Over the last few weeks our first Essex Book Worm YA podcast has taken shape! Our young participants have been learning how to make their own podcast with Chelmsford Community... Read more »...
Blog
Live Illustration at The History Books Day
We were delighted to be joined by the hugely talented illustrator and graphic designer, Christopher Fenwick, at our History Books Day at Layer Marney Tower. Capturing the key ideas from... Read more »...
Beware of scammers
We have been made aware of a potential email scam claiming to be from Essex Book Festival. It seems to be targeting writers and authors, inviting them to take part... Read more »...
Registrations are open for our Manifesto For Essex Eco-Gathering
An opportunity for young people in Essex to share ideas, get involved, and make a difference in the local community and beyond. We are delighted to be holding our fifth... Read more »...
A Rare Opportunity
A Happy New Year from everyone at Essex Book Festival HQ. We hope your stockings werefilled with fine books – ours certainly were – and that you all had a... Read more »...
Snowy Joy & the Toysavers – Festive Edition
Colchester families are in for a festive treat as Snowy Joy & The Toysavers returns with a heartwarming Christmas Special. Snowy Joy & the Toysavers – Festive EditionColchester Arts CentreMonday... Read more »...
‘For men must work and women must weep’ – must they?
By Julia Jones The focus for the Essex Book Festival 2025 is Community. The richness and diversity of Essex. Our extraordinary history and heritage, and the people who have shaped... Read more »...
Happy New Year
There’s something really satisfying about turning the page on the old year and embarking on the new one. Not least of all for the hearty pile of new books accrued... Read more »...
Some Autumnal Delights …
Essex Book Festival isn’t just for June, we have some fantastic events on the menu coming up over the next six weeks. Chelmsford Science Festival – 26th and 27th October... Read more »...
Everything Is Rhythm: Reflections on the Saffron Trail Pilgrimage
Sometimes, we receive gifts of wisdom that stay with us, shaping the way we move through the world. One such lesson has lingered with me: everything is rhythm. It’s a... Read more »...
Calling all Writers and Digital Artists
We are looking for skilled writers and digital artists for a story gathering project which collaborates with the local communities in Harwich and in Orford Ness, in a heritage, creative... Read more »...
The National Saturday Club Experience
By Ada Mazi Starting in March, I got myself into an immersive journey of writing creatively through the National Saturday Club. From our fantastic trips – Royal Opera House Masterclass... Read more »...
It’s A Wrap
What a wonderful month we had dashing around Essex hosting a myriad of fascinating events from Thurrock to Wivenhoe. We hope you had the chance to savour at least one... Read more »...
Our Final Week
As we head into our final week, the festival is taking on a criminally good dimension, starting with the annual Dorothy L Sayers lecture at Witham Library, which features bestselling... Read more »...
Join us for some Midsummer Merriment
With the longest day nearly upon us, it’s time for some midsummer merriment at Cressing Temple Barns. Join in the family fun this Sunday at this year’s Midsummer Madness Day.... Read more »...
A ‘Swiftie’ Twist …
With ‘Swiftie-mania’ sweeping the country as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour unfolds across the UK, Essex Book Festival is delighted to bring its own Swiftie twist to the party this Sunday,... Read more »...
What a start, and still so much to come…
Thank you to everyone who joined us at our This Land: Launch Day last Saturday at University of Essex. We had the most wonderful time. With a full mix of... Read more »...
Your Guide to FREE Essex Book Festival Events
A good time doesn’t have to cost the earth. We offer a wide range of events, workshops and activities which are free to attend. Come and join in the fun... Read more »...
Countdown to This Land: Launch Day
Can a poem be translated into a picture? Or a recipe? Find out at the launch of this year’s Essex Book Festival… We have workshops galore in the mix as... Read more »...
New Worlds
New Worlds Only a month to go until internationally best-selling author Lionel Shriver ‘hot-foots it’ from Hay Festival to Essex Book Festival. Lionel will be talking about her latest book... Read more »...
Taking The Long View
Every year we like to add new venues to the mix. Partly because it’s always fun to go to new places – even if they’re on the doorstep – but... Read more »...
Programme launching this week
We are absolutely delighted to be launching the programme for this year’s 25th Edition of Essex Book Festival. With over 250 amazing writers and artists in the mix, we urge... Read more »...
Out of the blocks with a bang
We have started our 25th Anniversary with an absolute bang! Not only did the inspirational Caroline Lucas MP join our introductory panel conversation at our 3rd Manifesto for Essex Youth... Read more »...
The Lament of the Beat Fractured by its Own
By Nawaziest Ul Bushra A journey etched by Saffron – the exotic in Essex. This walk spoke of a beat that caught our steps in a stillness. Like the stillness... Read more »...
Metal – The Movement of Emotions
October 2023 - Writer Nawaziest Ul Bushra, tells of her time at Essex Writers House, hosted by Metal. "The experience carried a warmth necessary to a writer’s endeavour and a disturbance, like a ripple in water, necessary for the quill to breathe."...
Up Close with Essex-based Author Kate Worsley
September 2023 - Essex-based author Kate Worsley, explains the inspiration behind her latest novel, Foxash, set in Foxash Settlement Association in Lawford. In 1936, 1,000 unemployed minders and shipbuilders were relocated to 20 locations across England to begin new lives as market gardeners....
No Place for Elephants
September 2023 - Essex Book Festival Director, Ros Green, takes time while on a writing residency at Studio 459 in Portugal to reflect on six years of partnering with Metal on the rather wonderful annual Essex Writers House. More than a house, a family......
Wanderlust Writing: Visiting Inspiring Locations to Ignite the Creative Flame
August 2023 - Wanderlust Writing: Visiting Inspiring Locations to Ignite the Creative Flame. Guest blog by Rosie Buckley....
Up Close with Sandra Lawrence
July 2023 - Up close with Sandra Lawrence. Writer and journalist Sandra Lawrence tells the story of Ellen Ann Willmott, a mix of genius, caprice, excess and sadness, in her fascinating biography, Miss Willmott's Ghosts....
Unmissable
As we reach our halfway mark it is amazing to reflect on the enormous range of events that have already taken place across the county. Whether that was Adrian May’s... Read more »...
Great beginnings
We don’t know about you but we had a fabulous opening weekend. It was a joy to listen to Guardian journalist Polly Toynbee talk about her memoir An Uneasy Inheritance... Read more »...
Get ready…it’s almost here
We’re frantically dotting the ‘i’s’ and crossing the ‘t’s at EBF HQ for this year’s ESSEX BOOK FESTIVAL LAUNCH event, which is taking place at Anglia Ruskin University this Friday... Read more »...
A book that demands to be read
Festival Director Ros Green always says that the mark of a good book for her is a book that wakes her up in the middle of the night demanding to... Read more »...
Savour the Delights
Everybody loves Buster Keaton, so we are thrilled to reveal our ‘mystery’ silent film, which is being screened at the wonderful Electric Palace Cinema in Harwich as part of our... Read more »...
England’s Love Affair
With just over a month to go until our launch event with Polly Toynbee at Anglia Ruskin University, the excitement is growing. We’re especially excited to welcome Booker Prize winning... Read more »...
Ravenous – A Wake-Up Call
At the time of writing, it’s exactly two months until Henry Dimbleby, author of the National Food Strategy, sustainable farming champion, co-founder of LEON Restaurants, and co-author of Ravenous: How... Read more »...
“Jaw-dropping”
“Harwich is a town so well known, and so perfectly describ’d by many writers, I need say little of it: ‘Tis strong by situation, and may be made more so... Read more »...
The Box Office is Open!
Hurrah, we’re finally able to share all of the amazing festival events taking place across Essex this June. Here’s a quick and easy link to our digital brochure. Tickets can... Read more »...
Hello 2023!
It has been a hectic start to 2023 at Festival HQ… We began on a very positive note with our Manifesto for Essex Climate Emergency Youth Summit. This took place... Read more »...
Rising Tides and Essex Floods
After a fabulous summer of events across the County, we have one last event up our sleeve for 2022. That is, our re-scheduled Rewriting The Archive Workshop, which, led by... Read more »...
Still so much more to come…
After a fantastic first week of events, including our launch at Harwich Electric Palace Cinema with Blake Morrison and The Hosepipe Band – what a fabulous night that was! –... Read more »...
Free Family Days Out
One thing we are really proud about this year is the sheer volume of free activities for children taking place at this year’s Essex Book Festival. Especially given the squeeze... Read more »...
Less than 4 weeks to go…
With the starting line looming – it’s less than four weeks until this year’s first event featuring poet and writer Robert Hamberger leading a literary expedition through Epping Forest –... Read more »...
Box Office opens 5th April
We are so excited to be announcing this year’s festival programme on 5th April. Pick up a brochure from your local library or download the digital version via our website... Read more »...
It’s a wrap!
After what has been a remarkable 3-month festival ‘marathon’, with events and activities taking us everywhere from Canvey Heights to Layer Marney Tower, Chelmsford Theatres to Harlow Museum, we’re finally... Read more »...
Keeping You Safe
We are keen for you to understand the measures we are putting in place to keep you safe during our in person events. Here are few that we are implementing... Read more »...
The Story Hunters Project
In the next few weeks, we will launch the Story Hunters Project together with a dedicated page that will track and exhibit your flash fiction submissions from 20 locations in... Read more »...
Were you born in 1999? Are you 20 this year?
If so, get in touch by emailing us at hello@essexbookfestival.org.uk. In 2019 we will be celebrating our 20th Birthday as well, and want to celebrate with you, with free tickets... Read more »...
The Books That Rock
What’s your favourite book set in or featuring Essex? Essex Book Festival will be 20 years old in 2019 and to celebrate we’re asking for suggestions for the best reads... Read more »...
Tower Tales: Let’s Go Fly a Kite
For Essex Book Festival 2018 we invited Ruth Raymer to be writer-in-residence at Jaywick Martello Tower. Ruth spent a week at the tower, talking with visitors, writing and delivering writing... Read more »...
Ruth Raymer’s Tower Tales
For Essex Book Festival 2018 we invited Ruth Raymer to be writer-in-residence at Jaywick Martello Tower. Ruth spent a week at the tower, talking with Jaywick residents and visitors, researching... Read more »...
Re-mapping the Tower: our Jaywick Writer-in-Residence Ruth Raymer
For Essex Book Festival 2018 we invited Ruth Raymer to be writer-in-residence at Jaywick Martello Tower. In this entry Ruth talks broadly about her experience, recounting her week at the... Read more »...