Hay Festival 2014

An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative in these interactive sessions delivered by artists and discover that your imagination is the only 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.

Following the success of last year’s production at Hay Festival, we’re thrilled to present a delightful 30-minute, family-friendly adaptation of As You Like It by William Shakespeare, directed by award-winning writer and director Greg Banks. Performed by Hereford College of Arts Performing Arts degree students, this lively rendition of the classic comedy is filled with love, laughter and unforgettable characters.

The presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Making History, and co-presenter of The Rest is History podcast, brings his expertise to bear on Suetonius’ renowned biography of the twelve Caesars. The ancient Roman empire was the supreme arena, where emperors had no choice but to fight, thrill and dazzle. Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus’ Lives of the Caesars was written from the centre of Rome and power in AD 121, and no biography invites us in more vividly or intimately.

Tom Holland presents his new translation, giving a deeper understanding of the personal lives of the Caesars and of how they inevitably informed what happened across the vast expanse of the empire. Holland is author of Rubicon: The Triumph and the Tragedy of the Roman Republic.

Two environmental researchers find themselves confronting the same nexus of grief for beloved ancestors and grief at climate breakdown. They discuss their books with natural history writer Patrick Barkham.

Marianne Brown’s The Shetland Way tells how travelling to her father’s funeral leads her to investigate a huge wind farm project in a tight-knit Shetland community, and how her questioning is tied up with grief. Alice Mah’s Red Pockets recounts how she returns to her ancestors’ village in China only to find she has debts to pay because their graves haven’t been swept for decades. She starts seeing a deep connection with her research on pollution, which intensifies her own experience of climate grief.

Raised in Edinburgh, Brown spent many years working as a journalist in Southeast Asia and later in Britain as the editor of an environmental magazine. Alice Mah is a Chinese Canadian-British writer and Professor of Urban and Environmental Studies at the University of Glasgow.

Irish novelist Ferdia Lennon discusses the runaway success of his first novel, Glorious Exploits, which won the 2024 Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize and the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for comic fiction, and has been adapted for BBC Radio 4.

Ancient Sicily. Enter Gelon: visionary, dreamer, theatre lover. Enter Lampo: lovesick, jobless, in need of a distraction. Imprisoned in the quarries of Syracuse, thousands of defeated Athenians hang on by the thinnest of threads. They’re fading in the baking heat, but not everything is lost: they can still recite lines from Greek tragedy when tempted by Lampo and Gelon with goatskins of wine and scraps of food. And so an idea is born. Because, after all, you can hate the invaders but still love their poetry. It’s audacious. It might even be dangerous. But like all the best things in life – love, friendship, art itself – it will reveal the very worst, and the very best, of what humans are capable of. What could possibly go wrong?

A BBC Radio 3 lunchtime concert series marking the 150th anniversary of Maurice Ravel’s birth. This second of three recitals recorded for broadcast explores the music of Ravel and others. The Mithras Trio – Ionel Manciu (violin), Leo Popplewell (cello) and Dominic Degavino (piano) – perform a programme including Ravel, Bonis and Tailleferre.

Programme:

Mélanie Bonis Soir et Matin, Op 76

Germaine Tailleferre Piano Trio

Maurice Ravel Piano Trio

Join broadcaster and author Kate Humble (Humble by Nature, Thinking on My Feet) and a guide from Inntravel (specialists in self-guided walking, cycling and rail holidays) on a walk exploring the border between England and Wales, which wraps itself tightly around Hay-on-Wye. Chat to Kate – who styles herself ‘happier outdoors than in’ – about her love of the countryside, and why going for a daily walk is as essential as that first cup of tea, to make her feel good for the rest of the day.

Clown around with the sensational Tweedy the Clown, who’ll bring the magic of the circus to life with his antics.

Tweedy’s new laugh-out-loud picture book adventure is Tweedy: The Clown Who Lost His Nose, illustrated by Daniel Duncan, in which Tweedy causes chaos as he tries to chase after his lost nose.

Join award-winning author and illustrator Owen Davey as he introduces us to his incredible new book Zoom Out, which is all about animals and their incredible ecosystems. Owen will be showcasing how to draw some of your favourite animals, alongside a conversation with the World Wildlife Fund about the importance of conservation.

In the book, Owen shows the role that each animal plays in its ecosystem, helping us understand that animals aren’t just valuable in their own right – they’re also part of a wider natural environment. Owen has worked with WWF, Lego and National Geographic, among others.

Please bring your own sketchbook and pencils to this event.

Learn the basics of juggling and object manipulation in this workshop with expert tutors from Deviate Creative. You can continue to practise these skills and improve on your own at home. Try out hula hooping, diablo and more, in true Big Top style.

Join us for an exclusive guided tour led by one of our passionate volunteer guides during Hay Festival 2025. Our knowledgeable guides will take you on a captivating journey through the castle, revealing tales of medieval knights, royal intrigue and the castle’s remarkable restoration. As you explore the castle you’ll gain unique insights into the lives of those who once called this place home. The tour also offers breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside, providing the perfect backdrop for your visit.

Guided tours run daily at 11am and 2pm. Tour price includes entry into the Castle for a year including the current exhibition: 20th Century Welsh Artists.

Enjoy a twenty-minute open air performance between events with Feast of Fools, an a cappella quartet from the South West of England singing traditional and contemporary folk songs.

Emma Jane Unsworth is a BAFTA-nominated screenwriter as well as a bestselling novelist. With episodes of Apples’ The Buccaneers and Stephen Merchant’s The Outlaws under her belt, she’s also got film and TV projects of her own on the boil. The author of Animals and Adults talks to comedian Sara Pascoe about her newest novel, a no-holds-barred, frank and heartfelt exploration of sisterhood, friendship and teenage obsession. In Slags, sisters Sarah and Juliette are going on a whisky-fuelled campervan road-trip across Scotland to celebrate Juliette’s birthday – and they’re going to dig up some demons from the past.

Dive into the hidden history of man-made remains found in the Welsh Uplands, in this event perfect for enthusiasts of history, archaeology and landscape.

Historian Richard Hayman acts as our guide to everything from Neolithic chambered tombs to the World Heritage landscapes of Blaenavon and the North Wales slate industry, illuminating the fascinating, under-appreciated and hidden history and archaeology of the Welsh mountains.

Hayman is an independent historian and archaeologist who writes about the cultural history of buildings and places in Britain. Between 2000 and 2014 he contributed to the Uplands Archaeology Initiative, organised by RCAHM Wales, during which time he explored and recorded unknown archaeological sites in every upland region of Wales.

Earlier this year, American journalist McKay Coppins shared a rare and wide-ranging interview with James Murdoch, Rupert Murdoch’s second-oldest son, who is often portrayed as a bitter rival to his older brother, Lachlan. Coppins speaks to Guto Harri, former Communications Director for Rupert Murdoch’s News International, about what he learned.

James Murdoch was seated at a conference table in a Manhattan law office in March 2024 when he realised he was witnessing the final dissolution of his family. Three months earlier, his father, Rupert, had told James and his sisters that he was rewriting the family trust to grant his elder son, Lachlan, full control of the Murdoch empire after his death, rather than splitting it equally among his four oldest children. The amendment was part of a secret plan that the patriarch’s allies had code-named ‘Project Family Harmony.’

Two acclaimed Welsh authors discuss their work with the National Poet of Wales. Claire’s Welsh Giants, Ghosts & Goblins was Waterstones Welsh Book of the Year 2024. She mixes stories from all parts of Wales, reimagined through her own, idiosyncratic lens, with the character of Idris the Giant weaving them together.

Manon’s The Blue Book of Nebo explores the aftermath of a worldwide catastrophe through the eyes of a small nuclear family in a remote village in near-future Wales. Manon has won Wales Book of the Year as well as being four-times winner of the Tir na N’Og Welsh children’s literature award.

Jenny Valentine has been thinking about lists. Long lists, short lists, shopping lists, wish lists, missing lists, to-do lists. Everybody writes them, one way or another. Our lists say more about us than we realise. And they can be very helpful when you are writing a story!

Come and make some lists with Jenny about everyday things or life and death things. Jenny will introduce you to her latest YA novel, Us in the Before and After, a tear-jerking, heartbreakingly beautiful read about the fallout of a sudden death and the lifelong consequences of a single tragic act.

Learn the basics of juggling and object manipulation in this workshop with expert tutors from Deviate Creative. You can continue to practise these skills and improve on your own at home. Try out hula hooping, diablo and more, in true Big Top style.

An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative in these interactive sessions delivered by artists and discover that your imagination is the only 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.

Enjoy a twenty-minute open air performance between events with Feast of Fools, an a cappella quartet from the South West of England singing traditional and contemporary folk songs.

The hilarious Adam Buxton, of comedy duo Adam and Joe, shares his follow-up to Ramble Book with broadcaster Samira Ahmed. I Love You, Byeee is a second volume of wonderfully idiosyncratic memoirs that veer off on unexpected tangents and cover topics from David Bowie to parenthood.

Joe Cornish, David Bowie, Louis Theroux, The Adam & Joe Show, Stephen!, Rosie – the great and the good of the wonderful world of Dr Buckles all make an appearance as Adam explores the joys of comedy. He also navigates adulthood, losing loved ones and working out how to be a parent. Full of funny anecdotes, cut through with Adam’s rambling asides – buckle up for a delightful event about growing up, growing old and figuring it all out.

Psychologist Dr Julie Smith (Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?) offers comfort and perspective on a multitude of sticky situations. When being human gets complicated; when you feel overwhelmed; when there’s pressure to perform; you’re grieving; making big decisions; when you get it wrong as a parent; when you want to win the argument; when you’re overthinking everything; when you want to fit in; and many more.

She gives her trademark simple and straightforward advice to help us see clearly how best to respond and act, returning us to a place of calm, strength and positivity.

The author, online educator and clinical psychologist has a combined following of almost nine million, gained from her drive to create accessible, good quality mental health resources.

Dale Vince, nicknamed ‘Labour’s Green Knight’, is a green industrialist dedicated to championing environmental sustainability. Since founding the world’s first green energy company, Ecotricity, he has been on a mission to change the face of the industry by leading the move away from fossil fuels towards renewables.

Using business as a tool for environmentalism, Vince is helping to lead the eco revolution. He runs Forest Green Rovers FC, dubbed the world’s greenest football team by FIFA; creates diamonds out of atmospheric carbon; builds windmills for export around the world; has launched a range of vegan burgers; and last year launched the world’s first electric airline. He also made the world’s first electric supercar and built the UK’s first national network of EV charging stations.

He has been awarded an OBE for services to the environment and was appointed UN Ambassador for Climate Change in 2019. His book Manifesto shares the tools for changing the world.

In conversation with broadcaster, journalist and TV presenter, Bidisha.

Michael Pedersen is Writer in Residence at the University of Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Makar (Poet Laureate). His The Cat Prince & Other Poems won the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards Best Poetry and his first novel Boy Friends was a Sunday Times Critics Choice. He discusses his new novel Muckle Flugga with Hay Festival President Stephen Fry.

It’s no ordinary existence on the rugged isle of Muckle Flugga. The elements run riot and the very rocks that shape the place begin to shift under their influence. The only human inhabitants are the lighthouse keeper and his otherworldly son – just them, and the occasional lodger. When a new lodger arrives from Edinburgh, old and new ways collide...

A dazzling and bittersweet romantic drama from acclaimed filmmaker Mia Hansen-Løve (Eden, Things to Come), Bergman Island tells the story of two couples spending their summer on the breathtaking island of Fårö, where revered filmmaker Ingmar Bergman lived and worked for over forty years.

Chris (Vicky Krieps) and Tony (Tim Roth) are both filmmakers, hoping to find inspiration for their next films as they retreat to the island to work on their screenplays. Meanwhile Amy (Mia Wasikowska) and Joseph (Anders Danielsen Lie), who were once lovers, are staying on Fårö to celebrate the wedding of their friend. As the summer passes by, the lines between reality and fiction become increasingly blurred as reminders of Bergman’s legacy playfully influence both stories.

Set against the stunning landscape of the Swedish island, Hansen-Løve’s latest feature is laced with characteristically semi-autobiographical elements, and is both a mischievous and elegant contemplation of love, memory and the journey of the creative process.

“A masterful dissection of love, memory and autobiography” – Little White Lies

Across two series of the BBC Radio 4 podcast The Coming Storm, presenter Gabriel Gatehouse has journeyed deep into the tangled undergrowth of American conspiracy culture – exploring the roots of the storming of the Capitol – and the world as it looks from the MAGA perspective.

In this event, presenter Gabriel Gatehouse, producer Lucy Proctor, and other shadowy editorial figures behind the podcast discuss how many of the themes that the team have been investigating over the past years have now come to fruition, and reveal the forces at work behind the decisions that have defined Trump’s second presidency so far. From Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to Ukraine, from health and education to the intelligence services, a cast of characters we’ve been following for years are finally getting their way.

Clara Kumagai burst on the YA scene last year with the popular Catfish Rolling, a 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal nominee. Now she’s back, with restless ghosts to be appeased in her new novel, inspired by Puccini’s Madame Butterfly. When Japanese-American teenager Adam discovers a diary in his attic, he is enthralled by its account of a young Japanese woman’s life. A hundred years separate them yet she, like Adam, is caught between cultures, relationships and heartbreak. She also writes of the ghosts that have begun to seek her out, which Adam dismisses as fantasy – until he too, begins to be haunted. It leads him to Nagasaki, trying to solve the mystery of the diary, and his own identity. And the ghosts gather…

Please bring your own notebook and pen to this event.

Learn the basics of juggling and object manipulation in this workshop with expert tutors from Deviate Creative. You can continue to practise these skills and improve on your own at home. Try out hula hooping, diablo and more, in true Big Top style.

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.

Dairy-free and gluten-free options available.

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.

Dairy-free and gluten-free options available.

Join comedian Julian Clary and broadcaster Susie Dent (Countdown) for a lively discussion about writing their new crime novels, and how they call on their careers and experiences for inspiration.

Clary’s Curtain Call to Murder follows dresser Jayne as she tries to solve a murder that takes place on stage at the London Palladium. She’s hindered by the cast, including an ageing lothario, a national treasure and an amateur psychic. In Dent’s Guilty by Definition an anonymous letter arrives at the offices of the Clarendon English Dictionary containing a challenge for the team of lexicographers. But the letter hints at secrets and lies…

They talk to writer and Guardian literary critic Chris Power.