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Hay Festival 2024

Escape the day-to-day at Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye 2024. Join us 23 May–2 June at our free-to-enter Festival site. Explore the full programme and book your individual events below. If you want to see the programme at a glance, please use our schedule view.

Please ensure you are signed up to our mailing list for updates.

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ConversationStephen Fry, Azeem Rafiq and Claire Taylor talk to Adam Rutherford

Event 207

Stephen Fry, Azeem Rafiq and Claire Taylor talk to Adam Rutherford

Sports Day: Not a Level Playing Field

–  Discovery Stage
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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.

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TalkShami Chakrabarti talks to Rosie Boycott

Event 208

Shami Chakrabarti talks to Rosie Boycott

Human Rights: The Case for the Defence

–  Global Stage
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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.

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ConversationLee Craigie, Rebecca Lowe and Kate Rawles

Event 209

Lee Craigie, Rebecca Lowe and Kate Rawles

Sports Day: Alternative Adventures with Wild Women

–  Wye Stage
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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.

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ConversationPolly Atkin talks to Bethany Handley

Event 210

Polly Atkin talks to Bethany Handley

On Nature and Not Getting Better

–  Meadow Stage
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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.

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ConversationHolly Gramazio talks to Naomi Alderman

Event 211

Holly Gramazio talks to Naomi Alderman

Debut Discoveries: The Husbands

–  Spring Stage
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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?

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WorkshopAmy Forbes-Robertson & Lisa Hallgarten

Event 212

Amy Forbes-Robertson & Lisa Hallgarten

Relationships & Sex Education for Primary 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 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.

*Everyone is welcome at this session. The practical activities will have a focus on conversations with primary-aged children.
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ConversationAlison Weir

Event 213

Alison Weir

Mary I: Queen of Sorrows

–  Discovery Stage
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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.

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ConversationJackie Kay in conversation with Lemn Sissay

Event 214

Jackie Kay in conversation with Lemn Sissay

May Day

–  Wye Stage
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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.

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ActivityJames Harkin and Anna Ptaszynski

Event 215

James Harkin and Anna Ptaszynski

A LOAD OF OLD BALLS: The QI History of Sport - talk and fun quiz with great prizes

–  Meadow Stage
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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.

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ConversationPip Williams talks to Louise Adler

Event 216

Pip Williams talks to Louise Adler

The Power of Words

–  Spring Stage
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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.

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PerformanceThe Platform

Event 217

The Platform

–  Exchange Marquee
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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.

Free but ticketed
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PerformanceShaparak Khorsandi, Laura Lexx and Lou Sanders

Event 218

Shaparak Khorsandi, Laura Lexx and Lou Sanders

Hay Festival Comedy Club

–  Discovery Stage
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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.

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ConversationMarianna Spring in conversation with Adam Rutherford

Event 219

Marianna Spring in conversation with Adam Rutherford

Among the Trolls

–  Wye Stage
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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.

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ConversationJazz Money and Ellen van Neerven

Event 220

Jazz Money and Ellen van Neerven

Always Was, Always Will Be

–  Spring Stage
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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.

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ConversationRoger Lewis talks to Stephen Fry

Event 404

Roger Lewis talks to Stephen Fry

Erotic Vagrancy

–  Meadow Stage
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Comic genius Roger Lewis (author of Seasonal Suicide Notes) takes on Hollywood, delusion, celebrity and the last century’s ultimate glamour couple: Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Lewis uses this impossibly desirable and damaged pair – accused by the Vatican of ‘erotic vagrancy’ – to tell the story of an age of excess: the freaks and groupies, the private jets, jewels and yachts; the magnificent bad taste and greed. He talks to the Hay Festival Global President about this clash of worlds: the filth and decay of South Wales and the grandeur and elegance of Old Hollywood; the fantasies we have about film stars and the fantasies the Burtons had about each other.
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PerformanceJohnny Flynn and Robert Macfarlane

Event 221

Johnny Flynn and Robert Macfarlane

In Concert

–  Global Stage
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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.

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ActivityMorning Yoga with Hay Yoga Collective

Event 222

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 HC13

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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ActivityDiscover Snodhill Castle

Event 223

Discover Snodhill Castle

–  Meeting Place on Festival Site
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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.

Please note: the site is uneven and slippery with steep drops. There is no wheelchair access and no facilities. Children should be supervised at all times. We regret we cannot accommodate dogs on these walks.
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PanelJoseph Coelho, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Cressida Cowell and Freddie Fox

Event 224

Joseph Coelho, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Cressida Cowell and Freddie Fox

The Queen’s Reading Room at Hay Festival: Children’s Literature for the Ages

–  Meadow Stage
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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.

In collaboration with The Queen’s Reading Room
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PanelVerity Harding, Jennifer Nadel  and Akshat Rathi talk to Bronwen Maddox

Event 225

Verity Harding, Jennifer Nadel and Akshat Rathi talk to Bronwen Maddox

The News Review

–  Wye Stage
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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.

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PerformanceLemn Sissay

Event 226

Lemn Sissay

Let the Light Pour In

–  Discovery Stage
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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.

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PanelGaby Sambucetti, Juan Toledo and Erna von der Walde talk to Oscar Guardiola-Rivera

Event 227

Gaby Sambucetti, Juan Toledo and Erna von der Walde talk to Oscar Guardiola-Rivera

Latinx Writers in the UK

–  Writers at Work Hub – Hwb Awduron wrth eu Gwaith
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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.

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ActivityWayfaring Walk: National Parks and the Climate Emergency

Event 228

Wayfaring Walk: National Parks and the Climate Emergency

Liz Hutchins and Tamara Mascarenhas

–  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, 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.

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 406

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.

Located in the Bright Orange marquee opposite the Meadow Stage entrance.
16+ years
This workshop is repeated on Thursday 30th , Friday 31st and Saturday 1st at 10am and 2pm
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ConversationEd Vere

Event F50

Ed Vere

The Elephant and the Sea

–  Spring Stage
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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.

3+ years
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ConversationHartigan Browne

Event F51

Hartigan Browne

Cluedle: The Case of the Dumpleton Diamond

–  Exchange Marquee
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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?

9+ years
Please bring your own notebook and pen or pencil to this event.
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WorkshopReady, Steady, Music! Workshop

Event W49

Ready, Steady, Music! Workshop

–  Creative Hub
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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 W50

Pizza-making Workshop

Kitchen Garden Pizza

–  Family Garden
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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.
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ActivityMake & Take Crafting

Event MT16

Make & Take Crafting

Thursday 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
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WorkshopPizza-making Workshop

Event W51

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: Recycled Architecture

Event HC14

Crafting for Kids: Recycled Architecture

–  Hay Castle
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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.

4+ years
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