The Horror Panel

Chris Priestley and Jon Mayhew join newcomer Emerald Fennell to discuss why ghost stories and horror are so appealing. Chills, thrills, no frills. Bring your most horrifying questions.

Duration 60 mins.

11+ years

Sophie McKenzie Talks Thrillers

The author of the bestselling Missing trilogy and winner of the Red House Children’s Book Award for Hit Squad shares her top tips on thriller writing and tells us what’s coming next.

Duration 45 mins.

11+ years

Charlie Gilderdale

Thinking Mathematically

Exploring, questioning, working systematically, visualising, conjecturing, explaining, generalising, justifying, proving…all are at the heart of mathematical thinking. Come and take part in some stimulating activities designed to develop your capacity to work as a mathematician. Parents and teachers welcome too! See also events HF7 and HF18.

9+ years

FREE BUT TICKETED

In association with Cambridge University

Andrew Hammond

Another Case For CRYPT

The elite teenage agents who use their extra-sensory perception and high-tech gadgets to investigate unsolvable crimes are back in Traitor’s Revenge.

Duration 45 mins.

10+ years

Tiffany Murray

Creative Reading 1: Of Mice And Men

The 2012 Hay Festival International Fellow and creative writing lecturer leads this workshop looking at John Steinbeck’s novel, often set for GCSE English.

 14+ years

Ali Sparkes

Unleashed

Action fans will enjoy this in-depth session about the pulse-pounding series starring teengers with special powers.

Duration 45 mins.

9+ years

Kitchen Academy Workshop 5

Join us in making Mini Spanish Omelettes, Welsh Sushi, Giant Chocolate Waffles, Sicilian Chicken and No Bake Cheesecakes. The menu will be rotated between sessions on a daily basis.

13–16 years

Tiffany Murray & Ruth Young

Creative Reading 2: Heroes

The 2012 Hay Festival International Fellow and creative writing lecturer is joined by Fairfield High School English teacher Ruth Young to lead this workshop looking at Robert Cormier’s novel, often set for GCSE English.

14+ years

Gemma Malley

Thriller Writing Workshop

Bestselling YA thriller writer Gemma Malley (The Killables) will share her creative writing expertise with you and encourage you to have a go yourselves. Paper and pens provided.

Duration 60 mins. Places limited.

13+ years

Kitchen Academy Workshop 10

Join us in making Mini Spanish Omelettes, Welsh Sushi, Giant Chocolate Waffles, Sicilian Chicken and No Bake Cheesecakes. The menu will be rotated between sessions on a daily basis.

13–16 years

Royal Shakespeare Company Workshop 1: As You Like It

Melanie Whitehead leads this participatory workshop for families and children, introducing themes and scenes from Shakespeare’s play, which pitches Rosalind and Orlando on the run into the forest of Arden. Maria Aberg’s new production with music by Laura Marling opens on 12 April.

Families and children 10+ years

Skulduggery Pleasant

Derek Landy flies in specially from Dublin to bring some awesome to Hay and share his Skulduggery genius. Sneak peek from Book 8 a definite maybe…

Duration 60 mins.

10+ years

Eleanor Updale & Geraldine McCaughrean

The Last Minute & The Last Performance

Updale writes about the last minute of life for hundreds of people, and McCaughrean about a seaside theatre’s very last performance. Find out what is so absorbing about the end of things.

Duration 60 mins.

11+ years

Creative Computer Recording

Sound like the stars. Learn how to use your computer to record and put down a track in this hands-on session.

12–18 years

Hands-on workshops from Cool Fossil Music Foundation

Synths, Sound And Software

Creating synth sounds and effects using synths, samples and software.

12–18 years

Hands-on workshops from Cool Fossil Music Foundation

Will Hill & Richard Kurti

Total Warfare

Two epic and violent stories. Two brutal wars. Two very different worlds. Will Hill and Richard Kurti will talk about the complex worlds they have created and why they don’t flinch from violence.

Battle Lines is the third instalment in Will Hill’s Dept 19 series – a fantastic mix of sci-fi, horror and sheer action adventure, set in a complex and deeply imagined world. Dept 19 exists to hunt and kill demons and vampires. In Battle Lines, the very existence of humanity is at stake. War is unavoidable.

Monkey Wars is a challenging and unflinching look at the politics of power from screenwriter Richard Kurti. As the Langur monkeys rise to power, there is a brutal masscacre of Rhesus monkeys which drives them out of their homes. One young Langur stands up against the corrupt regime, but when monkeys turn on each other, there can be no survivors.

Find out how these writers create such believable worlds and why they embrace extremes.

Duration 60 mins.

13+ years

Guitar Effects 1

How to get the sounds you want. Creating the right effects for musical styles.

12–18 years

Hands-on workshops from Cool Fossil Music Foundation

Kitchen Academy Workshop 15

Join us in making Mini Spanish Omelettes, Welsh Sushi, Giant Chocolate Waffles, Sicilian Chicken and No Bake Cheesecakes. The menu will be rotated between sessions on a daily basis.

13–16 years

Royal Shakespeare Company Workshop 2: Romeo And Juliet

Melanie Whitehead leads this participatory workshop exploring key scenes and characters in Shakespeare’s great tragedy. Ideal for GCSE students.

14+ years

CJ Skuse & Matt Whyman

Zombies AND Cannibals

Two blackly comic writers talk about a zombie romcom, Dead Romantic, and a family where it’s really weird if you are not a cannibal, The Savages. Fans of Charlie Brooker and Warm Bodies, this is one for you.

Supposing you’re fed up of romantic rejection and you happen to have a chemistry genius friend? Would you think about making your own dead boyfriend? In Dead Romantic, two friends decide to have a go. Cue the best ZomRomCom around. CJ Skuse has a black and biting streak of comedy in all her fiction – Pretty Bad Things was great and Rockoholic was even better. Dead Romantic is her best yet.

Also on stage is Matt Whyman, author of the highly acclaimed Boy Kills Man, among other books. Matt is an agony uncle for Bliss and Radio 1, and he has written a darkly comic novel called The Savages. If your family were cannibals, would you really bring home a vegetarian boyfriend? Even one as handsome and charming as Jack? Probably not. Is this the first Cannibal RomCom?

CJ and Matt are bound to have a lot in common. If you like your comedy black, you’ll enjoy this one.

Duration 45 mins.

12+ years