Our new monthly 'Meet the Haymaker' series shares stories of the change-makers at the heart of Hay Festival and the impact it has had on their lives. First up, meet author Femi Fadugba. He leads our Scribblers Tour across Wales this month, sharing free workshops for state school pupils.
Name: Femi Fadugba
Occupation: Author and physicist. Fadugba has a Master's degree from Oxford University where he published in Quantum Physics and subsequently studied as a Thouron Scholar at University of Pennsylvania. He has worked as a science tutor as well in solar energy and consulting. The Upper World is his first book.
Hay Festival Role: Speaker, Scribblers Tour author
What does Hay Festival mean to you?
Hay is definitely one of the highlights of my author calendar. No other festival matches it in terms of the breadth of authors and the volume and enthusiasm of young readers. I had an awesome time last year; expecting a repeat this month!
What’s your favourite Festival memory?
Meeting Jacqueline Wilson and getting to hang out with her and Natasha Brown over dinner.
Who was the best speaker or performer you saw on a Hay Festival stage?
Jacqueline Wilson!
What advice do you have for a first-timer at the Festival?
Don’t worry too much about which events your friends are going to or the events you think you ‘should’ attend… instead pick the events that look most exciting or intriguing.
Sum up Hay Festival in five words or less…
Lost in books in Wales.
To read more from our Meet the Haymaker series, sign up for our newsletter. Find out more about the Scribblers Tour here.