Essex Book Festival
The festival aims to encourage readers to widen choices and has a strong commitment to new writers, partnering their events with reading groups.
After 12 successful years as part of Essex County Council Library Services, Essex Book Festival has taken a new direction. With support from the Arts Council, England, Essex County Council and the University of Essex, it has become a registered charity and is overseen by a board of trustees, all with a shared love of Essex and literature.
Chairman of the new Essex Book Festival board, Seona Ford, said: ‘We hope to continue the tradition of celebrating literature in Essex that has been set over the past 12 years.
‘The 2012 programme brings the usual eclectic mix of bestselling authors and exciting talent that Festival audiences have come to expect, and there are some great new additions along the way.
‘Whether you are new to the Festival or one of its many loyal friends, we hope that everyone will find an event to inform, inspire, or to just sit back and enjoy.’
New for this year is a series of events for children held in collaboration with the Just Imagine Story Centre. From monster madness to animal adventures there are workshops and storytelling for young people of all ages. Colchester’s newest visual arts centre, firstsite, will also be hosting a free weekend of arts events and activities aimed at families, children and young people, all related to illustration, books or comics.
The Festival is also offering a unique chance to learn more about the art of book binding. Held at the Essex Record Office, participants will have the opportunity to make their own books using traditional methods.
Also new for 2012 is an artists’ book fair which will see some of the country’s finest book artists displaying and selling their work at the Colchester Arts Centre.
When? March
Where? In various locations in the County of Essex, England (not Essex, Connecticut, USA just in case you get lost) AA Route Planner |
Who? 2012 Anne Cassidy and Karen McCombie will visit schools and talk about their works.
- Adventure and travel writer Charley Boorman (pictured above) will be speaking about his latest challenge, a race across Canada.
- Best-selling Essex author Barbara Erskine, a patron of the Festival, will present her most recent novel.
- BBC historian Dr Kate Williams will be in Loughton to talk about her new historical novel, The Pleasures of Men
- The former Poet Laureate, Andrew Motion, will introduce his long awaited sequel to the Robert Louis Stevenson classic Treasure Island.
- The bestselling U.S. author of My Sister’s Keeper, Jodi Picoult, explores her new novel, Lone Wolf.
- Cook, restaurateur, businesswoman, food and fiction writer Prue Leith talks about her life since revolutionising Britain's eating habits in the 1960s.
- Also on a food theme, writer, presenter and foodie, Hardeep Singh Kohli, will be in Grays combining his love of cooking and chatting.
How much? Some Events Free. Others up to £12
Festival Website: : Essex Book Festival
Previous festivals: Melvyn Bragg, Roy Hattersley, Helen Dunmore, Justine Picardie, Barbara Erskine, Joan Bakewell, Xinran, Mckenzie Ford, , Jojo Moyes, John O' Donoghue, Liu Hong, Julia Jones.
publishers note: when researching this page we came across the blog of the Essex Library located in beautiful Essex, Connecticut, USA. Libraries, gorgeous the world over..
We apprecicate you insights into literary festivals that you might have attended or are hoping to get too, or your views on award winning books.
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