- 31 May -30 June 2024
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- A Criminally Good Day
- Crime Fiction
- For Writers
- FREE
- In partnership
- Outside
- Storytelling
- Workshop
- Young Essex
Criminally Good Day
Crime-writer event, writing workshops, children's workshops, free drop-in activities, story-telling, acorn-planting and so much more... Read more
- Discussion
- FREE
- In partnership
Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover
Welcome to The Human Library. Just like in a real library, a visitor to the Human Library can borrow a book from a range of titles. The difference is that books are PEOPLE, and reading is a CONVERSATION. Read more
- For Writers
- In partnership
- Workshop
Creative Writing – Getting Started
Get your writing mojo moving with an aerobic work out for your imagination. Come to Syd Moore's session empty-handed and leave with a new character, new world and an adventure or story which you can further explore. Read more
- FREE
- In partnership
- Networking
- Stand Up for Diversity
- Theatre
Stand Up For Diversity at the Mercury
For our tenth Stand Up For Diversity, we are teaming up with the Mercury Theatre, to bring people together and celebrate diversity in theatre and the performing arts. Read more
- Discussion
- FREE
- In partnership
- In person
- Manifesto For Essex
- Networking
- Workshop
- Young Essex
Hear My Voice – Manifesto For Essex: Climate Emergency Youth Summit
Are you 14-25 years old, living and/or studying in Essex, passionate about the environment and culture? Come along to our Hear My Voice - Youth Climate Summit at Firstsite, Colchester, part of EA Sustain Festival Read more
- FREE
- In partnership
- Stand Up for Diversity
Hear Me Roar!
You are invited to an evening of short performances, readings and shout-outs to mark International Women’s Day 2023. To collectively and creatively celebrate our achievements as women, shine a light on issues affecting us today, and together drive gender parity and positive change. Read more
- Essex Writers House
- For Writers
- In partnership
Essex Writers House
Whether you are hoping to share your work for the first time, editing your third novel, or gathering up the notes on your phone, we’d love to support you on your writing journey. Come along to Chalkwell Hall and make yourself at home. Storytellers, screenwriters and scribblers all welcome! Read more
- In partnership
- Non-fiction
The Invention of Essex
Essex. A county both famous and infamous: the stuff of tabloid headlines and reality television, consumer culture and right-wing politicians. Deeply researched and thoroughly engaging, The Invention of Essex shows that there is more to this fabled English county than meets the eye. Read more
- FREE
- In partnership
- Online
Hope This Helps
Not everyone can be everything all the time, but the little things each of us can do to make the world slightly better can amount to something incredible. Join TikTok "Voice of Change", Benjy Kusi for this online event and an evening of positivity. Read more
- FREE
- In partnership
- Young Essex
St Peter-on-the-Wall: Landscape and Heritage on the Essex Coast
A weekend of events to celebrate the launch of St Peter-on-the-Wall: Landscape and Heritage on the Essex Coast edited by Johanna Dale, kindly hosted by the Othona Community at Bradwell on Sea. Read more
- Radical Pilgrimage
- In partnership
- Performance
Celebration Finale Event – Radical Pilgrimage: The Saffron Trail
Join us to celebrate the end of our first Radical Pilgrimage: The Saffron Trail with the soaring vocals and bass-heavy grooves of Moroccan Gnawa Master, gimbri (three-string guitar) player, Mohamed Errebbaa & Gnawa Bristol. Read more
- FREE
- In partnership
- Workshop
- Young Essex
National Saturday Club – Writing & Talking
Our new Writing and Talking National Saturday Club which will be taking place every Saturday 10am-1pm from March to July. Open to all 13-16 year olds living in and around the Chelmsford area who are passionate about writing and talking. Explore zine-making, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, blogging, spoken word poetry, podcasting and more. Read more
- In partnership
- Memoir
Blythe Spirit
Ronald Blythe (1922-2023) lived all his life in East Anglia and is considered one of the greatest writers on the English countryside. Drawing on unparalleled access to letters, notebooks, published works, drafts, and conversations from decades of friendship, he tells the full story of Ronald Blythe for the first time. Read more
- In partnership
Tattoos
EA Festival, Essex Book Festival and Firstsite are excited to present a talk with Matt Lodder, author of a new book entitled, Tattoos, published by Yale University Press. This important book is the first to examine the history of tattoo in the west as both a serious profession and an art form. Read more