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Hay Festival 2023

Our 2023 Festival took place 25 May - 4 June. The programme is listed below.

Most of the events are now available in our online archive Hay Player – please see individual listings for more details.

Page  14 of 20
ConversationDanielle Jawando

Event F58

Danielle Jawando

If My Words Had Wings

–  Spring Stage
Read more

Take flight with 2023 YA Book Prize winner Danielle Jawando in this creative writing and poetry session based on her latest YA novel, If My Words Had Wings. With plenty of interaction and top tips from a pro-writer, you’ll learn how to develop, hone and craft your authentic voice within your writing.

Please bring your own notebook and pen or pencil to this event.

14+ years
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WorkshopIllustration Workshop: Save the River Wye! Protest Posters

Event W56

Illustration Workshop: Save the River Wye! Protest Posters

With the University of Worcester Illustration Department

–  Creative Hub
Read more

Design your own character for a protest poster supporting the protection of the River Wye. Work with mixed media and printmaking techniques to create your poster. All materials are provided.

12+ years
No parent/carer attendance nor sign in/out is required
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WorkshopPizza-making Workshop

Event W57

Pizza-making Workshop

Kitchen Garden Pizza

–  Family Garden
Read more

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven. And while you wait for your pizza to cook, you can decorate your own pizza box!
Dairy-free and gluten-free options available.

4+ years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place
ConversationSusie Dent and Rebecca Roache

Event 249

Susie Dent and Rebecca Roache

Curse and Curiosity

–  Global Stage
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The lexicographer and the philosopher discuss words and their power to confuse and surprise us. Celebrated linguist and face of Countdown’s Dictionary Corner Susie Dent’s latest book is Interesting Stories About Curious Words. She explores the bizarre human histories behind the stories of sweet Fanny Adams and Jack the Lad, and answers such perplexing questions as: How did circles become vicious? Who was Hobson and what was his choice? And what did Nelson turn a blind eye to? Rebecca Roache, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, delves into the magical power of swear words in her book For F*ck’s Sake: Why Swearing is Shocking, Rude and Fun. She helps understand how swearing works – it isn’t always bad. When not used offensively, it can foster social intimacy, help people withstand pain and might even help us curb our violent impulses. They talk to publisher and writer John Mitchinson.

This event has taken place
ConversationJames Kinross talks to Hannah Critchlow

Event 250

James Kinross talks to Hannah Critchlow

Dark Matter

–  Discovery Stage
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World-leading microbiome scientist and surgeon James Kinross shows us how everything from exercise, sleep and diet through to antibiotics and ageing are directly impacted by the state of our microbiome. He introduces us to the microbiome, a vast genetic universe of ‘dark matter’ – bacteria, yeasts, viruses and parasites – living inside us, which adapts with us as we age and influences how we think and feel, our sex lives and even how fast we run. Kinross is a senior lecturer in colorectal surgery and consultant surgeon at Imperial College London. He talks to neuroscientist Dr Hannah Critchlow.

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ConversationAndrey Kurkov talks to Daniel Hahn

Event 251

Andrey Kurkov talks to Daniel Hahn

The Silver Bone

–  Wye Stage
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Ukraine’s most celebrated novelist transports us to early 20th-century Kyiv during the turmoil following the Russian Revolution, with his new book The Silver Bone. This mystery introduces rookie detective Samson Kolechko in Kyiv as he tackles his first case, involving two murders, a long bone made of pure silver and a suit of decidedly unusual proportions tailored from fine English cloth. Inflected with Kurkov’s (Death and the Penguin) signature humour and magical realism, the novel takes inspiration from the archives of crime enforcement agencies in Kyiv, crafting a propulsive narrative with rich historical detail. Kurkov talks to writer and editor Daniel Hahn.

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ConversationAndrew McMillan talks to Jackie Kay

Event 253

Andrew McMillan talks to Jackie Kay

Debut Discoveries: Pity

–  Spring Stage
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Award-winning poet Andrew McMillan talks to Scottish poet and playwright Jackie Kay about community, masculinity and post-industrialisation. His novel Pity is set in Northern England, in a town that was once a hub of the coal industry. Where fathers and grandfathers worked down the mines, their sons now grapple with the shifting times. Meanwhile a grandson works in a call centre, deriving passion from his side hustle in sex work and his weekly drag gigs. Set across three generations of a Yorkshire mining family, McMillan’s short and magnificent debut is a lament for a lost way of life as well as a celebration of resilience and the possibility for change.

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WorkshopAmy Forbes-Robertson & Monica Bhogal

Event 254

Amy Forbes-Robertson & Monica Bhogal

Relationships & Sex Education for Secondary School Parents* Workshop

–  Creative Hub
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An evening workshop for parents/carers/guardians/teachers/interested grown-ups* with It Happens Education (ithappens.education) and Schools Consent Project (schoolsconsentproject.com) discussing Relationships, Sex & Health Education (RSHE). In a world full of headlines about violence against women and girls, misogynistic influencers, explicit content online and harmful sexual behaviours… How can we support adolescents as they grow up in a world with new, complex conversations about consent, law and intimacy? What do we want for our young people? What do young people say they want? We promise top tips, conversation-starters and lots of engaging discussions and activities.

*Everyone is welcome. The practical activities will focus on conversations with secondary-aged children.
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PerformanceThe Hay Writers Live!

Event 255

The Hay Writers Live!

Hay Writers’ Circle

–  Writers at Work Hub – Hwb Awduron wrth eu Gwaith
Read more

You are warmly invited to a celebration of local writing as members of the Hay Writers’ Circle share some of their recent work. A smorgasbord of poetry, prose, vignettes and excerpts from longer works, this is a fabulous chance to enjoy readings and performances from some of Hay-on-Wye’s established writers and newest voices.
The Hay Writers’ Circle is a dynamic writing group which has been active in Hay for over 40 years, offering three annual competitions in poetry, fiction and non-fiction as well as writing workshops led by writers and academics. To find out more about the group do please come along to our performance and join us for a drink in the Festival Bar afterwards, or visit our website
https://thehaywriters.wordpress.com/

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ConversationBonnie Tyler talks to Roy Noble

Event 256

Bonnie Tyler talks to Roy Noble

Straight from the Heart

–  Discovery Stage
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Legendary Welsh superstar Bonnie Tyler recounts how she carved out an extraordinary career that is still going strong. From her early days growing up in a tiny mining village in South Wales to her career as a club singer, which led to her accidental discovery by a talent scout, she charts her incredible rise to fame. Her memoir Straight from the Heart tells the story of how a shy, music-loving teenager called Gaynor Hopkins came to record some of the most iconic songs of all time, including ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ and ‘Holding Out for a Hero’, achieving chart success all over the world. Tyler has always determinedly followed her own path, breaking down barriers and leading the way for other female artists. Her roots remain firmly in her beloved Wales, and she’s bringing her down-to-earth, candid outlook to Hay Festival.

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PerformanceLiterary Death Match

Event 258

Literary Death Match

Featuring Richard Armitage, Viv Groskop, Andrey Kurkov, Joel Morris and Tiffany Murray

–  Wye Stage
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Literary Death Match is a groundbreaking take on the written and spoken word — it’s an electrifying, feel-good spectacle that takes place in over 70 cities around the planet. Part literary event, part comedy show, part game show, it brings together four established and emerging writers at Hay Festival to compete in an edge-of-your-seat read-off critiqued by celebrity judges and concluded by a slapstick showdown. Judges Richard Armitage (author: Geneva, actor: Peter Jackon's Hobbit Trilogy, Oceans 8, Spooks) and Viv Groskop (How to Own the Room) will preside over this hilarious, off-the-wall competition of literary merit. Readers include International Booker Prize longlisted author Andrey Kurkov (Death of a Penguin, Ukraine Diaries) Tiffany Murray (Diamond Star Halo, Happy Accidents) and BAFTA Award-winning comedy writer Joel Morris (Philomena Cunk, Ladybird Books For Grown-Ups, Paddington). Presented by veteran host Suzanne Azzopardi and newcomer, writer Hattie Williams (Bitter Sweet).

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ConversationLarissa Behrendt and David Marr

Event 259

Larissa Behrendt and David Marr

Massacre on the Australian Frontier

–  Spring Stage
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Australia is now facing the truth of its past – the slaughter of Indigenous peoples as the British conquered the continent with unique brutality. Two truth-tellers of today discuss how the country is reckoning with its history. Larissa Behrendt is an award-winning author, a filmmaker and host of Speaking Out on ABC Radio. Journalist David Marr is author of Killing for Country, a personal reckoning with his family’s role in the slaughter.

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PerformanceNitin Sawhney

Event 260

Nitin Sawhney

In Concert: Identity

–  Global Stage
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Nitin Sawhney brings to Hay Festival his most recent album, Identity, packed full of collaborations with his favourite artists. Sawhney says: “I’m working and collaborating with artists who are proud of who they are and whose work is defined by that pride. This album is a sonic collage of music, strong voices and self-validation. The album is a love letter to who we all are.” Expect an eclectic set influenced by Indian and Spanish styles, along with blues, soul, funk, electronica and pop.

The Ivor Novello Lifetime Award-winning writer, composer and producer is one of the most distinctive and versatile musical voices around. He has worked with the likes of Paul McCartney and Sting and scored numerous films and television series. He’s established as a world-class producer, songwriter, touring artist, BBC Radio and club DJ, multi-instrumentalist, composer and cultural/political commentator.

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ConversationDavid Baddiel

Event 261

David Baddiel

My Family: The Memoir

–  Wye Stage
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David Baddiel discusses his new book, based on his long-running stand-up show My Family (Not the Sitcom). Like the show, the book covers the death of his mother and his turbulent relationship with his father, who suffered from an aggressive form of Alzheimer’s and died in 2022. Much of the stand-up covered his mother’s affair with a golfing memorabilia salesman – which Baddiel describes as “stuff that people don’t normally talk about with a recently departed parent”, but explained was a substantial part of her identity, “her way of saying she was not just a prim, suburban, Jewish housewife”. And the show portrayed his father as a difficult man who would aggressively criticise his sons, a trait amplified by his Pick’s disease. Baddiel talks to writer and editor Daniel Hahn.

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PerformanceHollie McNish

Event 262

Hollie McNish

Lobster: And Other Things I’m Learning to Love

–  Discovery Stage
Read more

Humans are capable of both love and hate, amazement and disgust, fun and misery. So why do we live in a world that constantly urges us to hate ourselves and others, to be repulsed by our own bodies, to be ashamed of pleasure, to be embarrassed by fun? In her new collection, the author and poet asks why we have been taught to hate, and if we might learn to love again. She won the Ted Hughes Award for Nobody Told Me, wrote the three poetry collections Plum, Cherry Pie and Papers, adapted the Greek tragedy Antigone and co-wrote the play Offside with poet Sabrina Mahfouz.

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ActivityMorning Yoga with Hay Yoga Collective

Event 264

Morning Yoga with Hay Yoga Collective

–  Creative Hub
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Start your day with an hour of yoga blending movement, mantra, meditation and breathwork. The classes support detoxification and regeneration – physically, emotionally and spiritually. Our daily yoga classes are brought to you by a collective of ten highly skilled practitioners, all local to Hay-on-Wye. Each practitioner has their own style, but with all you can expect a mindful, student-focused practice with clear cueing and functional sequencing.

Whether you need grounding and recharging before a busy day at the Festival, an opportunity to stretch and move your body, or simply an hour to focus on your breathing, these classes are open and accessible to all. Practitioners will adapt to different levels of experience, providing options for deepening or softening within poses so that each student takes what they need from the practice. Beginners and experienced students are most welcome. Yoga mats are provided.

Please contact Clare Fry at hello@larchwoodstudio.com with any questions relating to these classes. As capacity is limited, we recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.

Please wear loose, comfortable clothing, and alert your practitioner at the start of class if you have any injuries.
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ActivityHay Castle Entry Ticket

Event HC15

Hay Castle Entry Ticket

–  Hay Castle
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A fantastic opportunity to see behind the scenes of this unique and historic building. Visit at a time of your choice during Castle opening hours.

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ActivityBreakfast Tour with Tom True

Event HC16

Breakfast Tour with Tom True

–  Hay Castle
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Hay Castle’s executive director Tom True introduces the key moments and characters from the castle’s past followed by a continental breakfast.

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ActivityLlwynberried Farm Walk

Event 265

Llwynberried Farm Walk

A Sustainable Future for Food Production

–  Meeting Place on Festival Site
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Helen and John Price and the next generation, Rhiannon and Humphrey Wells, open the gates to their farm for a visit led by agronomist Jonathon Harrington and vet Barney Sampson. This traditional family farm is adapting to meet the challenges of a new era to build a sustainable future for food production. Learn about the choices they face relating to soil and the environment, livestock and climate change, and their plans to be carbon negative within the next three to five years. See cattle and sheep and the crops that are grown to feed them, and taste beef from the farm served in bread rolls at the end of the visit.

With thanks to Helen & John Price and Rhiannon & Humphrey Wells for welcoming us to their farm.

Please wear walking boots or wellies and waterproof clothing in case of inclement weather. These are visits to real working farms and are suitable for anyone interested in learning more about food and farming. Families are welcome but children must be supervised at all times. We regret we cannot accommodate dogs on this walk.
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PanelHannah Critchlow, Danny Dorling, AC Grayling and guests

Event 266

Hannah Critchlow, Danny Dorling, AC Grayling and guests

The News Review

–  Meadow Stage
Read more

Start your day at Hay Festival with our daily news review. Join our leading journalists and special guests as they take us behind the headlines with insider perspectives, insights and an eye on what’s next. Strong coffee recommended!

Among today’s guests are neuroscientist Hannah Critchlow, author of Joined-up Thinking, Danny Dorling, Halford Mackinder Professor of Geography at the University of Oxford and author of Shattered Nation and AC Grayling, philosopher and Master of the New College of the Humanities at Northeastern University, London, and is chaired by leading science writer and broadcaster Vivienne Parry.

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PanelTayshan Hayden-Smith, Kate Humble, and Paul Whitehouse talk to René Olivieri

Event 267

Tayshan Hayden-Smith, Kate Humble, and Paul Whitehouse talk to René Olivieri

A Space For Everyone: Land and Nature

–  Discovery Stage
Read more

How can we live the lives we want without despoiling the environment we hold so dear? How do we balance the competing demands of public access, farming and wildlife against the backdrop of the climate and nature crises?

Tayshan Hayden-Smith, former professional footballer turned guerrilla gardener, Kate Humble, farmer and TV presenter, and Paul Whitehouse, actor, writer and comedian, talk to the Chair of the National Trust, René Olivieri, about how we rediscover the power of connection with nature.

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ActivityWayfaring Walk: The National Park and its Five Missions

Event 269

Wayfaring Walk: The National Park and its Five Missions

Helen Lucocq and Nick Jones

–  Meeting Place on Festival Site
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Guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park lead a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye. Local experts give their insights into this treasured landscape.

Hay-on-Wye is based within 520 square miles of beautiful landscape that makes up the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The National Park is driving change to bring about a sustainable future, meeting our needs within planetary boundaries. Their Hay Festival series of walks take you into the town’s local environment while offering the opportunity to learn more about the Park’s work and its treasured landscape.

Please wear appropriate footwear and outdoor gear. We regret we cannot accommodate dogs on this walk.
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WorkshopThe Art of Decision-Making in the Face of Climate Change

Event 408

The Art of Decision-Making in the Face of Climate Change

A collaborative, real-world simulation

–  Located in the Bright Orange marquee opposite the Meadow Stage entrance
Read more
Imagine a focus group created by escape room designers, where 12 players work
together to safeguard the future of a fictional company threatened by the impending and
uncertain impacts of climate change. That experience is called Do What You Must.

Participate in this entertaining, interactive workshop to uncover essential insights on how
groups work together and how the challenge of climate change requires us to
collaborate differently.

Participants will be guided through the 2-hour workshop by a team from the UCL Climate
Action Unit, which closes with a debrief with one of the co-creators of the experience:
Neuroscientist and Science Communicator, Dr Kris De Meyer.

Discover the art of decision-making in this beautifully created simulation from the critically
acclaimed digital storytelling studio Fast Familiar.
16+ years
This workshop is repeated on Thursday 30th, Friday 31st and Saturday 1st at 10am and 2pm
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ConversationBBC Academy: The Traitors Uncloaked: Making a Hit Podcast

Event 439

BBC Academy: The Traitors Uncloaked: Making a Hit Podcast

–  Exchange Marquee
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Accompanying podcasts for big television series’ have become popular for those that want to delve deeper into their favourite shows. Here, the team behind The Traitors Uncloaked deliver a masterclass continuing the storytelling with podcasts.

This event has taken place
ConversationJoseph Coelho

Event F59

Joseph Coelho

UK Waterstones Children’s Laureate

–  Wye Stage
Read more

Share dreams about possible impossibilities with Joseph Coelho, award-winning poet and author, in his final festival appearance as UK Waterstones Children’s Laureate. Joseph talks about how he has travelled all over the country (and beyond!) as the Children’s Laureate to inspire everyone in becoming poets and storytellers. Joseph’s poetry creates all sorts of other worlds, with wild ideas and unforgettable images. He shares tips for writing your own stories and performs some of his own humorous and inventive poems.

Please bring your own notebook and pen or pencil to this event.

7+ years
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PerformanceMama G

Event F60

Mama G

The Magic Bookmark

–  Spring Stage
Read more

Join “everyone’s favourite pantomime dame” (Metro), Mama G, on a magical panto adventure, as she tries to discover why inclusive stories are so important. All she needs is your help, and some of the best picture books on the market. Get ready for a morning of singing, dancing and laughing that the whole family will love. Oh yes, they will!

Family, 4+ years
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WorkshopReady, Steady, Music! Workshop

Event W58

Ready, Steady, Music! Workshop

–  Creative Hub
Read more

Get your Hay day off to a brilliant start with our daily Ready, Steady, Music workshops! With different activities each day, these interactive, fun-filled sessions for mini musicians will have you tapping sticks, roaring like dinosaurs, flying with unicorns, dancing with scarves, playing with parachutes and much more. Come and meet our puppets, explore our instruments and be accompanied by the beautiful sound of the cello.

0–4 years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
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WorkshopPizza-making Workshop

Event W59

Pizza-making Workshop

Kitchen Garden Pizza

–  Family Garden
Read more

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven. And while you wait for your pizza to cook, you can decorate your own pizza box!
Dairy-free and gluten-free options available.

4+ years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place
ActivityMake & Take Crafting

Event MT19

Make & Take Crafting

Friday Morning Session

–  Make & Take Hub
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An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative: your imagination is the limit.

Book for the session and you can drop in at any point during the 1.5 hour duration. Accompanying adults: please stay in attendance at all times, but you do not require a ticket.

3–11 years
This event has taken place
WorkshopPizza-making Workshop

Event W60

Pizza-making Workshop

Kitchen Garden Pizza

–  Family Garden
Read more

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven. And while you wait for your pizza to cook, you can decorate your own pizza box!
Dairy-free and gluten-free options available.

4+ years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place
WorkshopCrafting for Kids: Make a Shield

Event HC17

Crafting for Kids: Make a Shield

–  Hay Castle
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A fun drop-in session for families, inspired by the history of Hay Castle. Design and make your own shield.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. Activities are aimed at children aged 4+ years, but younger siblings are very welcome.

4+ years
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ConversationJohn Bailey and Paul Whitehouse

Event 270

John Bailey and Paul Whitehouse

How We Fish

–  Global Stage
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Paul Whitehouse, comedian and co-star of the BBC’s Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, and John Bailey, fishing consultant on the show since it first aired, have been devout fishermen for longer than they care to remember. A hobby, pastime or sport (call it what you want), they have felt the pull of the water ever since they were kids and have never missed the chance to set up on the bank and try their luck. The two fishermen discuss the rich tapestry that is fishing – from mentors to memories; from philosophy to modern jargon; from watercraft to becoming self-styled ‘Fishing Detectives’. They share brilliant stories and recollections from fishing trips past, rich in the wonders of the riverbank.

This event has taken place
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