About this Event
The Writers Room Day Pass
Essex Book Festival and the University of Essex are hosting an exciting 1-day programme of writers’ and writing events. Events include author talks and workshops, multi-genre panel discussions, and The Pitch (a 10-minute speed-date with an industry professional). Plus, an opportunity to engage with and explore the J.A. Baker Archive.
Saturday 13 June 2026, 11.00am - 12.00pm
Lakeside Theatre, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ
Day Pass Tickets: £25 / £15 concessions - includes five events (individual event tickets are £8 / £5)
11.00am - 12.00pm
What it takes to Make a Book - Eva Verde in conversation with Sabah Khan
Identity, class and female rage are recurring themes in Eva Verde’s work. She has published three novels including Them Girls, and will be discussing with Sabah Khan, publicity director at Simon & Schuster Books, what it takes to write and publish a book.
1.00pm - 2.00pm
Nature Memoir: What Next? - James Canton
In the last decade from H is for Hawk to Raising Hare via The Salt Path, nature memoir has witnessed a meteoric rise. Where does the genre go from here? Join our panel, chaired by James Canton, author of The Oak Papers and Renaturing, to discuss what the future holds for this compelling genre.
2.30pm - 3.30pm
Breaking the Mould - Holly Pester, Ben Pester and Rebecca Perry
Granta Books is renowned for championing challenging and innovative ground-breaking literature. Join three acclaimed Granta authors Holly Pester (The Lodgers), Ben Pester (The Expansion Project) and Rebecca Perry (May We Feed The King) as they discuss their individual and shared writing processes.
4.00pm - 5.00pm
Freedom to Write, Freedom to Read - English PEN
Join English PEN, in partnership with Essex Book Festival, for a conversation between writers on the relationships between literature, place, and movement. How do experiences of home, migration, diaspora, and safety inform and shape what, how, and why we write? And how do they shape what, how, and why we read?
6.30pm - 8.00pm
How to Become a Peregrine - The Cabinet of Living Cinema
Join the Cabinet of Living Cinema for the world premiere of its new film How to Become a Peregrine inspired by J.A. Baker's The Peregrine, and accompanied by a soaring and immersive live soundscape by composer Kieron Chissick.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Lakeside Theatre, University of Essex , Colchester, United Kingdom
GBP 15.00 to GBP 25.00









