box office (uk): 01497 822 629

Hay Festival Maldives Celebration Launch

Savour the melodic tones of singer songwriter Appi in an intimate acoustic set with Fa’thu. The Dinba Family, a fresh collective of talent, showcase their reggae rhythms bristling with energy. FASYLIVE goes back to his roots with his unique blend of contemporary rock and traditional ‘Bodu Beru’ drumming from the acclaimed album FASYLIVE Silver. Finish the night with a sparkling retrospective from The Olympians, bringing us the best of their acclaimed hindi-inspired pop career spanning three decades, to include the classic hits ‘Dhauruvaa Mihandhaanthah’ and ‘Reyrey Mihen Khiaalu Kollan Aadhevey’.

A Blueprint for a Safer Planet

Screening

Nicholas Stern, author of The Stern Review: Report on the Economics of Climate Change, talks to Rosie Boycott about Haiti, Darfur, Bangladesh and How We Can Save the World and Create Prosperity. Recorded live at Hay Festival Wales in May 2010, as part of the British Council Lecture series. 

Supported by The British Council

Ogaru Waheed Kalaavehi

Voices & Visions

Join this international award-winning writer and musician for a discussion on the definitions of creative writing and poetry, and the role of free thought in the discovery of new ideas. Followed by a dynamic audience question time; open-minds encouraged and welcomed.

Abdulla Sodiq and Habeeba Hussain Habeeb

Folklore

What is folklore? Are folk tales just stories or are they more than that? What do Dhon Mohonu and Dhonhiyala have in common? What do they say about Maldivian history and the Maldivian people? Join this prolific writer and the former director of the National Library of the Maldives for a lively discussion chaired by radio host Badru Naseer.

Fathimath Nahula and Mohamed Niyaz Tedry

Stories on Screen

Two leading lights in the Maldivian film world, Nahula, director of Yousuf, and Tedry, director of Dheriyaa, come together to discuss the evolution of the Maldivian film industry, what the future holds and the value of film in culture. Chaired by Mohamed Hilmy Didi.

Tim Smit and Mohamed Aslam

Saving Paradise

The founder of the Eden Project in Cornwall, UK, and the Maldivian Minister for Environment discuss the pioneering plan for the sustainable development of Maldivian society and the way towards a carbon neutral economy. Chaired by Guardian Environment correspondent Alok Jha.

Supported by Velassaru

Untold Stories

Screening

Ahmed Shafeegu of Shafeeguge is regarded as one of the foremost living writers and historians in the country. He was imprisoned for his writings in 1995, resulting in Amnesty International declaring him a 'prisoner of conscience'. Despite this and the confiscation of all his notebooks and diaries, he has remained true to his word. His meticulous research is complemented by his prolific output, including twenty-two books to date. In an interview recorded earlier this month, Shafeeq reveals his experiences as a diarist and chronicler of Maldivian life. 

Supported by MNBC

Shobhaa Dé

Grace and Guidance

This internationally best-selling author and popular social commentator brings her trademark wit and insight to the stage. As well as writing for the popular soap-opera, Swabhimaan, she has also authored numerous books including Spouse: The Truth about Marriage, Bollywood Nights and her latest, Shobhaa at Sixty. Voted by Reader’s Digest as one of ‘India’s Most Trusted People’ she reveals her thoughts on life at sixty. Chaired by writer and journalist Anita Sethi.

Supported by Huvafen Fushi

Harubee

Bodu Beru

Relax and let the night draw in as you enjoy expressive dancing and infectious drum beats from the winner of the MNBC ONE Bodu Beru Challenge 2010.

Open Mic Hour

Come and join in a brand new venture to share your work with an audience. All readings are (rigorously) five minutes long. If you have a ticket and you’d like to read, please email maldives@hayfestival.com with ‘Open Mic’ in the subject line. Slots will be allocated on a first come first served basis and readings can be prose or poetry.

The Reef

Stories From Across Generations

Join us to witness cultural preservation in motion, as younger generations gather and record the legends and life stories of their elders from over the last hundred years. This event marks the beginning of a year-long collection project, with plans to reach across every atoll and create a unique digital library of the everyday and the elsewhere, the past and the present, the new and the old.

Supported by Volunteer Maldives & Soneva Gili

Dhivehi Raivaru

Step into worlds gone by as three oral storytellers take us on a journey using traditional Maldivian poetry.

Mohamed Waheed Madulu

Contemporary Maldivian Literature

Can social responsibility be encouraged through writing alone? Join this Golden Pen winner as he looks at the current trends in Maldivian literature and journalism, and at how writing can make a positive impact in society.

Monty Don

Food for Thought

‘I believe that nature can heal our social problems as well as our physical and mental ones. I am certain that a society without respect for the natural world, the food it produces or the detail and ritual of the landscape is horribly impoverished. In my experience, when it comes to grounding, the earth is as a good a place as any to start.’ The renowned horticulture expert, BBC television presenter and author of Fork to Fork. shares his refreshing ethos. Chaired by Guardian Environment correspondent Alok Jha.

Supported by Soneva Gili

End of the Line

Screening

Can you imagine a world without fish? This compelling documentary looks at the devastating effect of over-fishing and the campaign for a sustainable marine environment. ‘The End of the Line should do for our oceans what An Inconvenient Truth did for climate change – that is, stamp the issue into the public consciousness and shame governments around the world into at least talking about doing something.’ The London Times. 

Peter Godwin

Personal Histories

The award-winning foreign correspondent, author and documentary-maker talks about his career and his books: Mukiwa: A White Boy in Africa, for which he received the George Orwell Prize and the Esquire-Apple-Waterstones Award; and his latest book When a Crocodile Eats the Sun – history, autobiography and travelogue.

Supported by Bandos

Ahmed ‘Xray’ Athif and guests

Shooting Stars: A Retrospective

The former bass guitarist of Shooting Stars, the first Maldivian pop group, looks back on the band’s journey to stardom and the epic life of its founder Naibugey Shiham, still regarded as one of the finest guitarists in the country.

Maldivian Climate Champions

The British Council’s International Climate Champions (ICC) project aims to give young people between 18 and 23 years a voice on environmental issues, to improve understanding and to inspire positive action to mitigate the effects of climate change. This launch event will showcase the local champions and shape their role over the coming year. Come and discover how you can help with their local projects.

Supported by The British Council

Jung Chang

Tracing the Past, Looking to the Future

The internationally acclaimed author of Mao: The Untold Story and Wild Swans, a moving and evocative story documenting three generations of her family, joins us to discuss her work, China in the twentieth century and the creation of one of the world’s new superpowers. Chaired by The Telegraph's Head of Books, Gaby Wood.

Supported by Kurumba

Mark Lynas and Simad Saeed

The Plan

The President’s special advisor on Climate Change joins the Maldivian environmental expert to discuss the Ten Year Carbon Neutral Plan, including the major challenges ahead, progress so far and how everyone can help achieve this pioneering goal. Chaired by Guardian Environment correspondent Alok Jha.