Hay Festival Anytime - Listen and watch writers and thinkers from Hay Festivals around the world

Lord Sebastian Coe has unrivalled experience of the world of sport, as a double Olympic gold medallist, architect of the London 2012 Olympics, President of World Athletics, politician, businessman and champion of sport as a path to individual fitness, national pride and international collaboration. He talks to journalist Matthew d’Ancona about the ever-expanding role of sport in 21st century society, and the controversies and opportunities that lie ahead.

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!

Today’s guests include comedian Marcus Brigstocke, the British Antarctic Survey’s physician Gavin Francis, former Secretary of State for Education Justine Greening and science journalist Layal Liverpool.

The historian of the mental afterlife of conflict examines the civil wars that engulfed Britain in the mid-seventeenth century – the most destructive in the island’s history. The wars left lasting scars on the British cultural and political imagination, and the memory of that turbulent decade in the 1600s continues to haunt the politics of the present. Dr Imogen Peck asks what, in a time of global instability, we might learn from the successes and failures of early modern states, exploring some of the surprising parallels between early modern and modern approaches to cultural memory and issues of national reconciliation. Author of Recollection in the Republics, Peck is Assistant Professor in British History at the University of Birmingham and Director of the Centre for Midlands History and Cultures.

Are you a budding veterinarian or fascinated by animals? Animals come in all shapes and sizes, and they are just as different on the inside as they are on the outside. Come and explore how animal bodies work, and the amazing things they can do, with children’s author, TV presenter and vet Dr Jess French. From a whale’s enormous heart and an owl’s sensitive ears, to a tortoise’s tough shell and an insect’s unusual eyes, Jess will take you through her favourite weird and wonderful animal facts and answer curious questions.

Our panel of experts talk to Dr Peter Olusoga – senior lecturer in psychology at Sheffield Hallam University and host of the award-winning performance psychology podcast, Eighty Percent Mental. They share long-term strategies and offer unique advice on looking after your physical and mental health.

Dr Federica Amati is a medical scientist, researcher and head nutritionist at ZOE, and combines nutrition, medical science and public health advice in her book Every Body Should Know This. Dr Alex George’s The Mind Manual shows readers how to assess their mental health and understand their own normal. George is a TV doctor, bestselling author and Youth Mental Health Ambassador to the government. Ultra-athlete Josh Llewellyn-Jones was born with cystic fibrosis and given a 10% chance of surviving his first night due to complications. He’s now a World Record-holding endurance athlete and founder of the extremely inclusive and inspirational Lift Club, a community focusing on the mind, body and health.

Chilean author Benjamín Labatut shines a light on the ethics of science in a disturbing triptych tracing the path from the fundamentals of mathematics to the delusions of artificial intelligence. It focuses on John von Neumann, a titan of science and a Hungarian wunderkind with exceptional mathematical powers. He designed the world's first programmable computer, invented game theory, pioneered AI and helped create the atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But when illness unmoored his mind, his work pushed further into areas beyond human control.

Blending fact and fiction, Labatut takes us to the frontiers of rational thought, where invention outpaces human understanding and leads us to the brink of Armageddon. He talks to Hay Festival President Stephen Fry about The Maniac, his first book in English.

The world of sport has a new opponent: climate change. A world championship marathon was recently held at midnight to avoid the blistering sun. Athletes needed oxygen tanks to play during wildfire season in California. Ski resorts in the Alps have turned into ghost towns. Golf courses are sinking into the sea. But with billions of participants and fans around the world who rely on the sector for entertainment, jobs, fitness and health, this is an industry we can’t afford to lose. Sport ecologist Madeleine Orr argues that there are ways to mitigate the worst elements of climate change. Through interviews with athletes, coaches and politicians in her book Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sport, she describes how the sports world can fight back.In conversation with Claire Taylor, a World Cup-winning English cricketer, Chair of Cricket at the MCC and a management consultant.

Internationally bestselling author AF Steadman comes to Hay Festival to introduce the third book in her blockbuster series, Skandar and the Chaos Trials. Get ready for unlikely heroes, elemental magic, sky battles, ancient secrets and ferocious unicorns. Find out about her original inspirations for the Skandar series, which has been translated into over 45 languages and is set to hit the big screen with Sony Pictures. Come prepared to create your own bloodthirsty unicorn, take part in the Chaos Cup and discover elemental magic!

Meet the little dinosaur who is the greatest secret agent in the world! Spyceratops has all the skills: sneaking, peeking, blending in, daredevil manoeuvres. She has all the kit: groovy gadgets, loyal sidekick, awesome spy-mobile. And now the perfect opportunity has arisen for her to share her espionage expertise with you as she uncovers Grandad’s secret plotting. Join Alex Willmore, bestselling illustrator of I Did See a Mammoth! and The Runaway Pea, in this dino-tastic event.

One of football’s most successful players ever, Gary Lineker’s latest act has seen him launch a podcasting empire. As founder of Goalhanger Productions, Lineker produces hit shows The Rest is History, The Rest is Entertainment, The Rest is Football and The Rest is Politics, adding much-needed nuance and insight into our national discourse. Join the England legend and Match of the Day presenter for a wide-ranging discussion of his career in sport, media and storytelling. He talks to historian and broadcaster David Olusoga.

The acclaimed author of The Road Home (winner of the Orange Prize), Music & Silence (winner of Whitbread Novel of the Year), and Lily (a Richard & Judy Book Club selection), Dame Rose Tremain talks to the Monocle Radio Books Editor about her piercing story of thwarted love and true friendship in 1960s London.

Marianne falls absolutely for Simon, whose cleverness and physical beauty hold the promise of a successful and monied future. But fate intervenes, Simon’s plans are blown off course, and Marianne is forced to bury her dreams of a future together. Seeming to underestimate her own worth, she nonetheless continues to seek the life she craves. But beneath his blithe exterior, Simon has been nursing a secret that will alter everything.

What should a future government’s manifesto and action for education include? Join the conversation with two former Secretaries of State for Education and the Times political columnist, Chair of the highly influential Times Education Commission, together with Professor Lisa Stansbie, Pro Vice Chancellor Education, Culture and Society at University of Worcester, whose most recent independent, official inspection report of its teacher training provision begins: “Trainees benefit from an exceptional learning experience at the University of Worcester. This experience instils in them a deep-rooted commitment to making a difference to the lives of the children and young adults in the communities they serve.”

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.

Whether you’re in the forest, your own backyard or the city, there are so many exciting ways to engage with nature – and forester Peter Wohlleben has the best ideas for doing it. He has the knowledge, from pressing flowers, harvesting algae and skipping stones to observing spiders and even building your own mini sailboat. Learn how to decode nature’s messages, identify plants and animal tracks, record and preserve your finds and more, with Peter’s activities to help you explore the outdoors.

The Women's Prize for Fiction-winning author of The Power introduces her new novel, in which a group of misfits plan an audacious heist with the future of the world at stake. When Martha Einkorn fled her father’s isolated compound in Oregon, she never expected to be working for a powerful social media mogul hell-bent on controlling everything. She may have left the cult, but if her father's apocalyptic warnings are starting to come true, how much future is left? Meanwhile, in a mall in Singapore, survivalist Lai Zhen flees from an assassin. She’s cornered and desperate. Suddenly, a piece of software appears on her phone telling her how to escape. But if those behind it can save her from danger, what do they want from her? Martha and Zhen’s worlds collide and set in motion an explosive chain of events. Alderman talks to Philippa Hall, presenter of the Quick Book Reviews podcast.

Aged 15, Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell was world number one in the 50m breaststroke. Over the next three years, she would become a double British champion, sports personality of the year in Kenya, and make the Great British Olympic team as the first Black woman to swim for Britain. She made history, but chose to walk away from it all. Ajulu-Bushell shares how she achieved victory and what it cost her to do so, physically and mentally. Laying bare the pressures of success and meditating on Blackness and identity, Ajulu-Bushell is honest and heartfelt. Lahiri talks to Creative Producer Heather Marks.

Join award-winning author Jenny Valentine as she introduces you to Joy Applebloom, the optimistic hero of her A Girl Called Joy series. It's a cheerful, heart-warming story about family, friends and never being too small to make a difference. Expect quizzes, questions and lots of laughter.

From manifesto to biography and from historical fiction to coming-of-age story, four authors of books centring on queer people discuss their work. Kenny Ethan Jones’ book Dear Cis(Gender) People is a powerful call to arms empowering cisgender people to be better allies. Wendy Moore’s Jack and Eve tells the real story of a jobbing actress who became Emmeline Pankhurst’s chauffeur and mechanic, and the daughter of a Scottish baron, who became public faces of the suffragette movement. Alana S Portero is a Spanish writer, poet and transgender activist whose novel Bad Habit explores coming of age in 1980s Spain, a place of vast social inequality but also one where social change was possible, and all moderated by Welsh lesbian writer Rachel Dawson whose novel, Neon Roses has been short-listed for Wales Book of The Year.

The Scottish National Coach and mother of champions Jamie and Andy brings her debut thriller to Hay Festival. The former Scottish international tennis player is not new to publishing – her memoir Knowing the Score was a Sunday Times bestseller – but with The Wild Card she’s served up an ace in the world of fiction. Join her for a first-hand account of her story about an ambitious player who puts her promising tennis career on hold to have a baby. Years later, a surprise entry to Wimbledon sweeps her up in a world she thought she’d left behind. But could the greatest comeback of all time destroy everything she’s sacrificed to protect? Murray talks to QI writer and podcaster James Harkin.

There is no one who has a bigger impact on the mood of a workplace than the boss. But how do you ensure you’re one of the good ones, and not a figure that everyone complains about? Starting with his own background, Henry Engelhardt shares his advice on how to be a better boss, in conversation with Antonia Garrett-Peel, Senior Writer at Management Today. With almost 50 years’ working experience, starting with Poochie’s Hot Dogs at age 13, Engelhardt is a founder and CEO emeritus of Admiral Group, based in Cardiff. It is the largest private car insurer in the UK and the only FTSE 100 company in Wales.

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.

On the eve of a General Election, former Deputy Prime Minister the Rt Hon the Lord Michael Heseltine CH joins us for a state of the nation discussion with journalist Matthew d'Ancona. Lord Heseltine enjoyed one of the most colourful and creative careers of late 20th-century British politics. If the top office at Westminster eluded him, nothing much else did. He was a Cabinet Minister in various departments from 1979 to 1986 and 1990 to 1997 and Deputy Prime Minister from 1995 to 1997. He later served as an advisor to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Growth, and as a Commissioner on the National Infrastructure Commission (October 2015 to March 2017). He is the founder and Chairman of the Haymarket Group. Together with his wife he has created an outstanding garden around their home in Northamptonshire and co-authored Thenford: The Creation of an English Garden.

Plunge into the science of rewilding with biologist and author Ben Martynoga. He celebrates nature and the incredible ways it keeps us alive, and explores how we can welcome the wild on a personal and epic scale. River-nurturing wolves, tree-toppling beavers, climate warrior whales and even genetically-engineered woolly mammoths could all help us protect, revive and restore our planet to its full glory. Come and take an inspiring look at how we can rewild life so that nature – and humankind – flourishes for a long time to come.

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?

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.

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.

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.