A CHANCE TO MEET SOME OF OUR BRENTWOOD WRITERS' CIRCLE MEMBERS ON SATURDAY IN THE BAY TREE CENTRE

 

Following today's interview with PhoenixFM radio presenter Michelle Ward on her regular morning programme Eat My Brunch, it was great to catch up with her and our super Book Club guest the author Andy Stuart.  

We also had an opportunity to talk about our Brentwood Writers' Circle members and their writerly successes over the last few months.  You will have a chance of meeting some of them on Saturday 28 June at our stall in the Bay Tree Centre, just off the High Street from 11.00am - 3.00pm.  This event launches the fabulous annual Brentwood Arts Festival.

MEETING MARINA WARNER AND MAGGI HAMBLING AT COLCHESTER

From the first public ‘outing’ of award-winning writer and cultural mythographer Marina Warner’s new book Sanctuary, to one of Britain’s leading contemporary artists Maggi Hambling talking all things art, Colchester is the place to be this weekend.

First up, is our special day Spirits, Salons & Sanctuary, which will be taking place this Saturday in one of Colchester’s oldest sites of sanctuary, St Leonard-at-the-Hythe Church.

Sanctuary is an ancient right. But what does it mean today? Drawing on a lifetime of engagement with literature, myth, history and tradition from different cultures, Marina Warner’s new book Sanctuary is an ambitious attempt to grapple with the sharpest questions that we are facing in today’s world of global turmoil.

Marina will be joined by two other writers at St Leonard’s. These include poet/novelist Philip Terry who will be discussing Dante’s Purgatorio, the sequel to his Dante’s Inferno (2014). Set on Mersea Island with the unlikely backdrop of an Essex ‘Alp’ hewn out of Flexible Rock Substitute, and an even more unlikely cast of characters that includes Grayson Perry, Rachela Whiteread, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage, expect the unexpected in this inspired reimagining of ‘Purgatoria’.

Followed by poet/novelist writer Clare Pollard who will be talking to fellow writer Holly Pester about her latest novel The Modern Fairies, which has just been awarded the inaugural Tadeusz Bradecki Prize for its ‘history and magic, novelistic depth and sharpness of fable’.

Sunday takes us to The Minories for a feast of authors, artists, workshops, and storytelling. Events include Tony Peake talking about his biography of his old friend Derek Jarman, and Maggi Hambling chatting to art critic and novelist James Cahill about his latest novel The Violet Hour that has been described by Stephen Fry as ‘the best novel I have read for ages … masterly’.

The Minories Garden, meanwhile, will be jam-packed with storytellers, including BBC Essex’s Rob Jelly, who will be reading Spike Milligan’s BadJelly the Witch, and a variety of drop-in workshops including traditional ink-making and eco-printing with artist Zoe Martin, Twinkle Twinkle willow star weaving with master weaver and storyteller Glenys Newton, spice-painting with artist Lora Aziz, and more. The excellent news is that it’s all free!

GLORIFYING OUR ESSEX BOOK FESTIVAL 2025

Great weather to get out and about throughout the county and a chance to catch up with some of our annual festival friends: some have been with us since the start in 2000. Updates below. 

The Essex Book Festival is currently underway, taking place across various venues in Essex from June to August. It features a wide range of events including author talks, workshops, and family-friendly activities. The festival has events in Colchester and beyond, with options for both free and paid entry, according to Visit Colchester and Essex Book Festival. According to Visit Essex, the festival is known for reaching diverse locations, including libraries, museums, and even heritage sites. 

Here's a more detailed look:

• Diverse Events:

  The festival offers a mix of fiction, non-fiction, and genre-specific events like crime and historical fiction, according to the Essex Library Service. 
• Venues:

  Events are held in over 40 venues across Essex, including libraries, theatres, lecture halls, green spaces, and even on foot. 
• Accessibility:

  The festival aims to be accessible to all by offering both free and paid events. 
• Location Variety:

  Events are taking place in places like Grays Library, Hot Box Live in Chelmsford, and Colchester Samaritans Community Hall, notes Essex Book Festival. 
• Booking:

  Tickets can be booked online or through the Mercury Theatre Box Office