We are keen for you to understand the measures we are putting in place to keep you safe during our in person events.

Here are few that we are implementing in line with our partners at Essex and Thurrock Libraries, Layer Marney Tower, Chelmsford Theatres, and Explore Essex (The Story Hunters Project Workshops and Festival Finale)

We are following government guidance as it stands for all our events until told differently, this means we decided that we would sell all events at the reduced capacity from the outset.

All seating in the all venues will be socially distanced, this will happen for all of our July events, to give you confidence and is our standard protocol moving forward. It will have been sanitised prior to your arrival.

We will encourage you to wear masks if you are inside until we are told otherwise. Our team will all be in them unless medically exempt, you will also be asked to hand sanitize on entry.

All our attendees will be asked to track and trace on arrival, so allow good time to get in to venues, and if you are having to queue, we ask you to respect everyones space so that everyone feels comfortable.

We ask you to arrive in your groups that you booked with, and with other friends, that way we can show you to your seats and you will be close by! We know its a new experience and we want you to feel comfortable, but we are likely to seat in rows as you arrive, rather than the free flow that has happened previously. Once in your seat we would ask that you remain there unless you require to use the toilets.

Many venues will operate a one way policy, but this will be clearly signed.

Books will be sold, we are working to make this as easy as possible, and will be carried out in a socially distanced way.

We will have our teams to hand, within the Libraries the volunteers will be Library based as they understand the space. For the larger venues, Layer Marney Tower, Chelmsford Theatres and The Festival Finale at Cressing Temple Barns, you will see our festival bookies, who will have completed the in house COVID-secure training and will be there to guide you to your events, check you in and be there if you need.

We want you to feel safe, we want you to enjoy yourself and get lost in books.
Don’t forget #wordsmatter