Essex Writers House is back this June 2025 – and it’s bigger, bolder, and bursting with creative opportunities.
We’ve been hard at work curating 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 2 – 30 June
10:00 – 17:00, Top floor, Chalkwell Hall
Need a quiet space to write, develop ideas, or get some focused work done?
You can book a free desk in our Attic Studio — a peaceful writing spot tucked away above the Estuary. There are 3 desk spaces to book for the day.
- Free to book
- Estuary views included
Join us and book your space here.
Wild Writing Desk 2 – 30 June
Peacock Garden Enclosure, Chalkwell Park, 10:00 – 17:00
Free booking
As part of Essex Writers House (June 2–30), we’re offering one ‘Wild Desk’ – a unique, outdoor writing spot in our picturesque garden area. Situated in the Peacock Garden, connected to Chalkwell Hall, you will be surrounded by plants, open air and bird song. The ‘Wild Desk’ is a quiet invitation to reconnect with your ideas in nature.
Please note, this desk is for analogue writing only – So please bring a notebook, journal, or sketchbook.
Book your slot here.
Co-Working & Shared Spaces - 2 – 30 June
Chalkwell Hall and Project Room, 10:00- 16:30
Free / drop in.
Essex Writers House is a place for writers to come together. This year, we’re offering two drop-in co-working spaces throughout June (Monday – Friday 10.00 – 16.30).
Co-work with your local community and write in the Main Hall. This is an informal space for discussion, collaboration and sharing work with others. Our co-working space also offers a Quiet Project Room, a peaceful, self-directed break-out space for writing, reading or studying in silence
Located at Chalkwell Hall’s Main Hall co-working space or Quiet Project Space.
Drop in, no booking required.
How to Approach an Island: Walking the Broomway with Helen Galliano of Arbonauts - 8 June
Chalkwell Hall → Great Wakering Stairs → Foulness Island , 13:30–20:30
Tickets / £25 pp
Join us for a one-of-a-kind guided walk along Essex’s most legendary coastal route, the Broomway — a hauntingly beautiful path to Foulness Island, with Arbonauts artist Helen Galliano and local farmer John Burroughs. Along the walk there will be a gentle introduction to site-specific movement lead by Helen, set against the backdrop of the Estuary.
After our walk, we will gather back at Chalkwell Hall for a nourishing meal and share an evening of guided conversation and ideas for creative writing. This workshop carries on from Arbonauts’ research project How to Approach an Island
Expect to get your feet wet on a wild guided walk, followed by a nourishing dinner and guided conversation to inspire creative writing workshop at Chalkwell Hall.
Book your ticket here.
Write Around The Island: A Day of Estuary Exploration – 16 June
Leigh-on-Sea , 9:30 – 18:15
Tickets / £25 pp
Join artists and estuary philosophers Graham Harwood, Matsuko Yokokoji and Gerolamo Gnecci for a hands-on adventure and workshop along the atmospheric foreshore and on the water. This immersive day invites writers to explore the evocative edges where land meets water.
The day begins with a morning mud walk, followed by a shared lunch and an afternoon foray by small boat into the winding creeks of Two Tree Island. Along the way, who knows what muddy relics, sunken wrecks, or flashes of wildlife you might encounter? Come prepared to get mucky in the estuary—and find inspiration. In partnership with the Belton Way Small Craft Club.
Graham and Gero are experienced practitioners and have conducted and facilitated many people on such adventures along the Estuary.
By booking, you confirm that you are physically able to take part, assume all associated risks, and understand that participation is voluntary. You agree that Metal is not liable for any injury, loss, or damage sustained during these activities.
Book here.
Open Advice Sessions – 4 / 11 / 18 / 25 June
Chalkwell Hall, Free booking
1 x hour 1:1 slot
Book a time with the Metal team and our associate writers to gain valuable feedback, guidance, and signposting to further support. These sessions welcome writers at any stage of their journey whether you’re just starting out or refining a manuscript. Sessions available both in person and online.
Who is the offer for?
Our Open Advice Sessions are open to writers working in any genre, at any stage of their career. Individuals, collaborations or collectives can book a slot.
You must live or work in or have a strong connection to South Essex (Basildon, Brentwood, Castle Point, Rochford, Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock).
Masonde Luteta – 4 June
Local writer and Creativity Coach, Masonde Luteta is based in Southend-on-Sea. Masonde is currently working on a collection of short sci-fi stories blending myth drama and romance, centred on complex female characters. Her coaching is designed to inspire action, spark creativity, and help creatives bring their ideas to life. A former teenage art gallery manager and rock & heavy metal photographer, she has a deep appreciation for all forms of artistic expression—whether contemporary, classical, or fuelled by a DIY punk rock spirit.
Book here.
Kana Waiwaiku – 11 June
Kana is an artist, photographer, writer, and researcher whose multidisciplinary practice centres on curiosity and the power of storytelling in contemporary art. His work blends image-making, written word, audio, and narrative to uncover layered, human-centred stories that often go unheard. In 2017, he was awarded the Getty Images Creative Bursary as one of only three artists selected globally—and the sole recipient from the UK—for ‘A Sonic Space Where Beauty and Chaos Collide’, a body of work exploring the lived experiences of people navigating mental health conditions through photography and sound. The project was also developed into a public exhibition with support from the Essex Cultural Diversity Project and Metal. Kana was named USP College’s Creative Industry Champion in recognition of his contributions to photography and the wider creative field.
Book here.
Dr. Ashley Hickson-Lovence – 18 June
Dr. Ashley Hickson-Lovence is an acclaimed author, poet, literary critic and Lecturer of Creative Writing.
While working as a secondary school English teacher, Ashley completed his MA in Creative Writing and Publishing from City, University of London and then went on to complete his PhD in Creative and Critical Writing at the University of East Anglia. He has lectured English and Creative Writing at Brunel University, Arts University Bournemouth, University of East Anglia and the University of Suffolk. He also works for First Story, Arvon and Faber Academy. He has a wealth of experience working for TV, radio and appearing at festivals. He also regularly reviews books for BBC Radio 4, Notts TV Book Club and The Observer.
Ashley will also be joining us in the evening for the ‘Find Your Writing Community’ National Centre for Writing panel discussion. Tickets are available to book here.
Book here.
Xavier De Souza of performingborders – 25 June
performingborders is a collectively run, migrant-led platform for artistic research and creation, centred on notions and lived experiences of intersectional borders through live art and performance practices.
performingborders is a knowledge-sharing platform created in dialogue with its contributors. Since 2016 performingborders has woven a digital and live tapestry of interconnected, cross-border experiments through interviews, artist commissions, open calls, publications, residencies, workshops, conversations, events, newsletters, and pamphlets – all freely accessible online. Co-run by Alessandra Cianetti, Xavier de Sousa and Anahí Saravia Herrera.
Book here.
The Southend team:
In Southend, we have a wide range of expertise and practices from art history, museums and heritage, to fashion and video art. We have strong skills around project management, event production and between us, a thorough understanding of the creative ecosystem in South Essex.
Find Your Writing Community with National Centre for Writing – 18 June
Chalkwell Hall, 19:00 – 20:30
Free event
Looking to find your writing people? Come along to a FREE evening of conversation inspired by the Escalator New Writing Fellowships—a programme that champions underrepresented voices from the East of England, in partnership with the National Centre for Writing.
Join acclaimed author Ashley Hickson-Lovence in conversation with writer Seema McArdle as they explore the power of mentorship, representation, and the journey to finding (and building) your writing community.
Book here.
Wild Write + Swim: Sense the Estuary with Angenita Teekens – 21 June
8:45– 13:00, Chalkwell Beach & Chalkwell Hall
Tickets – £20
In partnership with the Essex Book Festival and the Essex Women’s Institute.
Start your morning with a wild dip in the Thames Estuary at high tide, followed by breakfast at Chalkwell Hall. After breakfast you’ll be guided through a creative writing workshop with artist and swimmer Angenita Teekens, exploring how we connect to the estuarine landscape through our senses and words.
What does the estuary really feel like? Can we hear the tide, see the sound of the waves, or smell the colour of the sea? Through writing, we’ll explore this beautiful, sensory environment in new and imaginative ways.
This event is perfect for anyone curious about wild swimming, wild writing, or simply seeking a mindful and inspiring morning by the water.
Book here.
Creative/Critical Writing- Live Art Writers Network with performingborders. – 25 June
19:30–21:00
Chalkwell Hall
Free event
Join performingborders for an evening of relaxed sharing, reflecting and connecting for creatives who are thinking through borders, geographic, social, personal, as sites of knowledge-making, and who are working through lived experiences of intersectional borders in their practices.
performingborders will host a sharing of their ongoing LAWN project, explore prompts and performances from their archive, and spark conversations with creatives to think together about alternative ways of writing, documenting, and relating to live art.
All creatives welcome! This will be a gentle, participatory space for creatives with an interest in writing and performance, live art, poetry and all the weird and interesting spaces between.
Book here.
Hosted At Events
Gossip: Film Screening + Music + Q&A – 20 June
Hannah Renton
Set in 1584 in East Anglia, this historical short film tells the untold story of witches as they really were—midwives, healers, women with knowledge and power.
The film is now touring across East Anglia, bringing the story to the communities and places it reflects. The screening will be accompanied by a performance of folk and original songs by artist Saltings, reflecting on the portrayal of women and witches in our traditional music. Afterwards we will be joined for a Q&A by the musician and filmmaker.
Supported by BBC, British Film Institute (BFI), The National Lottery, National Film and Television School (NFTS).
Hannah Renton is an award-winning director/writer making tender and subversive films, exploring care, intimacy and resilience. Her work has screened internationally at festivals including BFI Flare, LSFF, Aesthetica, Rhode Island and Kiev Molodist, as well as in museums, archives, and community and art spaces. She is a graduate of the NFTS and considers the Essex mud her muse.
19:00 – 21:00, Chalkwell Hall
Tickets – £8
Screening booking here.
Workshop + booking event here.
The Estuary Writing Cohort – 24 June
As part of the Essex Writer’s House, Nicky Sharpe and S Reeson are here to lead you on a Summer Writing Adventure. Have you wanted to begin writing creatively but have no idea where to start? Are you a casual scribbler looking to become more committed? Is there an idea burning a hole in your brain, but you have no idea how to translate that into reality? Even if you’re a published writer, The Great Summer Writing Adventure is for you.
It’s about making new connections and thinking outside your current working routine, making sensible choices and creating realistic goals and, most crucially, learning how mental wellness is a vital component in your long-term success. Join us in at Essex Writers’ House and Online throughout June, as we help you take the first steps into a Summer of Transformation.
Chalkwell Hall & Online. Book here.
Sadie Hasler – Damn Write Event – Sun, Jun 29
Come join us for an evening of creativity and inspiration at Metal Culture – Southend.
From poetry to prose, fiction to non-fiction, there’s something for everyone at DAMN WRITE. The evening’s theme is ROAR. £6. Booking essential.
Sadie Hasler – Script Buddy Event: 22 & 29 June
Session 1: 5 – 7:30 PM, Sunday 22 June
Session 2: 5- 7 :30 PM, Sunday 29 June
A supportive, guided session to help writers get started on an idea and hone their work. Each session culminates in an optional group sharing.
Words in Chalk Presents: Estuary Dreams – 26 June
Chalkwell Hall
Doors open 18:00, 18:30 – 22:00
Tickets – £5 online / £10 on the door
Join us for a special evening as the popular Words In Chalk returns to the stunning surroundings of Chalkwell Park at Metal Culture HQ for the fifth time, after four consecutive sell-outs! Again we are proud to be part of month long programme Essex Writers House.
It is an unforgettable fusion of poetry, spoken word, and experimental film. As part of the Estuary Festival Anthology programme, this event showcases powerful new poetry-based films created through the Creative Estuary co-collaboration fund. Allowing the Estuary Dreams project, to create a series of innovative workshops exploring experimental expression on screen.
Book here.
