Literary the Place for bookies this weekend is Britain’s oldest town

Following it’s launch on Wednesday with Essex singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, who was promoting his latest book Roots, Radicals and Rockers: How Skiffle Changed the World in Chelmsford, the festival takes over Britain’s Oldest Recorded Town with its Place Weekend made-up by a whole host of events to please book lovers both young and old.

Before that tonight, at the Lakeside Theatre at Essex University, there’s a chance to spend an evening with one of the country’s most acclaimed playwrights, Michael Frayn, the author of Copenhagen, Democracy and Noises Off, while on Sunday at historic Layer Marney Tower Jenny Uglow gives a talk on the extraordinary life and career of Edward Lear. Jenny will trace his life, from his troubled childhood to his striving as an artist, tracking his swooping moods, passionate friendships and restless travels.

There’s also extreme comedy in the shape of Don’t Panic I’m Islamic taking place at The Mercury Studio Theatre, Colchester, tomorrow. Inspired by President Trump’s infamous travel ban order, the show, which starts at 7.45pm, involves hilarious thought-provoking performances by three stand-up comics Omar Hamdi, Esther Manito and Amrou Al-Kadhi, and chair and Radio 4 presenter, writer and activist Bidisha: all of whom have contributed to the recent Saqi Books anthology of the same name, which challenges a plethora of stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding the Muslim community.

But the main event is the festival’s Place Weekend, centred mainly at the Firstsite art gallery but also located at the Minories and the town’s library in Trinity Square.

At Firstsite there are plenty of activities and workshops for bookies to indulge themselves in such as the Charity Book Swish, where people can donate pre-loved books on the day to raise funds for FORS: Friends of Refugees Suffolk, with any books remaining at the end of the day being donated to Chelmsford Prison Library.

There’s also picture book writer and illustrator Leigh Hodgkinson, who is also the art director and co-creator of a new animated show called Olobob Top for CBeebies. She’ll be telling stories, creating giant drawings and leading fun craft workshops.

At 11am Jules Pretty, Professor of Environment and Society at Essex University of Essex takes visitors on a journey through the timeless but ever-changing landscape of his own east country in Suffolk and Essex, and then at 12.30pm, join Linda Wilkinson, the ‘accidental memoirist’ and former Chair of Amnesty International UK, as she takes people through some of the techniques and discusses the pitfalls and joys of memoir writing.

And that’s just the Saturday!

On Sunday members of the town’s Appetite Book Club, led by founder and organiser Jo Coldwell, will be in the gallery foyer for a book swap and a chance to talk books and a must for new and emerging writers, from 11.30am Granta author Lulah Eilender, her literary agent Natalie Galustian, and her editor Ka Bradley will be discussing the often challenging but remarkable birth of a book.

Later in the day from 1.15pm, there’s rare opportunity to hear three very different writers describe the process of conjuring landscape and place in their writing. Chaired by Dunlin Press’ Martin Bewick, these include festival Writer-in-Residence Syd Moore; Robin Brooks, one of Radio 4’s leading dramatists, and award-winning playwright Nicola Werenowska whose new play Guesthouse opens in Clacton later in the month.

And from 2pm, Colchester’s Liz Trenow, bestselling author of The Poppy Factory and latest novel, In Love and War, leads a workshop on the joys and pitfalls of writing historical fiction, and why are war and peace such compelling topics for historical novelists.

But perhaps the highlight of the whole weekend is a panel discussion entitled Figuring Peace, which is the first in a series of three special commemorative Peace Panels.

It’s chaired by festival patron and writer AL Kennedy and features renowned Suffolk artist Maggi Hambling, artist and writer Hamja Ahsan, and war photographer Giles Duley, who will all discuss the pivotal role played by artists and writers with regard to the representation of war and peace.

The book festival continues throughout the month of March with events at the atmospheric Jaywick Martello Tower, near Clacton, where there is a special Children’s Peace Panel on March 29. Tendring, is also twinned with Valence in France, Biberach in Germany and Swidnica in Poland, so local children will be writing Postcards of Peace to their counterparts in Europe.

Another innovative venue hosting the festival is the Secret Nuclear Bunker at Kelvedon Hatch, near Brentwood when on March 25, the festival goes ‘underground’ as the Silver End scout troop takes the nuclear option where they’ll be creating a peace wall, among numerous other activities and workshops for the family to enjoy. The highlight of the day will be the opportunity to see and hear The Times’ columnist David Aaronovitch and writer Jamie Bartlett, the Daily Telegraph’s expert on social media and tech’, discuss propaganda during times of war as part of the festival’s Picking Apart Propaganda Panel chaired by Rachael Jolley, Editor of Index on Censorship.

Festival director Ros Green says: “I am really and truly thrilled with the range of writers and artists taking part in this year’s festival.

“In the words of our fabulous patron Sarah Perry, ‘I love The Essex Book Festival for its determination to take literature and storytelling from all over the world out into the local community. It’s a real gem and plays such an important role in the cultural life of Essex’.”

Visit the festival website at essexbookfestival.org.uk for more information.