THE Essex Book Festival has been forced to move four events from the end of Southend Pier.

The month-long celebration of books was scheduled to have four events at the £3million Royal Pavilion, but they have now been moved to the Park Inn Palace Hotel, in Church Road.

Rumours had been circulating this was due to a lack of ticket sales, but festival director Ros Green clarified the moves were due to logistical issues.

She said: “One of these issues is a double-booking that occurred due to a technical glitch at my end, which was completely my fault.

“The other is because we need to move authors and chairs between the seafront and the Forum more quickly than anticipated.

“This is my first year as the director of the Essex Book Festival and, indeed, the Essex Book Festival’s first year in Southend, so we are all on a steep learning curve.

“Southend Borough Council could not have been more supportive and, likewise, the Park Inn Palace Hotel.”

The festival was launched on Sunday, with University of Essex chancellor and director of pressure group Liberty, Shami Chakrabarti, reading from her new book.

Now the events, Literary Piers and Discover Southend in Books, as well as a Roma Tearne reading and Lee Rourke in conversation with Will Wiles, will be held at the Palace Hotel.

The Royal Pavilion opened in 2012 and was officially named by the Duke of Kent during a Royal visit the following year.

Southend councillor for enterprise, tourism and economic development, Graham Longley, said: “We are pleased to be able to have helped in relocating the events and overcoming the difficulties organisers came across.

“The Pavilion itself is a delightful little venue. I have been there myself for a show and, in particular, an opera.

“It definitely has a place in a variety of venues the town has to offer, but clearly its position and the timings of getting there need to be taken into account when considering it.”

Arts charity Metal held its own 2013 literature festival at Leigh’s Community Centre to show support for the newly reopened venue, but is interested in using the Royal Pavilion for future events.

Its chief executive, Collette Bailey, said: “I think the Royal Pavilion at the end of the pier is a fantastic venue for cultural events.

“We are looking into the viability of using the fabulous Royal Pavilion for our next edition of Shorelines next year.”