Hay Festival 2023

Green grass, blue skies, white flannels and the gentle thwack of leather on willow; the quintessential image of cricket. The so-called ‘gentleman's game’ developed with the principle of fair play at its heart. But something is rotten at the core. The Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket Report in 2023 found that cricket is riddled with structural and institutional racism, sexism, classism and elitism. Fry, Rafiq, Rutherford and Taylor discuss the big issues, examine the systemic biases and scrutinise the ongoing solutions to render the second most popular sport on Earth a game for everyone.

Stephen Fry is former President of the MCC and a lifelong cricket fan. Azeem Rafiq is a former Yorkshire County cricketer and England youth captain. Claire Taylor MBE is a World Cup-winning English cricketer. They talk to Adam Rutherford, scientist, author and player for The Authors XI cricket team.

The leading human rights lawyer, campaigner and former Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales argues for the vindication of human rights, attacked by opponents from across the political spectrum and populist and authoritarian movements worldwide. After the devastation of the Second World War, the international community came together to enshrine fundamental rights to refuge, health, education and living standards, for privacy, fair trials and free speech, and outlawing torture, slavery and discrimination. Their goal was greater global justice, equality and peace. That goal is now threatened by wars, inequality, new technologies and climate catastrophe. Outlining the historic struggles for human rights, Chakrabarti is an indispensable guide to the law and logic underpinning human dignity and universal freedoms. For human rights to survive, they must be far better understood by us all.

Lee Craigie, Rebecca Lowe and Kate Rawles and are no strangers to riding, and sometimes racing, their bikes very long distances in remote and challenging conditions. But what actually unites them is their motivation for doing so. These three women have all the funny, jaw-dropping stories that come from adventuring all over the world by bike; but, unlike traditional stories of derring-do, their aim is not to conquer or impress – it is to inform, inspire and unite us in leading healthier, happier, more sustainable lives.

Craigie (Other Ways to Win) has represented Scotland from the World Championships to the Commonwealth Games. Now retired from the sport, she devotes her time to projects that engage marginalised young people. Lowe (The Slow Road to Tehran) rode across the Middle East at the peak of the Syrian War, driven by a desire to learn more about the troubled region. Rawles (The Life Cycle) set out on an epic journey through South America on a self-built bamboo bicycle, meeting the extraordinary activists working to protect biodiversity.

After years of unexplained health problems, writer Polly Atkin was finally diagnosed with two chronic conditions in her thirties. She began to piece together what had been happening to her – all the misdiagnoses, the fractures, the dislocations, the bone-crushing exhaustion, the not being believed. She traces a fascinating journey, delving into the history of her two genetic conditions, uncovering how these illnesses were managed (or not) in times gone by and exploring how best to plan for her own future. From medical misogyny and gaslighting to the illusion of ‘the nature cure’, she examines how we deal with bodies that diverge from the norm, and why this urgently needs to change. Atkins talks about her book Some of Us Just Fall with Bethany Handley, an award-winning writer and disability activist from South Wales.

Writer and game designer Holly Gramazio – founder of the experimental games festival Now Play This and scriptwriter of the award-winning indie videogame Dicey Dungeons – talks about her debut novel The Husbands with bestselling author Naomi Alderman.

In The Husbands, Lauren finds a strange man in her flat who claims to be her husband, and the evidence all says he’s right. Soon, Lauren realises that her attic is creating an endless supply of husbands for her: the hot one, the one who makes a great breakfast sandwich, the one who can calm her. But when you can change husbands as easily as changing a lightbulb, how do you know whether the one you have now is the good-enough one, or the wrong one, or the best one?

An evening workshop for parents/carers/guardians/teachers/interested grown-ups* with It Happens Education (ithappens.education) and Brook (brook.org.uk) discussing Relationships, Sex & Health Education (RSHE). Come and find out about the history of the subject, the big RSHE picture and look at some current UK data. What do we want for our young people? What do young people say they want? Why is it important to start these conversations at home? How should you navigate this tricky terrain as a family? We promise top tips, conversation-starters and lots of engaging discussions and activities.

The event includes a 20 minute break where you can relax and grab a drink from the bar.

Princess Mary was the adored only child of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon and was raised in the golden splendour of her father’s court. But her world soon began to fall apart: the King wanted a son and heir, and her parents’ marriage was crumbling. Exiled from the court and her beloved mother, she sought solace in her faith but found the choices she faced would haunt her for years to come. Alison Weir fictionalises the life of Princess Mary, who went on to be known as Bloody Mary, in her new Tudor novel. She discusses the drama and tragedy of the royal’s life.

Poet Jackie Kay’s new collection reflects on several decades of her political activism, from her Glasgow childhood, accompanying her parents on Socialist campaigns, through the feminist, LGBT+ and anti-racist movements of the 1980s and 1990s, to the present day when a global pandemic intersects with the urgency of Black Lives Matter. Her writing brings to life a cast of influential figures – Jamaican model Fanny Eaton, muse of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in England; singer and Marxist academic Angela Davis; and poet and civil rights campaigner Audre Lorde. Woven through are lyric poems on the loss of Kay’s parents: poems of grief infused with the light of love and celebration.

The QI elves and No Such Thing as a Fish podcasters James Harkin and Anna Ptaszynski (authors of A LOAD OF OLD BALLS: The QI History of Sport) host a fun-packed, interactive event that delves into the world of sport, from Mayan footballing legends to Ancient Egyptian wrestling, Victorian ‘bicycle face’ to the unsatisfying spectacle of modern-day robot football. Find out what pigs’ bladders, oranges and a kangaroo’s scrotum have in common. Test your knowledge in the quiz, win some great prizes and hear some surprising facts and intriguing stories, including the psychology of football chants, pole-vaulting priests and professional pillow-fighting.

Pip Williams didn’t always love words, which is ironic given her bestselling and award-winning novels are both focused on language. She discusses both books – The Dictionary of Lost Words and The Bookbinder of Jericho – as well as the way in which she pursued words to understand their power to control and their potential to enrich. Williams also talks about her research in the archives of Oxford University Press, her efforts to bind her own books and the irony of writing about words when she still has trouble spelling them. She talks to Louise Adler, director of Adelaide Writers’ Week.

The Platform is a new space for young, emerging artists to share their work with Hay Festival audiences. Spanning a diverse range of art forms, The Platform aims to elevate and develop outstanding creative artists at the start of their careers. Join us to discover and support some of the best young talent working in the UK today.

Enjoy a night of laughter at the Festival’s Comedy Club, with MC Laura Lexx and comedians Shaparak Khorsandi and Lou Sanders. Comedian, author and actor Lexx has appeared on the BBC’s Live at The Apollo and comedy shows including Mock The Week and Celebrity Mastermind. Her debut novel Pivot was released in 2023. Khorsandi is a comedian, author, speaker and advocate for human rights. She’s appeared on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here and 8 Out Of 10 Cats, among many others, and her latest book is Scatter Brain. Sanders co-hosts Mel Giedroyc’s Unforgivable, is a previous Taskmaster (Dave/C4) champion and has toured her live shows to packed houses across the world.

Brought to you by Little Wander, the team behind the Machynlleth Comedy Festival.

Trolls are to be found on every social media platform, and few have as intimate an experience and knowledge of trolling than Marianna Spring, the BBC’s first disinformation and social media correspondent. She discusses her book Among the Trolls, in which she tracks down both trolls and their victims, trying to work out where people’s vitriol comes from, why the information battle threatens society as a whole and how people get caught up in trolling and misinformation. Spring presents podcasts and documentaries investigating disinformation and social media for BBC Radio 4 podcasts, as well as for BBC Panorama and BBC Three. In conversation with writer and broadcaster, Adam Rutherford.

Two of Australia’s leading First Nations poets living today, Jazz Money and Ellen van Neerven, showcase their exceptional work and voices in this not-to-be-missed poetry session. The pair are among a long line of First Nations storytellers who have been truth-telling on the Australian continent for tens of thousands of years. Their role as Indigenous poets who are preserving and amplifying these stories is both personal and political. Money’s award-winning debut collection is How to Make a Basket. Van Neerven is author of Heat and Light and Throat, which won Book of the Year at the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards in 2021.

Prepare for a unique evening of music and storytelling from musician Johnny Flynn and nature writer Robert Macfarlane. The pair have released two albums, the most recent 2023’s The Moon Also Rises, described by the Guardian as “uplifting and muscular English folk stylings, courtesy of Flynn, with ancient and modern themes interwoven in these co-written lyrics”.

Flynn is a singer, composer, musician and actor who tours with his own band and regularly composes for film, TV and theatre. He is currently appearing as Richard Burton in Jack Thorne’s play The Motive and the Cue, directed by Sam Mendes. Macfarlane is author of books including Underland and The Old Ways, and with Jackie Morris as illustrator, is the author of The Lost Words and The Lost Spells.

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.

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.

Featured in the BBC’s Digging for Britain, Snodhill Castle is the hidden gem of the Golden Valley. Explore the Norman ruins including the high keep, Royal Free Chapel and the newly-discovered ‘panic room’, and hear the story of its discovery and preservation. Guided by Bill Klemperer, former Principal Inspector of Ancient Monuments, Historic England.

Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho is joined by fellow authors Frank Cottrell-Boyce (Patron of The Reader Organisation) and Cressida Cowell (Children’s Laureate 2019–22) as they delve into the history of children’s literature, taking us on a whistle stop tour of some of their own all-time favourite books. They discuss the benefits of reading through childhood and consider the impact their own works may have had on the young, developing brain, while acclaimed film and stage actor Freddie Fox (The Crown, House of the Dragon) performs readings from some much-loved children’s classics.

Brought to you by The Queen’s Reading Room, the literary charity set up by Her Majesty Queen Camilla, which is on a mission to spread the joy of reading.

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 the Director of the AI & Geopolitics Institute at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge Verity Harding, award winning journalist, activist and founder of the Compassion in Politics cross party Think Tank Jennifer Nadel and award-winning senior reporter, author, and host of climate podcast Zero Akshat Rathi.They talk to Bronwen Maddox, the CEO of the International Affairs Think Tank Chatham House.

Every morning for the past decade, award-winning writer and broadcaster Lemn Sissay has composed a short poem as dawn breaks. His new collection, Let the Light Pour In, brings together the best of these poems, which chronicle his own battle with the dark and are fuelled by resilience and defiant joy. Sissay introduces the collection, performing works from it in this life-affirming event. His memoir My Name is Why was a bestseller and his Landmark poems are visible in London, Manchester, Huddersfield and Addis Ababa.

For a long time, contemporary Latin American literature has been pigeonholed as being only the magical-realist novel. But this is no longer the case. Modern works of Latin American fiction are being seen for the ways in which they respond to global concerns with forensic insight and precision, and imagine new possibilities with the fantastic resources of its peoples and landscapes. Authors are exploring different media and genres, and the works may be written anywhere, from Bogotá to London or New York.

Join Oscar Guardiola-Rivera, editor of the WritersMosaic guest edition The Forensic and the Fantastic: Latinx Writers in the UK, together with writers Gaby Sambucetti, Juan Toledo and Erna von der Walde for a moving journey through the new Latinx literary landscape.

Guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park lead a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, discussing the impact of the climate emergency on national parks.

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.

One growing elephant. One smallish lifeboat. One big dream… Join award-winning author/illustrator Ed Vere for a salty story-time session celebrating his new picture book The Elephant and the Sea – a lyrical tale about big elephants in small boats, large waves… and big pinches of bravery and determination. Ed will bring his crayons to show you how to draw his character Gabriel. You can join in with him and see how easy it is to draw a seafaring elephant! Ed’s award-winning picture books include How to be a Lion and Max the Brave.

Please bring your own sketchbook and pencils to draw along in this event.

Dive into this interactive quiz-tastic, puzzling mystery event for code-cracking families and skilful young super sleuths. Hartigan Browne is arguably Britain’s greatest detective, having solved hundreds of complex crimes including robberies, murders, accidental deaths, fraud and at least one case of handling a salmon suspiciously. Hartigan’s success, however, means he is now overwhelmed with people requiring his help, and he can’t keep up with the demand for his services. A great believer that everyone has a brilliant mind, Hartigan is keen to mentor those who have the perseverance, resilience and curiosity required to join the Hartigan Browne Detective Agency. Join us to see if you have what it takes to work out this brain teasing cluedunnit?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Come to Hay Castle for this drop-in session for families, where you’ll be inspired to design and build your own dream house out of recycled materials.

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