023 Essex Book Festival and will take place on Saturday 24th June. There will be an ...

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Where the Hue Resides: a celebration of Black Joy in Essex

The tenth Stand Up For Diversity took place in November 2022. Essex Cultural Diversity Project and Essex Book Festival teamed up with the Mercury ...

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Hear My Voice – Climate Emergency Youth Summit

Are you passionate about Culture, Nature and the Environment, 14-25 years old living and/or studying in Essex? If the answer is YES, then join Essex ...

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Essex Book Festival visits Lagos

Essex Book Festival Director, Ros Green, was delighted to attend the second conference of the Global Association of Festival Directors last week in ...

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Call out for young people who are passionate about culture and the environment

Hear My Voice – Manifesto For Essex Youth Summit Essex Book Festival is hosting its 2nd Manifesto for Essex Youth Summit as part of EASUSTAIN: a ...

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Become a SPOKEN WORD POWER Future Leader in 2023

Are you an Essex-based Poet in the early stages of your facilitation journey, looking to develop your skills delivering poetry education in schools? ...

Colchester Film Festival 2022

Colchester Film Festival 7th – 12th November at Firstsite

Colchester Film Festival is hosting a series of guest speaker events and screening an exciting selection of features films giving audiences new ...

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The Farmed by Florence Ọlájídé

“Nothing beats the joy of being truly seen.” We are hugely proud to have played a tiny part in this story… In an exclusive article with ...

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AGM Announcement

The AGM for Essex Book Festival will be taking place on Monday 26th September 2022 at 2pm online via Zoom. For more information please contact ...

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Who Would You Like to See at Next Year’s Essex Book Festival?

June 2023 – Tell Us What You Want, What You Really Really Want As preparations get underway for June 2023, we thought we’d take this ...

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Call Out for Artists in Residence at Metal

Our friends at @metalcultureuk are calling for creatives to join their artist residency programme! They are offering 9 opportunities for artists ...

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Join the team of Volunteers for Gaia at Chelmsford Cathedral

Chelmsford Cathedral is delighted to be welcoming Gaia to Essex for the first time this October. Gaia is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram. ...

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Foraging Nature Folklore Recipes

Following the wonderful foraging walk with Lora Aziz as part of our Midsummer Madness day at Cressing Temple Barns, order your copy of Lora’s ...

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Calling all budding writers…

Essex Gardens Trust Beth Chatto Writers Prize 2022 Essex Gardens Trust in association with Beth Chatto Education Trust and Essex Book Festival invite ...

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Mark Billingham Library Event Update

Unfortunately, we have had to move the date of Sunday Times number one bestseller and maverick Mark Billingham’s event, which was scheduled to ...

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Free workshops and mentorships for aspiring children’s book writers

Are you an aspiring children’s book writer from an underrepresented group? Essex Book Festival are partnering with All Stories and Essex and ...

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Opportunity to shape chelmsford’s Cultural Future

Culture Chelmsford are looking for a new Trustee. They want to hear from you if you’re passionate about creativity in Chelmsford. Applications are ...

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The Box Office is… OPEN!!!!

Essex Book Festival 2022 has lift off… You can now book tickets for our Essex Book Festival 2022 events. Browse the digital edition of the ...

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Essex Summer of Culture 2022

Essex County Council has launched the ‘Summer of Culture 2022′. Partnering with exciting arts and cultural organisations, the ‘Summer of ...

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EA Festival partnership announcement

We’re proud to announce our continuing partnership with EA Festival this year.  One of the highlights of Essex Book Festival is our co-produced ...

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Essex Writers House: 1 – 30 April

Hosted in partnership with our friends at Metal, Essex Writers House returns to Chalkwell Hall throughout April, as we host a range of events, ...

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Metal residencies are back!

Just over one week left to apply to Metal’s Artist-in-Residence 2022/23 programme! They’re offering 21 residencies across the year, to creatives ...

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Calling all schools – get involved with Spoken Word Power

All schools can get involved in the Spoken Word Power project via the Open Call. Find out more at eastside.org.uk Simply download a free Speaking My ...

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Essex Book Festival 2022 – tickets available from 5th April

We are so excited about this year’s festival which is taking place 1 – 30th June. We can’t wait to share the full programme of ...

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Winners of flash fiction competition announced

The winners of The Story Hunters Project flash fiction competition were announced at a special event held at Cressing Temple Barns on Saturday 27th ...

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New vision for Essex Libraries published

From Friday 26 November, residents can have their say on Essex County Council’s new vision for Libraries as the draft Everyone’s Library Service ...

Colchester Writenight

A new spectacular anthology

“Witty, experimental, clever, thought-provoking and sometimes plain laugh-out-loud” Colchester WritenightShort Prose CollectionEdited by ...

The Witchfinders Sister

World premiere of a chilling tale of Essex witch hunts

From 7th – 30th October 2021 at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch – see the production of The Witchfinder’s Sister by Beth Underdown, ...

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Story Hunters Flash Fiction Competition Deadline Extended to 29th October

Good news for those of you who meant to take part in our Story Hunters Flash Fiction Competition but missed the deadline – we have extended the ...

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AGM Announcement

The AGM for Essex Book Festival will be taking place on Thursday 23rd September at 3pm online via Zoom. For more information please contact ...

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Join Syd Moore for The Reading Round

Have you wanted to be part of a book club but never had enough time to read? Now the Royal Literary Fund have introduced a new type of reading group – ...

Essex Book Festival Bookshop

This year we have set up an online book shop with all of our 2021 Authors and Event connections in one place. Bookshop.org is an online bookshop with ...

Celebrating The Essex Read 2021

We’re delighted to celebrate James Canton’s latest book, The Oak Papers as The Essex Read for 2021. We launched The Essex Read in ...

Odes to Essex Five Essex-lovers reclaim the county that they grew up in or now call home.

Kicking off the series exploring the joys of Essex, surely the most maligned and misunderstood of counties, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg reflects on ...

Essex Book Festival on Chelmsford Community Radio

Festival Director Ros Green joined Rob and Dave on their Rotary Roundup show last week on Chelmsford Community Radio.  Ros talked about the ...

Good News about Essex Book Festival 2021

Thanks to a generous grant from Arts Council England, our successful Crowdfunding Project, and continued support from our other funding partners, ...

Why Essex Should Be Your Next Staycation

In this article, festival favourite Gillian Darley, takes us on a reminiscent walk through our county’s history and highlights. The feature, ...

Buy books online and support local bookstores at uk.bookshop.org

November saw the launch of an online bookstore that financially supports local independent bookstores and gives back to the book ...

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From Marconi to Melba – The Centenary of First British Radio Broadcasts by Tim Wander

Tim Wander’s latest book From Marconi to Melba was written for the Centenary of the First British Radio Broadcasts from Chelmsford. Find out ...

The Green Shoots writing competition

The Essex Book Festival presents the Green Shoots writing competition, for writers aged between 18 to 28 who wish to develop their craft whilst ...

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Essex Book Festival in the News

Here at Essex Book Festival HQ we have been unseasonably busy for the time of year. We’re thrilled to have been featured in the local news, ...

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Support our crowdfunder for Essex Book Festival 2021: #BackWithABang

Our crowdfunder for Essex Book Festival 2021: #BackWithABang launches today. Thanks to exceptional support from friends and partners, plus an ...

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rehab4addiction create infographic showing the impact of Covid-19 on mental health.

Here’s a great resource provided by rehab4addiction. The world is an overwhelming place at the moment. Anxiety and uncertainty are common ...

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#ThisIsEssex film launched to challenge Essex stereotype

As part of an ongoing strategy, the people of Essex have stepped forward to showcase real Essex and dispel the stereotype. A female rally driver, ...

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Stories on the Edge

We have launched a new series of podcasts featuring people from migrant and vulnerable communities sharing their stories. It was curated by ...

Essex 2020 Talent Forward

Essex 2020: Talent >>Forward – an interactive online careers event for young people in Essex

Taking place on 28th October, Talent >> Forward will give 14-25 year olds from the county an opportunity to have honest and inspiring conversations ...

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Chelmsford Creatives create Boredom-19 zine – Reflections from a county in lockdown

Chelmsford Creatives are a group of 15-24 year olds who have worked alongside Chelmsford Museum for the last three years to deliver projects that make ...

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Eco-Cast with Chelmsford Community Radio

As part of our Manifesto For Essex we commissioned young Chelmsford Community Radio journalists to conduct a series of interviews with ...

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Irvine Welsh, Alan Warner and John King to discuss their new joint book in our online event

Essex Book Festival and Anglia Ruskin University are delighted to invite you to this online event hosted by Tony Fisher, on Wednesday 11th November. ...

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ARU launch programme of free events for Black History Month

Today marks the start of Black History Month. Anglia Ruskin University have launched a programme of free events as part of their Black History Month ...

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Help the Mercury Theatre return home #saveourtheatres

Support the Mercury Theatre’s crowdfunding campaign. Your theatre needs you now more than ever – to see them through the year and reopen ...

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Essex Book Festival AGM 2020

The AGM for Essex Book Festival will be taking place on Friday 25th September at 1pm online via Zoom. If you would like further information please ...

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Essex Steamettes Manifesto For Essex coding project

Essex Steamettes have created a Scratch Studio to showcase their Manifesto For Essex coding projects. The Scratch stories include Earth Poems and ...

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24 Hour Comic Challenge Colchester

Create a 24 page comic book in 24 hours. 3rd-4th October 2020. Pick up a free activity pack in Colchester to take part. The 24 hour comics challenge ...

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Call Out for Earth Poems

As part of our special Manifesto For Essex Exhibition, which is taking place Chelmsford City Centre as part of Heritage Open Days (11-20th September), ...

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Local children’s author launches Zoo fundraiser

Josie Dom, local children’s author, has penned an epic poem celebrating the animal kingdom who have stepped up to compete in the Animalympics. ...

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Listen to the Fashion / Remade podcast

A series of conversations and practical activities took place on Instagram last week on the theme of sustainability and the fashion industry. These ...

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Announcing the winners of our Criminally Good Crime-Writing Short Story Competition

We are delighted to announce the winner and runners up of our Criminally Good Crime-Writing Short Story Competition. Congratulations to the winner, ...

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Fashion/Remade rescheduled as live Instagram event

Rescheduled from earlier in the year, join us online on Focal Point Gallery’s Instagram page for three conversations and practical activities centred ...

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New podcast from Essex Library Services

The Only Way is Reading is a podcast brought to you by Essex Library Services. It is dedicated to bringing you great book recommendations and interest ...

Stand Up For Diversity

Stand Up For Diversity online event

Online via ZoomWednesday 3 June 7.30pm (registration from 7.15pm) Join us for an evening of three-minute mini-talks as we continue with our series of ...

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Mercury Theatre VE Day Celebrations

Mercury Theatre will be celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day this Friday 8th May, with a range of exciting, safe, socially distanced and online ...

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Event guest presents Jim Al-Khalili with personal portrait

During Essex Book Festival 2020, quantum physicist, author and broadcaster, Jim Al-Khalili gave a talk about his first ever novel, Sunfall. After the ...

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World Book Night – 23rd April

World Book Night is run by The Reading Agency, a national charity that tackles life’s big challenges through the proven power of reading. It is a ...

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Upload – Calling all writers, poets and storytellers

Here is your chance to showcase your talent on the BBC. You can upload any kind of content: audio, video, text and images to the BBC via their upload ...

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Writing to get you through: A six-week online writing workshop

Cath Drake, poet and nonfiction writer, is running a six-week online writing workshop called ‘Writing to Buoy Us’ which begins on the 9th April. ...

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The Reading Agency – helping you stay connected during Covid-19 isolation

The Reading Agency staff have collaborated on a toolkit containing their programmes’ digital resources as well as ideas on how to stay connected ...

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BookBound 2020: the world’s first antiviral literary festival

Monday 27 April to Sunday 3 May 2020 A new online literary festival has been launched bringing authors and readers together online for 7 days of ...

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We’re launching our Criminally Good Crime Writing Story Competition

To make up for the disappointment of cancelling this year’s Golden Age of Crime Weekend at the Park Inn Palace Hotel in Southend-on-Sea, Essex Book ...

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Get Bunting!

To mark Essex 2020: A year of Science & Creativity, Essex Book Festival is working with its partners and friends to create a giant snake of ...

Essex Book Festival Announcement

It is with a very heavy heart that we have taken the decision to cancel the final events of this year’s Essex Book Festival. The safety of our ...

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Take part in Essex Libraries book amnesty this March

Look under your beds and in your cupboards for all those lost and forgotten library books – because from 1 March to 31 March Essex Libraries are ...

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1954 – Listen to a new Radio Podcast marking Marconi Centenary

As part of this year’s festival Essex-based Packing Shed Film and Theatre has released its very first radio podcast. Marking 100 years since ...

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“What an amazing experience”

A performance like no other. Riverside swimming pool in Chelmsford was transformed with an audio-visual performance inspired by JG Ballard’s The ...

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Apply for Essex Writers House residencies

Choose to stay from 2nd–8th March or 16th–20th MarchPlease note – you do not have to stay for the entire week if successful in applying.This ...

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Jess Phillips: Change of Date

Due to University strikes, we have rescheduled Labour MP Jess Phillip’s eagerly anticipated event Truth to Power at University of Essex from Thursday ...

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Fashion guru Susannah Constantine appearing at South Woodham Ferrers Library

Susannah Constantine, fashion guru of What Not to Wear fame, will be taking part in Essex Book Festival. Susannah will talk about her novels After the ...

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Mark Ellis – time and venue change

Mark Ellis will now be appearing at Grays Library at 7pm on Monday 16th March. Join thriller writer, Mark Ellis to hear about his latest book A Death ...

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More tickets released for Jennifer Potter’s event

We have just released more tickets for Jennifer Potter’s The Jamestown Brides event at Shenfield Library, Thursday 5th March. Get in quick to ...

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New event announcement: Arrival Lounge by Peeling Onions with Granny

We are delighted to announce a new event to our 2020 programme. The performance group Peeling Onions with Granny will be at Harlow Playhouse on ...

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Read all about it – Essex Book Festival featured in Essex Life Magazine

Grab a copy of the latest Essex Life magazine to read all about Essex Book Festival. Festival Director, Ros Green looks ahead to some of the books ...

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Tickets for Wet Sounds now on sale

Bizarre, magical and astonishing – don’t miss your chance to experience this unique event. Inspired by JG Ballard’s The Drowned ...

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Abe Daré and Louise Hare feature in Observer’s Top 10 debut novelists of 2020

We are thrilled that both Abi Daré and Louise Hare have made it into The Observer’s top 10 debut novelists. Make sure you don’t miss them ...

Essex 2020 podcast

Festival Director, Ros Green, features in Essex 2020’s first podcast

In the first episode of Essex 2020’s new Podcast series, Richard from always possible talks to our Festival Director, Ros Green, about the Essex ...

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Book your tickets now to avoid disappointment

Some events have already started selling out so please make sure you book your tickets quickly to avoid disappointment. Don’t say we ...

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Christine Dwyer Hickey Date Changed to 23rd March

This event has changed dates since the publication of our brochure. Christine Dwyer Hickey will now be appearing at Wickford Library on 23 March. See ...

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Abi Daré to take part in Essex Book Festival 2020

We will launch our full programme of events for Essex Book Festival 2020 on Monday 13th January. In the meantime, we are very excited to announce that ...

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Film based on festival artwork wins award

Huge congratulations to Polish artist, Jola Kudela, for winning the Jury Special Award at Berlin Art Film Festival for her short film “We Are ...

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Big News about Essex Book Festival announced on BBC Essex

Ros Green, Festival Director, featured on the Tony Fisher show on BBC Essex on 29th October to talk about the plans for Essex Book Festival 2020. ...

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Thanks to Polish Cultural Institute

It was wonderful to host Agnieszka Dale as writer-in-residence at our Crossing Borders writing exchange in Harwich, as part of the opening weekend of ...

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Top Twenty Books That Rock Essex

We are delighted to announce the Top Twenty Books That Rock Essex - old and new - as part of our 20th Birthday celebrations in partnership with Essex ...

Colchester Festival of Rice and Spice

Come and celebrate Colchester’s diverse communities through food, music and dance, with aromas and flavours from around the world to tickle the palate....

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Heritage Open Day & Book Festival at Galleywood Heritage Centre

Galleywood Heritage Centre is taking part in the Heritage Open Weekends with an Open Day & Book Festival on Saturday 8 September....

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Live poetry this autumn

The annual Essex Poetry Festival is visiting ten libraries this autumn: enjoy the opportunity to listen to poets reading aloud from their work, and ...

Nominate Syd’s Detective Duo in the Dead Good Reader Awards

Syd Moore, Writer-in-Residence for Essex Book Festival 2018, has just been shortlisted for the Holmes and Watson Award in the Dead Good Reader Awards! ...

Privacy Policy

Essex Book Festival Respects Your Privacy Essex Book Festival understands that your personal information and privacy is important to you, and ...

Thank you from the Festival Team!

It’s impossible to know where to begin to thank all of the people and organisations that helped make this year’s Essex Book Festival such a success. ...

Radical Essex: Essex Book Festival 2018 went underground…

Every year, working with the Radical Essex team based at Focal Point Gallery in Southend, Essex Book Festival hosts an event in an intriguing but ...

Pop Up Essex Writer’s House: A huge success!

When our 2018 Writer-in-Residence Syd Moore expressed a desire for an Essex Writer’s House last autumn, we had no idea that she would be hosting ...

Story-Time goes from strength to strength

Telling stories is one – if not the oldest – art form known to mankind. As such, it gives Essex Book Festival enormous pleasure to offer a ...

Writing on the Inside: continuing our work with Essex prisoners

We were delighted to host our first Crime and Punishment Symposium at the University of Essex as part of the Festival programme in partnership with ...

We fulfilled our pledge to make 1000 Peace Cranes

When we embarked on our mission to make 1000 Origami Peace Cranes as part of our commemoration of the end of WW1, we never imagined that we would ...

Snapping the Stiletto seeks Poet-in-Residence

“Snapping the Stiletto” is a two year project by Essex County Council, exploring how Essex women’s lives have changed since 1918. The project has ...

SNOWMAGEDDON: is my event still on?

Well, the festival has got off to a terrific start, despite the snow. We launched on Wednesday with Billy Bragg, who drove through the blizzards to ...

Essex Prose and Poetry Competition

Age UK Essex invite you to take part in their Essex Prose and Poetry Competition 2018. Here are the details: TELL US YOUR STORY… Your memories ...

Bard of Barking joins Essex Book Festival Line up

2018 Essex Book Festival features a cricket commentary legend, crime-writing royalty, some of science’s biggest brains and so much more! Next year’s ...

Golden Age of Crime: Make a Weekend of it!

Essex Book Festival’s Golden Age of Crime Weekend is being hosted by Park Inn by Radisson Palace Hotel in Southend-on-Sea. This magnificent ...

Stamp Your Passports at Festival Learning Destinations!

Essex Book Festival is partnering with Essex Children’s University, which provides 5-14 year olds with exciting learning experiences outside school. ...

Lucy Popescu calls for support for ‘A Country to Call Home’

Lucy Popescu is looking for people to support her new book A Country to Call Home. Building on the success of A Country of Refuge, featured in Essex ...

GAWP! Green Alphabet Writing Prize

Flipside, the East Anglian literary and arts festival, is launching a writing competition for writers of all ages in a search for inspirational ...

New Writer in Residence, Clacton Library

For the next three months, all those interested in talking over any aspect of writing or books can drop in to West Clacton Library between 10am and ...

Wioletta Greg longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize!

We are delighted to find out today that Wioletta Greg, who is talking to Sarah Perry this Saturday 18 March in Harlow about her new book, Swallowing ...

Claim Your Space!

Be part of a large-scale artwork, popping up on walls around Harlow this March! Polish artist Jola Kudela creates beautiful murals, claiming public ...

The Essex Serpent wins Waterstones Book of the Year

In the New Year we will be announcing our programme for Essex Book Festival 2017, and are thrilled by the news that The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, ...

FESTIVAL 4: Ticket offer

For Essex Book Festival 2017 we are offering four events for the price of three on selected talks. Just choose any four events with the ‘Festival 4’ ...

The Swan at Lavenham’s first Children’s Literary Festival

Lavenham Children’s Literary Festival Friday 28 – Saturday 29 October 2016 The Swan at Lavenham are proud to announce the first Lavenham Children’s ...

Lavenham Literary Dinner

Lavenham Literary Dinner Friday 11 November The evening begins at 6.30pm £50 per person An Evening with Professional Storyteller Vanessa Woolf. The ...

Farleigh Hospice welcomes Essex author Nick Ardley

Farleigh Hospice invites you to meet Nick Ardley, author of Swinging the Lamp – Thames Estuary Tidal Tales – All welcome! Nick Ardley sails the Thames ...

Essex Book Festival’s Crime Writing Short Story Competition 2016: Winners Announced

We are delighted to announce the winners of our very first Crime Writing Short Story Competition. Congratulations to: 1st Prize: Bella D’Arcy ...

Become a Reading Ambassador

The Publishers Association are calling on all book-lovers to become Reading Ambassadors. The reading for pleasure charities they work with have ...

Celebrating Home with friends and ‘enemies’

Hundreds flocked to Firstsite for our HOME Weekend, taking part in writing and art workshops, a plethora of panel discussions, fabulous songs and ...

Essex Schools’ Book Bonanza

Featuring Michael Rosen, Julian Clary, Axel Scheffer, Philip Ardagh, and Children’s Laureate Chris Ridell. Essex Book Festival is absolutely ...

Lovereading in a Nutshell

Essex Book Festival is now featured on the UK’s Leading Book Recommendation website lovereading.co.uk Helping people choose their next book, ...

Tea, cakes and fabulous fiction in Colchester

If you’re in a book group or just love reading, come along to Colchester Library on Saturday 20 February, where you can expect an entertaining ...