The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), a trade organization that promotes American hardwood, takes part in Hay Festival Segovia 2012 with the following initiatives:

THE AQUEDUCT
On the morning of the 25 of September at the Plaza de Santa Columba, next to the aqueduct, students of the School of Architecture of IE University of Segovia will create a three metre replica of a section of the famous Roman monument out of American tulipwood.

THE SPONGE
"The Sponge", exhibited in the Casa de los Picos, is a light structure constructed from American tulipwood with drilled modules, without making use of metallic element to fasten it together and that can be visited through an internal labyrinth.

THE WIND PARK
La Casa de los Picos exhibits the scale models, exquisitely crafted in leafy American wood, of the end of studies projects of the students of he School of Architecture in Segovia consisting of a wooden installation for a Wind Park.

According to Dave Venables, European Director of AHEC, "we have the responsibility to equip the designers and architects of the future with the necessary knowhow and confidence to design and build with wood".

DISMANTLING THE AQUEDUCT
Dismounting the replica of the Aqueduct will take place on the afternoon of Tuesday the 25 with the participation of all the citizens of Segovia who want to take part by creating a human chain from the plaza de Santa Columba to the Casa de los Picos where each "stone" of wood will be used to erect another new structure.

Venue and Date: Casa de los Picos, from 25 to 30 September.
Openin hours: Tuesday through Sunday, from 12:00 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 20:00.
Inauguration: replica of the aqueduct, Terraza de Santa Columba, 25th of September, 12.00 H
Inauguration: new structure, Casa de los Picos, 25th of September, 20.30 H
Sponsors: American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), Escuela de Arte y Superior de Diseño de Segovia, Asociación Española del Comercio e Industria de la Madera (AEIM), El Adelantado de Segovia and Televisión de Castilla y León, Architecture School at IE University

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Hay Festivals and the British Council have a global agreement with the main goal of promoting British authors and thinkers and to spread their work to a global audience. True to this commitment, in this edition, the British Council in Spain will focus its attention on historic fiction, an extraordinarily popular genre open to varied interpretations and styles in which fact and fiction meet. There will be a great diversity of styles and authors, among whom are Philippa Gregory, Andrew Miller, William Boyd and Suzanne Joinson.

Workshops by Jennie Gant and Ilze Barobs will reveal some of the most essential elements of the work of these authors.

Once again, we’ll enjoy the performance of the British Council School’s Big Band. Other British participants include: Revel Guest, Thomas Heatherwick, Antony Beevor, Lucy Kellaway, Tiffany Murray, John Kampfner, Giles Tremlett, Orlando Figes, Iain Begg y Adam Austerfield.

Workshops in English by Ilze Barobs and Jennie Gant

What do you imagine when you read a good story? The workshop analyses the images that come to mind in the stories by some of the British writers visiting this year.

Venue and date: Biblioteca Pública de Segovia, Tuesday 11 September
Time: 7.30pm to 8:30pm

Co-organised with the British Council.

Workshops in English by Ilze Barobs and Jennie Gant

British author William Boyd often writes about the interweaving of historical events and the life of an individual. This interaction is studied through the eyes of some of Boyd’s characters.

Venue and date: Librería de Fàbula, Tuesday 18 September
Time: 8:30pm to 9:30pm

Co-organised with the British Council.

Andrew Miller and Suzanne Joinson talk with Jon Gower

The renowned who has recently received the Costa Book of the Year award for his sixth novel Pure and the novel writer of A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar talk about historical fiction with Welsh journalist and writer Jon Gower.

Venue and dates: CAJA SEGOVIA, 30 September
Time: 12noon to 1pm
Event in English

Co-organised with the British Council.

More information at www.britishcouncil.es

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From its inception, the AXA Foundation has centred its unconditional support on projects with an important cultural and social significance. The Foundation considers it essential to emphasise its firmly-held ideals for the protection of the environment, supporting education as a basic right, and cultural progress and the promotion of research as essential pillars for the development of a committed and fair society.

The possibility of taking part in Hay Festival in Segovia for the third consecutive year Segovia is a new opportunity to continue developing its objective of reaching out to more places in the country and to more people who can learn and get involved in what will undoubtedly be first rate cultural projects.

The Foundation considers it just as important to stress the high value of this event as a meeting point for artists and intellectuals from all over the world, providing a unique setting to participate in different activities that are enriching for society as a whole.

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One of the principal objectives of the José Manuel Lara Foundation is to promote books and reading. To this end, it carries out various programmes and events, with highlights including talks between writers, literary workshops in libraries and visits and sponsorship from book fairs, especially the Seville Book Fair. In addition, to commemorate World Book Day on 23 April, it donates books to Andalusian town councils in towns with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants. The Foundation also promotes courses and seminars at Spanish universities to develop knowledge of the Spanish American publishing and literary worlds.

Another essential area of work for the Foundation is the publication of the magazine Mercurio, also aimed at promoting books and reading. With ten issues per year and a circulation of more than 40,000 copies, this free publication is a highly valued endeavour amongst readers, writers, publishers and critics. Mercurio is distributed to bookshops all over Spain, to public libraries and through subscription.

Readings and conversations

With this spirit in mind, the José Manuel Lara Foundation collaborates with Hay Festival Segovia 2012 by sponsoring various events. One of which will be the reading and discussion of Juan José Millás’s latest book Articuentos completos with the participation of the writer at the festival on the 6, 20 and 27.

Other conversations between creators thanks to the support of the Foundation will count with the participation of Jesús Ruiz Mantilla, Juan José Millás, Antonio San José, Philippa Gregory, Giles Tremlett, Javier Moro, Maria Dueñas, David Safier, Ramon Arugüena, Matilde Asensi, Monserrat Domínguez, Fernando Delgado, Elvira Lindo, Ian Gibson, Jesús Fonseca, and Antonio Muñoz Molina.

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