TICKETS are going fast for two free literary evenings being held by the Riverside Community Big Local, at Thurrock Yacht Club.

The first event is an evening with Leigh Hosy - Pickett, on 7pm Friday, 21 July.

Leigh is a local lad who went to, what is now, the Hathaway Academy.

He is a third-generation fire fighter whose book, 'Up in Smoke: My True Story of life as a Firefighter', is an insight into his 25 years in the job and tells how he has battled infernos, pulled people from the wreckage, and rescued a few cats.

He's been through pain and trauma in the discharge of his duty and been supported by the laughter and character you find in every fire station.

Then, on Friday 4 August Big Local welcome Guardian journalist and author of The Invention of Essex: The Making Of An English County, Tim Burrows.

Tim's book is a Financial Times book to read in 2023.

It tells the story of a county both famous and infamous - the stuff of tabloid headlines, reality television and consumer culture.

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But beyond the sensationalist headlines lies a strange and secret place with a rich history - smugglers and private islands, artists and radicals, myths and legends.

Essex is where the Peasants' Revolt began and the Empire Windrush docked.

The Yacht Club has a licensed bar and free tickets are available from Eventbrite through the links below and other Big Local events are featured here and here.

Leigh Hosy - Pickett: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-leigh-hosy-pickett-free-event-tickets-674218996167

Tim Burrows - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-tim-burrows-tickets-675092047487?aff=erelpanelorg