- 28 May -28 June 2026
- LAUNCH EVENT
- For Writers
- FREE
- SOLD OUT!
- Workshop
Beach of Dreams 25 Launch and Creative Writing Workshop
Come along and meet the Kinetika team, our flag-makers/bearers, and find out how you and/or an organisation you belong to, can get involved in the epic new nationwide Beach of Dreams 25 project. Then, take part in a special Beach of Dreams creative writing workshop led by Dr James Canton, and the Wild Writing team based in the Centre for Creative Writing at the University of Essex. Read more
- Historical Fiction
- SOLD OUT!
The Silence Factory – Sold Out
From Bridget Collins, author of breakout sensation, number 1 bestseller and bookseller favourite The Binding, comes an inventive, spellbinding blend of speculative and historical fiction. The Silence Factory is a story of complicity, desire and corruption - a novel to lose yourself in. Read more
- Restless Brilliance
- Guided Walk
- FREE
- In My Steps - Radical Walks in Essex
- Partner Event
- SOLD OUT!
A Walk in J.A. Baker Country – Sold Out
Join us for a walk through ‘Baker Country’ visiting sites listed in J.A. Baker’s diaries and identified in his seminal work The Peregrine (1967). Read more
- Guided Walk
- FREE
- SOLD OUT!
- Young Essex
The Keeper of the Light – Beach of Dreams Silk-Flag Procession – SOLD OUT
A celebratory, community procession of beautiful Beach of Dreams silk penants taking in some of Harwich's key heritage sites including The High Lighthouse, Ha'penny Pier and Electric Palace Cinema Read more
- Radical Islands
- History
- SOLD OUT!
Radical Islands Launch – SOLD OUT
Join us for an event like no other – take a boat trip to the Packing Shed at Mersea Island, a unique piece of our Essex heritage and join two fascinating talks by Ken Worpole and Jules Pretty. Read more
- Biography
- SOLD OUT!
Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal – SOLD OUT
Comedian, author and one half of BBC Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage, Robin Ince will be joining us for a quirky dive into the world of human behaviour. A powerful, personal exploration of anxiety, ADHD and neurodiversity, Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal reminds us all – no matter how weird we feel – that it’s okay to be a little different. Read more
- FREE
- SOLD OUT!
- Workshop
- Young Essex
Wildlife Detectives at The Wild Space, Maldon
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to uncover the mystery of who is causing mayhem in this hidden wildlife sanctuary. Gather your family and test your detective skills as we delve into this intriguing escapade. All welcome. Read more
- Art
- Fiction
- SOLD OUT!
The Violet Hour – SOLD OUT
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear one of Britain’s most significant and controversial artists, Maggi Hambling, in conversation with art historian, James Cahill about his new book. A story of deception, power play and longing, The Violet Hour exposes the unsettling underbelly of the art world, asking: who is granted admission to a world that only seems to glitter and who is left outside, their faces pressed to the glass? Join us for what is sure to be an honest,… Read more
- SOLD OUT!
- Young Essex
Oi Chelmsford! Meet the Author – SOLD OUT
Join in this hilarious interactive event with the multi-award-winning Essex-born author behind the wildly popular 'Oi Frog' and 'Friends' series. Kes Gray eats Ideaflakes for breakfast, spreads silliness on his toast and loves to write books that will make children laugh out loud. He will be talking about his books, and how growing up in Chelmsford inspired them. Read more
- SOLD OUT!
- Workshop
- Young Essex
Comic Art Masterclass – SOLD OUT
Comic Art Masterclass with Kev F Sutherland who writes and draws for Beano, Doctor Who and Marvel comics, and makes graphic novels adapted from Shakespeare. Now he’ll teach you how easy it is. Learn everything he knows, so you could leave school and steal his job! Read more
- Radical Walk
- Guided Walk
- SOLD OUT!
How to Enjoy Architecture – SOLD OUT
Renowned architect and author of How to Enjoy Architecture, Charles Holland, challenges us to look beyond the day-to-day familiarity of buildings to rediscover the pleasure of experiencing architecture. The talk will be followed by a walk to the magical and iconic A House for Essex. Read more
- Geopolitics
- SOLD OUT!
Prisoners of Geography – SOLD OUT
Author and geopolitics expert Tim Marshall will lead a fascinating, interactive session on his recently updated phenomenal international bestseller, Prisoners of Geography: Ten maps that tell you everything you need to know about global politics. Don't miss this chance to experience Tim's clarity, wit and razor-sharp analysis of the changing global geopolitical landscape. Read more
- FREE
- Manifesto For Essex
- Partner Event
- SOLD OUT!
- Young Essex
Sketching & Story Adventure – SOLD OUT
Join us at The Wild Space, where nature reminds us that everyone is a storyteller. Families will search for natural treasures and transform their finds into imaginative characters. A joyful, creative session for all ages set in a hidden community Foraging Garden in Maldon. Read more
- SOLD OUT!
- Young Essex
From Oi Frog! to Oi Dinosaurs! – SOLD OUT
Join in this hilarious interactive event with multi-award-winning author Kes Gray as he talks about the evolution of his Oi! picture book series, from Oi Frog! to Oi Dinosaurs! Guaranteed to get everyone giggling. Read more
- Biography
- SOLD OUT!
Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear – SOLD OUT
2026 marks the centenary of the publication of Winnie-the-Pooh, one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. Best-selling biographer Gyles Brandreth knew the real Christopher Robin and his new book is both an intimate and revealing biography of A A Milne (to whom there was so much more than Pooh) and a fascinating exploration of fathers and sons, children and their parents and the nature of childhood itself. Read more
- Fiction
- In Conversation
- SOLD OUT!
Ever Land – SOLD OUT
Debut novelist Amy Abdelnoor lived and worked in the West Bank and in refugee camps in Lebanon which inspired Ever Land, a powerful story set in 2000s Palestine. A tale of belonging and identity, of devastation and displacement and – ultimately – of the enduring universality of humanity and love. Read more
- Art
- SOLD OUT!
Maggi Hambling – SOLD OUT
Maggi Hambling, one of the most influential artists of her generation, will be talking with author, writer and art critic James Cahill about a new monograph of her work recently published by Rizzoli New York. Join us for an afternoon to celebrate and shine a light on Hambling’s fearless spirit and trailblazing art. Read more