2011 ESSEX BOOK FESTIVAL

Come join us and many of the county's readers and writers on Thursday 3 March at Chelmsford's main library. We are all set to welcome you to the 2011 Essex Book Festival followed by a whole month of events and authors appearing throughout this large county.

Famous names such as Andrea Levy, Tom Courtenay, David Baddiel, Will Hutton, Barbara Erskine, Julian Stockwin, Simon Heffer, Peter Sissons, Jojo Moyes, Lindsey Davis, Joanna Trollope, Lesley Pearse, Peter Lovesey, Esther Freud and Michael Dobbs and many others will entertain us. Don't miss the chance to see not one but three US authors: Sara Paretsky, Kim Edwards and Sarah Blake.

Showcasing new and growing Essex talent as never before, watch out for rising stars Kimberley Chambers and Matthew Plampin and debut authors Guy Saville, Erin Kelly and Ceri Norman. Many events will be on hot topics as varied as landscape and environment, current affairs, music, English usage, history and biography.

Tickets can be bought by telephone, using a credit card, on 01206 573948 via the Box Office, there is an 80p per ticket charge for online bookings. Tickets will be posted. By post: please complete a booking form (found inside the Festival programme) and send with payment to Essex Book Festival Box Office, Balkerne Gate, Colchester CO1 1PT. There is no processing charge for postal bookings. In person by visiting the Mercury Theatre, Balkerne Gate, Colchester CO1 1PT. The Box Office opens 10am-8pm Monday to Saturday

Questions about events or a general enquiry about the Festival please email: answers.direct@essex.gov.uk or telephone 0845 603 7628

HALFWAY THROUGH THE ESSEX BOOK FESTIVAL

Welcome to the Essex Book Festival! Pictures here of Michael Foley whose books are selling fast and Francis Wheen, a new Patron of the Festival this year being interviewed by Ray Clark of BBC Essex.

Celebrate ten years of success with us in the biggest and best ever Essex Book Festival! The Essex Book Festival owes its success to the perfect balance it brings between attracting the biggest names in the literary world and yet still providing an excellent opportunity for newer writers to meet their public. And 2009 is no exception. You can meet the really famous, and meet others before they become household names!

Choose from crime, history, life-style and creative writing events, storytelling events for the whole family, comics workshops and events to celebrate the Jiangsu Festival. And, as ever, Essex writers are well represented.

Enjoy the festival!

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Coming next week

Don't miss your chance to experience a Book Festival event. Meet the authors, hear about the books, and take the opportunity to ask any questions you'd like to pose!

Good News! There are still some tickets available for the following events:

LAUNCH OF TENTH ESSEX BOOK FESTIVAL

Great morning with the arrival of so many Essex authors, journalists and writers of all descriptions collecting together at Chelmsford Library to celebrate our tenth Book Festival. BBC Essex provided live broadcasting to their listeners throughout the county with Angela Lodge and Ray Clark - superb, as usual, This year we had writing and reading groups taking part and Colin Taylor and Frances Clamp provided the first part of the now famous INSTANT STORY. Harlow, Colchester and Rayleigh A pleasure to meet Francis Wheen, Jonathan Mitchener, Michael Foley, Barbara Erskine, Mike Dodsworth (here he is with Councillor Iris Pummell), Martin Newell, Julia Jones and so many more. Still a few tickets left if you want to attend some of the 60 events at venues around Essex. Box Office 01206 573948.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/content/image_galleries/book_festival_2009_gallery.shtml?10