Throughout June, Metal Southend will become a home for Essex writers to share, forge ideas, make connections, gossip, read and write.

Packed with an inspiring lineup of events including wild swimming, wild hot desks, estuary mud walks, writing walks, film screenings, open advice sessions and collaborative co-writing spaces.

Come write, connect, and get muddy with us.

Writers’ Hot Desks – Atmospheric attic room desks with spectacular views across the estuary to Kent never cease to provide inspiration for writers needing space to shape their ideas. Book a desk to carve out time for yourself away from the distractions of everyday life.

Wild Writing Desk – A special writer’s desk will be outdoors in a secluded area of Chalkwell Park. This is the perfect environment for those who love to write immersed in nature. Southend weather permitting.

Co-Working & Shared Spaces, Open Advice Sessions, Meet Our Resident Writers, Plus special events just announced:

How to Approach an Island: Walking the Broomway with Helen Galliano of Arbonauts - 8 June
Write Around The Island: A Day of Estuary Exploration – 16 June
Find Your Writing Community with National Centre for Writing – 18 June
Wild Write + Swim: Sense the Estuary with Angenita Teekens – in partnership with the Federation of Essex Women’s Institutes  – 21 June
Creative/Critical Writing- Live Art Writers Network with performingborders  – 25 June

Plus more!

Visit metalculture.com/projects/essex-writers-house-2025 for more details and to book on to events.

The post Essex Writers House 2025 – Full Programme Announced appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

A team of writers and artists, assisted by four curators, have each been invited to select ten objects from the County’s heritage collections that tell difficult ‘stories’. These objects will form the basis of four two-hour online writing/artist workshops.    

Thurrock Museums hosts Syd Moore, writer, activist and founding member of Essex Girls Liberation Front  as she explores the collection at Thurrock Museum with a special focus on working women. 

Tickets: £5 pp, places limited 

The post Re-Writing the Archive – Online Writing Workshop with Thurrock Museum appeared first on Essex Book Festival.

Join author Samantha Lee Howe at this online writing workshop and explore how to introduce tension to shock, thrill and captivate your audience in your opening paragraphs.

During the workshop you will have a chance to practice some writing and hear feedback from Samantha and other participants if you wish. There will also be a Q&A session at the end of the workshop.

This is a writing workshop so please have a pad and pen handy.

Pay What You Can
We invite you to Pay What You Can for this workshop. You may choose to pay any amount you wish. The standard price is £5 but if you are able to pay more for your ticket, you will help support Essex Book Festival and our efforts to make the festival accessible to those with limited means.

About the Author

Samantha Lee Howe began her professional writing career in 2007 and has been working as a freelance writer for small, medium and large publishers, predominately writing horror and fantasy under the pen name Sam Stone. This body of work includes 13 novels 5 novellas, 3 collections, over 40 short stories, an audio drama and a Doctor Who spin-off drama that went to DVD.

A former high school English and Drama teacher, Samantha has a BA (Hons) in English and Writing for Performance, an MA in Creative Writing and a PGCE in English.

Samantha lives in Lincolnshire with her husband David.

Find out more about Samantha and her writing at samanthaleehowe.co.uk

Samantha’s latest book, The Stranger in Our Bed is out now.

The post Creating a Compelling Opening – An Online Writing Workshop appeared first on Essex Book Festival.