Essex Book Festival
Analysis
Essex Book Festival is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in Essex. It was registered in September 2011, 15 years ago. Its declared purposes cover education/training, arts/culture/heritage/science, human rights/religious or racial harmony/equality or diversity and recreation, which this site groups under arts, culture, heritage and science. Legally it is a charitable company (Companies House number 07538636). It says it provides services.
In the financial year ending December 2025, Essex Book Festival reported income of £109k and spending of £104k, spending 96% of its income. Across the 5 years on record, from December 2021 to December 2025, income grew from £44k to £109k (+144%), an average of +25% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to December 2022, when income rose by 115%. Over the whole period it spent 98% of the income it received.
Among 17,634 England and Wales charities whose main cause is arts, culture, heritage and science and that reported income, Essex Book Festival sits at the 80th percentile: it is larger than about 80% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 72nd percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include The Empire Theatre (Merseyside) Trust Limited (£108k), Retro Computer Museum (£109k) and South Yorkshire Transport Museum Ltd (£108k).
Income and spending
Where the income comes from
- Other 100%
In the charity's own words
The objectives of the charity are to advance the education of the public in Essex by promoting literature, reading for pleasure and supporting and developing writers.The objectives are met, primarily, through an annual Essex Book Festival, which offers opportunities for local, national and international authors to discuss their works, writing workshops and competitions for budding authors.
Similar-sized charities, same cause
| Charity | Location | Income |
|---|---|---|
| The Empire Theatre (Merseyside) Trust Limited | Liverpool | £108k |
| Retro Computer Museum | Leicester | £109k |
| South Yorkshire Transport Museum Ltd | South Yorkshire | £108k |
| Peut-Etre Theatre Limited | London | £109k |