Launching with leading sportswriters Jonathan Wilson (Guardian) and Simon Kuper (The Telegraph) at Colchester Community Stadium on Thursday 28 May – a new festival venue for 2026 and a giant nod to FIFA World Cup 2026 – this year’s Essex Book Festival is taking place in over 40 venues across Essex, from Manningtree to Harlow between 28 May and 30 June, and will be involving over 250 writers and artists from as far afield as Windhoek, Namibia, and as close to home as Great Dunmow.

Every year the festival has a different theme. This year it is Common Ground. Festival Director Ros Green explains why.

“We are living in turbulent and challenging times. Certainly, one of the most difficult times in my life. And while it’s easy to focus on what divides us, it’s much more important to focus on what binds us together as a community. We can’t think of a better way to bring everyone together than a month-long celebration of storytelling in all its forms, whether it’s on the written page or stage, on foot or under sail. Everyone has a story to tell. The key thing is to listen.”

Festival Highlights include Traitors’ ‘Faithful’ Harriet Tyce who will be appearing alongside award-winning husband-and-wife crime-writing duo Nicci French at the festival’s Criminally Good Night, to be hosted at Foakes Hall in Great Dunmow on Friday 13th June. This is the launch event for the fabulous new Great Dunmow BookFest, which will be Great Dunmow – ‘the town without a bookshop’ – into the Essex Book Town for a day! More info here: https://www.talliston.com/great-dunmow-bookfest.

The festival is delighted to be welcoming broadcaster, former MP and national treasure Gyles Brandreth to Chelmsford Cathedral on Friday 19 June. Gyles will be talking about his new book Somewhere, A Boy and A Bear, a biography of A.A. Milne, which marks the 100th birthday of another national treasure: Winnie the Pooh, who turned 100 on Christmas Eve.

The festival will also be celebrating one of Essex’s very own home-grown ‘national treasures’: Chelmsford-born children’s author Kes Gray, who is probably best known for his internationally acclaimed book series Oi Frog and Others. Kes will be appearing at the Museum of Chelmsford on 30 May as part of the festival’s very own Oi Chelmsford Family Day.

Talking of Essex’s home-grown authors, multi-award-winning author (The Essex Serpent) and festival Patron Sarah Perry will be appearing at Colchester Samaritans Community Hall on Saturday 6 June as part of the festival’s special Love & Loss Day.

Meanwhile, Essex Writers House will be based at Chalkwell Hall in Westcliff-on-Sea for the 9th year running. An inspirational month-long collaboration between Essex Book Festival and Metal Southend, the Writers House promises a fabulous array of writing events, walks, workshops and other writerly activities. This includes the opportunity to book a complimentary Hot Desk for a day overlooking the Thames, and, for the more adventurous, a day of wild writing in the revamped peacock enclosure. Who can resist that! There is also the chance to get involved in the Southbank Centre’s A Poet in Every Port project as the National Poetry Library lands at Essex Writers House to help us celebrate Essex’s unique coastal stories and more.

With another national treasure artist Maggi Hambling in conversation with novelist and art critic James Cahill at the stunning The Gibberd Garden in Harlow; Guardian journalist and BBC Radio 4 presenter Jonathan Freedland appearing at Layer Marney Tower; crime-writer Vaseem Khan introducing readers to his new series of books that has a distinctly James Bond flavour; plus multiple opportunities to explore the county on foot via our ongoing programme of Radical Walks in Essex, including a talk and a walk from Wrabness Community Shop and Bar to A House for Essex with architect and writer Charles Holland, co-designer and collaborator with Grayson Perry, the challenge is going to be fitting it all in this June.

Download the digital brochure here.

All events listings will go live and tickets go on sale at essexbookfestival.org.uk/events at 10am on Thursday 26 March.

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With another special ‘countdown’ well underway by the end of May, we’re thrilled to be hosting this year’s Festival Launch at Colchester Community Stadium on Thursday 28 May, featuring two of the UK’s leading sportswriters, Jonathan Wilson and Simon Kuper, who will have one thing and one thing only on their minds: FIFA World Cup 2026.

For those who fancy stretching their legs, we have two excellent Radical Walks in Essex in the mix. The first led by architect and writer Charles Holland, who will be talking about his new book How to Enjoy Architecture at Wrabness Community Shop and Bar, before leading audiences on a ‘grand tour’ towards A House for Essex, which he co-designed with Grayson Perry.

The next one will be led by writer Michael J Warren, author of The Cuckoo’s Lea, who will be leading our intrepid adventurers around Northey Island, walking in the steps of the great nature writer J.A. Baker of The Peregrine fame, and Nobel Peace Prize-winning author, journalist and Labour MP Sir Norman Angell (1872-1967), who built a house and a turreted garden wall on the island.

Heading over to the other side of the county, Essex Book Festival is teaming up with The Gibberd Garden in Harlow to hosts a very special Artist’s Day.

Nine acres of intricately landscaped gardens, adorned with an eclectic collection of sculptures and architectural salvage, The Gibberd Garden is the perfect venue to welcome trail-blazing British artist, queer icon and pioneer Maggi Hambling to talk to art critic, novelist and close friend James Cahill about the new monograph Maggi Hambling, which marks her 80th birthday. Followed by British painter/writer Darren Coffield who will be talking about his latest book Hen, Mistress of Mayhem, A Portrait of Henrietta Moraes, famously the muse of Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud, and later on, Maggi herself.

The full festival programme and Box Office will go live on
Thursday 26 March at 10am
at essexbookfestival.org.uk/events/.

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Created in collaboration with the district’s communities, ‘A Poem for Chelmsford’ highlights our city and the people and places that make it a great place to live, work and visit.

Produced by filmmakers Andy Delaney and Rich With, the video is centred around a poem about Chelmsford written by local up-and-coming spoken word artist, Rebecca Carter.

Rebecca’s aim for the poem was to get to the heart of what Chelmsford means to its people; exploring and celebrating what residents, workers and visitors love most about it. To prepare for this, she spoke with community members across the district to get a sense of Chelmsford’s best qualities.

The outcome is a poem that spotlights the blend of modern and historic spaces that make up the Chelmsford of today; the hardworking communities and growing families that will shape our city in the years to come; and the big and small moments to be enjoyed every day – from the busy to the peaceful.

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Introducing WILD KEEP WEEKEND: a wondrous celebration of nature, heritage and traditional craft, all set within the unique surroundings of Hedingham Castle over the May Day Bank Holiday Weekend!

Created in partnership with Essex Wildlife Trust, Hedingham Castle are turning up the volume on the natural world. Hedingham is a micro-biodiversity hotspot: a unique mosaic of ecosystems thriving within a single estate, and we’re inviting you to get hands-on in our small but mighty patch of Essex countryside.

From fascinating performances and captivating storytelling, to experiential workshops and inspiring conversations, there is something for everyone to discover. Visitors of all ages can slow down, explore the estate like never before and reconnect with the ancient skills that have shaped this landscape for generations.

Come and learn a new craft, breathe in the great outdoors, wander the makers’ market and experience Hedingham in a fresh new light. WILD KEEP WEEKEND will leave you feeling inspired, grounded and deeply connected to the wild heart of Essex.

🍃 Conversations with Authors

🍃 Makers’ & Farmers’ Market

🍃 Traditional Craft Demonstrations

🍃 Storytelling with Shane Ibbs

🍃 The Mushroom Show

🍃 Guided Nature Walks

🍃 Wild Keep Scavenger Trail

And much more…

Find out more at https://www.hedinghamcastle.co.uk/events/wild-keep-weekend.

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Colchester is being transformed into a giant game, encouraging active travel.

Take a look at a short video explaining how you play the game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMS6rQPIt0o&t=2s

Visit https://beatthestreet.me for full details

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“If the Museum of Chelmsford could collect just ONE object to show what your life in Chelmsford is like today, what would it be?”

Together, we are Collecting Our Future.

Share your story: https://forms.gle/inHHkEReU4VJNEhG8

*SPARK! is a youth movement of 13-25-year-olds, using art and creativity to make Chelmsford an even more fun and inspiring place to live. Find more about SPARK!’s inclusive Collecting Our Future, part of their Young Cultural Changemakers Programme, 2025-27.

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Othona Community, Bradwell-on-Sea, Essex

April 26th is the International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day, designated by the UN to remember the 1986 disaster’s long-term consequences.

The Othona Community is commemorating the Chernobyl Disaster from the 21st – 23rd of April. Through reflections, talks, writing and art workshops.

Writing workshop and talk by Dr. Philippa Holloway

Author of The Half-Life of Snails
Longlisted for the 2023 RSL Ondaatje Prize
Philippa’s book is set against the backdrop of Wales’s and Chernobyl’s Nuclear Industry.

Art workshop by Angenita Teekens

Angenita has lived and worked in the Dengie, she uses archival material and the landscape to explore the Nuclear Heritage of the Blackwater River.

Do join for the whole period or for the day on the 22nd of April

Costs:

PP for the whole event £150
All meals and accommodation included. Tea and coffee on tap.
Othona does cater for special dietary needs.

Day tickets for the 22nd April
Inclusive of a lunch and two workshops £ 45 or a lunch and one workshop £35
Art workshop with Angenita 10.30 – 12.30
Writing workshop with Philippa 2 – 4

Bookings and more info please contact Othona:

Othona Community, East End Road, Bradwell-on-Sea, Southminster, Essex, CMO 7PN
Phone: 01621- 77656
Email: bradwellbookings@othona.org

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Abil will talk about her award-winning book, And So I Roar, a novel linking climate impacts with gender and social justice in rural Nigeria, and how fiction is one of the best ways to bring home the devastating and sometimes grossly unfair effects of environmental degradation.

In 2023 Abi founded the Louding Voice Foundation to support scholarships and empowerment programmes for women and girls in underserved Nigerian communities.

For full details and to book tickets visit easustain.com.

We are delighted to be co-presenting this event with EA Sustain – the biennial festival about Environment, Culture & Entrepreneurship – taking place at Firstsite, Colchester on Saturday 28 March.

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500 copies were gifted to local young people through the Kids Inspire Christmas Appeal, with pens generously donated by STABILO.

Now SPARK! invite you to get involved and bring the front cover to life!

The competition is open to children and young people aged under 5 – 25 years old

How to take part:

💻 Download it
🖍️ Colour it
📸 Snap it

📩 Send it to hello@culturechelmsford.org.uk
📅 Enter by: Sunday 22 February 2026
🏆 Winners will be announced on Friday 13 March 2026

🔍 The judges are looking for creativity and awesome use of colour.
🏷️ #concancolour to share your creations.

Find out more and download your entry form: https://www.culturechelmsford.org.uk/colouring-competition

Good luck! We can’t wait to see your mini-street artworks!

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We are delighted to be holding our fifth annual Manifesto For Essex Eco-Gathering. It will be taking place at Chelmsford Theatre Studio on the morning of Saturday 28 February 2026.

This is your chance to hear about local eco-projects and how to get involved, participate in creative eco-workshops to learn new skills, and connect with like-minded individuals who share your passion for climate action, culture, and community.

Workshops include eco-podcasting, eco-script writing and eco-journalling.

The Eco-Gathering is aimed primarily at 13-25 year olds living in Essex.

This event is funded by Arts Council England and is free to attend. Places are limited so reserve your place today to avoid disappointment.

Reserve your spot today at eventbrite.co.uk.

The Eco-Gathering is part of Manifesto For Essex, a multi-form creative platform run by Essex Book Festival for young people living in Essex and beyond to express their ideas about climate action.

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