Essex is a county both famous and infamous – for its tabloid headlines and reality television, consumer culture and right-wing politicians. It’s a national habit to deride Essex but where this county leads, the rest of Britain often follows. One has to ask, is it England’s dark id? In this fascinating session, journalist and writer Tim Burrows unpacks the history, myths and stereotypes of the county with Essex Book Festival director Ros Green. The FT named Inventing Essex, Tim’s new book, one of the Books to Read in 2023 because he “digs beneath the sensationalism and red-top headlines to paint a deeply sensitive and engaging portrait of a misunderstood county and its people.”
