Hay Festival After hours
Experience Hay Festival live in a city near you. Hay Festival After hours events will tour the UK, widening access to the important conversations and performances that take place on our stages. This is a chance to experience the excitement of the Festival in one magical evening, a space where art forms collide and great minds meet.
Hay Festival After hours: Birmingham
Experience Hay Festival – "the Woodstock of the mind" – live in Birmingham
– The Old Rep Theatre, Station Street, Birmingham. B5 4DY
Hay Festival After hours returns to the Old Rep for an evening of books, music and spoken word exploring the stories that shape who we are.
Step inside a life through the stories that shaped it. Every reader has books that they carry with them and in My Life in Books, Birmingham born Natalie Haynes will reveal the titles that have left the deepest impression on her reading life – the formative finds, cultural touchstones, guilty pleasures, and rediscoveries! Expect wit, wisdom and plenty of recommendations as one of the UK's most acclaimed authors and broadcasters takes us on a personal journey through her literary life.
What can George Michael’s life tell us about modern Britain? Award-winning journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera explores the life, music and enduring legacy of one of Britain’s most beloved pop icons.
Drawing on personal reflection and cultural insight, Sanghera examines the themes that shaped George Michael’s story – fame, identity, sexuality, immigration and belonging – and reveals why his life and work continue to resonate. With humour, heart and fresh perspective, this conversation illuminates both the man behind the music and the Britain that shaped him. A must for fans, music lovers and anyone captivated by culture, identity and storytelling.
Slam-winning Birmingham poet and performer Vignesh Venkataramaiah aka Vig Poetry - brings his distinctive spoken word to the evening, blending rhythm, storytelling and lyrical wordplay to explore identity, belonging and life between cultures.
Join us for a night to remember.