Events for Children and Young People

In this laugh-out-loud session with energetic live illustration, author Anders Sparring and illustrator Per Gustavsson join us – all the way from Sweden – to show you how to craft a hilariously gripping heist story.

Their popular book series The Pinchers features a proud family of villains, going back three generations. Son Theo loves his family, but he just doesn’t fit in; he can’t lie or cheat to save his life! Anders and Per bring to life their tale about one very law-abiding child born to a family of robbers, combining adventure, silliness and the familiar day-to-day of family life with hilarious results.

What would your World Record be, and how would you go about setting it? Find out all about the challenge of record-breaking, and discover what incredible looks like in 2026, in this fascinating deep dive into the Guinness Book of Records.

Join Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday as he brings the book to life, with the help of special guests – some actual record holders! Expect an action-packed, involving hour full of jaw-dropping records, remarkable feats and fun facts for the whole family, as you learn how record breaking has changed over the years. There’ll also be an exciting opportunity to take part, and set a Guinness World Records title! Please bring a book, which we’ll use to set a new record and then donate to Oxfam afterwards.

Can you solve the mystery? Join our storyteller in a gentle Mr Men Little Miss quest. An interactive event complete with live music, sensory participation, action and movement – and classic characters from the much-loved Mr Men and Little Miss universe. All mini-sleuths are cordially invited to get involved in this mystery – there’ll be solving, singing and storytelling. Can you solve the puzzle?

Wonderland has come to a standstill! When Tick the clock is knocked over, time freezes, leaving everything paused. Now, the two culprits must set off on a magical quest to find the key that will wind Tick up again. Along the way, familiar faces and new friends join the adventure, bringing fun rhymes, lively music and enchanting physical theatre.

Performed by degree students from the School of Performance at Hereford College of Arts, this playful, family-friendly show invites everyone to sing, laugh and move along. Can you help restore the rhythm of Wonderland so Tick can tock again?

Join the BBC’s Dr Punam Krishan for an action-packed family session all about ailments, treatments and medical methods. Using inspiring examples from her books You and Your Body and The Superhero’s First Aid Manual, Dr Punam will explore what it’s like to be a real-life doctor. She’ll share life-saving tips, stay-calm tricks, and you’ll be able to test your skills in a medical quiz!

Jack Thorne is a ​groundbreaking playwright and BAFTA-winning screenwriter. His work is widely acclaimed and includes stage plays Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and The Motive and the Cue, television series Adolescence, His Dark Materials and This is England ’86/’88/’90, and films The Swimmers, The Aeronauts and Wonder. Jack will draw on his extensive experience to offer invaluable insights and advice on writing for stage and screen. He talks to BBC broadcaster Kirsty Lang.

This event is one of a Hay Festival series of sessions delivered by inspiring producers and practitioners from the creative industries, giving their insights, experience and advice on progression in their field.

Do you want to try writing your own detective story? Have you got some ideas but no idea where to start? A good mystery is filled with questions… At this writing workshop with author Jenny Valentine, you can start developing your own thriller. An experienced writing tutor and mentor, she can help you form your plot and develop your characters. Embrace the unexpected and learn how a story leaves its own clues along the way. This is a creative session, with a chance to share your secrets at the end.

Jenny Valentine is an award-winning writer whose novels include Finding Violet Park, the Carnegie-shortlisted Fire Colour One, and Us in the Before and After.

Please bring your own notebook and pen to this event.

Sort your clues from your red herrings! Holly Jackson discusses her breakout YA mystery novel, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, adapted into an acclaimed six-part television series for BBC/Netflix, with writer and podcaster Andrew Hunter Murray.

A compelling murder mystery, the novel features a likeable teenage sleuth out to crack a cold case as part of her homework assignment. The twists, shocks and red herrings are many, but never allowed to overshadow the core relationships. Holly will discuss adapting the story into six episodes – the series won praise for its fast pacing and for honouring the source material – and how the characters of Pip and Ravi were brought to life by stars Emma Myers and Zain Iqbal. A second series, focusing on the next book Good Girl, Bad Blood, is scheduled for late 2025, co-written by Holly herself.

The name’s Mayhem… The author of My Brother is a Superhero unsheaths his new hilarious, action-packed adventure in this fast-paced event. Fans of spy thrills and spills will love Spyglass, and David will introduce us to Adam and his friends, who, when they accidentally reveal the secret location of an ex-spy, trigger a supervillain to turn up on their doorstep.

Contending with a dastardly plot, an evil doctor and a full complement of henchmen, it’s going to take Adam buckets of bravery, a truckload of gadgets and a lot of luck to defeat the bad guys and stop them from taking over the world.

David’s debut bestseller My Brother is a Superhero won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the British Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year.

Ride a rollercoaster of twists and turns, encountering secrets, lies, murder and money, in this discussion about The Heirs, an utterly addictive murder mystery.

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is author of the award-winning YA novel Ace of Spades, an unputdownable high-octane thriller which takes a powerful look at institutionalised racism. Ace of Spades won the Books Are My Bag Reader’s Award for Young Adult Fiction, was a Carnegie Medal nominee, and a shortlisted British Book of the Year.

Faridah will talk to Louie Stowell, author of the Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good series, about her journey as a writer, and the themes and characters within her novels, including the Button heirs, the five genius children of infamous (and now murdered) billionaire Leontes Button, adopted and trained under the ‘Button Method’ so that they’ve had no choice but to be brilliant.

Come armed with pencils and paper as cartoonist Neill Cameron leads the spectacular Phoenix Comic Book Draw-Off. Expect hilarity and lots of fun in this interactive show that’s perfect for the whole family. Cameron, the creator of the bestselling Donut Squad series, will be joined on stage by Thiago de Moraes and Laura Ellen Anderson from the world of The Phoenix comic for a show-down worthy of any comic book battle.

And if you’re inspired to create your own comic book, visit the on-site Phoenix Comic Books take-over with appearances from Bunny Vs Monkey and Donut Squad, as well as Phoenix Comic Club drop-in sessions so you can learn how to draw your own characters across the Phoenix Comic Books.

Join award-winning picture book author/illustrator Sophy Henn for a double storytime following the exploits of a ghostly pair of friends. Sophy will read I Hate Everything!, her irresistible tale about finding the positives when your day seems completely rubbish, as well as the new sequel I Want Everything! This celebration of the things in life that really matter is guaranteed to turn your frown upside down. Then Sophy will help you to draw some ghosts, and make your very own pet one to take home!

Sophy is creator of the much-loved Bad Nana fiction series, the Pom Pom series and the Ted board book series. She was World Book Day Illustrator in 2015 and 2016.

Watch out for chaos as Louie Stowell reveals the hilarious new doodle-packed installment in her best-selling series about a diminutive Norse god. Loki, the mighty trickster god, has been banished by Odin for bad behaviour to live on Earth as an eleven-year-old boy. Things he cannot do on Earth: reveal his awesome godly powers. Things he must do on Earth if he wants to get back home: go to school, do good deeds, write a diary. He’ll also have to sort out the chaos that erupts after the goddess Freyja arrives in town – or face terrible consequences… Louie will share the inspiration behind Loki’s escapades and demonstrate some doodles!

Calling all keen detectives in the making! We have a murder mystery to solve – and we’re going to have a lot of fun while we do it. Alasdair Beckett-King, creator of the world’s finest detective Montgomery Bonbon, is asking for your help to crack the case in his new book. In Scandal on the Stage, a playwright collapses on stage, whispering “Murder!” – but the cast all have rock-solid alibis…

Alasdair – a stand-up comedian seen on Mock the Week and Comedy Central Live, as well as the author of the Bonbon series – will show you how to walk, talk and detect like a sleuth. One with a great sense of humour.

Dennis the Menace has a special birthday wish – he wants to break the rules of reading! Beano’s Directors of Mischief and Mayhem, Craig Graham and Mike Stirling, help him in this jokey session, revealing their top-secret tips for creating the laugh-out-loud stories and comic strips in Beano, where Dennis has starred since 1951. They’ll also reveal insider info on how they’ve reinvented reading with their smash-hit latest Beano Boomic The Day We Got Lost in Time.

Join their Mischief Squad, as you help co-create the funniest Dennis the Menace comic strip of all time. This is the cheekiest, funniest, most creative show ever!

Wren James introduces their debut graphic novel, a funny and uplifting take on the ‘chosen one’ trope. In The Victors, Wren explores what happens after the chosen one has saved the world. In this interactive session they’ll discuss the process of creating an illustrated novel in collaboration with the artist, and give a crash course in visual storytelling, from comic book scripts to their work in a TV writer’s room on Netflix’s Heartstopper.

Wren is the award-winning author of many YA novels, including The Loneliest Girl in the Universe (previously published as Lauren James).

Join romance author Beth Reekles, creator of YA hit sensation The Kissing Booth, as she takes us through a fan-tastic journey into the world of fandoms, nerd culture and what it means to find a community where you belong – and, of course, that all important, fascinating insight into becoming a published author!

In Beth’s new novel For Real This Time, misfit and hardcore fangirl Anissa is finally coming out of her shell. She’s officially part of the group chat with the girls from college, and she’s even managed to bag work experience on the set of her favourite TV show. Things couldn’t be going better – until she meets the hot new actor behind her favourite character, and gets totally starstruck. Anissa’s about to realise that sometimes getting lost in the fantasy isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be…

Spend a morning visiting Whiskery Paw, where kittens abound in the brand new series from award-winning creator Laura Ellen Anderson. Meet the extraordinary cast of new characters in Star Kitties, including Tabitha Flair and her feline friends. Laura will show you how she creates magical new worlds, and invite you to help her design an exciting new Star Kitty. Then get your pencils at the ready and learn how to draw one of Tabitha’s adorable friends for yourself!

Join expert art historian and best-selling author Katy Hessel for an interactive journey through history and landscape, to celebrate her new Guide to Amazing Women Artists. Hessel has adapted her global sensation The Story of Art Without Men to bring the untold stories of art to a young audience, shedding light on the lives of women artists who have gone uncelebrated for too long.

From the Renaissance to the Second World War, and from Cornwall to Manhattan, Nigeria, Japan, step into the extraordinary lives of these women artists and marvel at the art they made, with its striking styles, hidden messages and calls for women’s rights. Discover how they changed the world with their art, and explore how to bring art into your every day.

 Enjoy undersea antics with Aoife Dooley as she presents her hilarious, zany and action-packed graphic novel Squid Squad. Spongebob Squarepants meets Bunny Versus Monkey in this cartoon chronicle of ocean mayhem. Join naughty best friends Ollie the vampire squid and Zing the toxin-squirting sea bunny as they cause chaos in the deep sea with the rest of their wacky crew, from the stinky Blob to the crafty Hypno-snail and the mysterious Snakey Unicorn Thing…

Aoife Dooley is an award-winning Irish illustrator and graphic designer who shares how an autism diagnosis helped her to truly understand herself. Squid Squad is a celebration of imagination, friendship and being completely unique.

Join award-winning author-illustrator Ed Vere for a story-time session celebrating Waffles and Julius: No Hugs Please – a new, brilliantly funny picture book about friendship and respecting each other’s differences.

Waffles loves hugs and would very much like to hug his friend Julius. Julius, however, doesn’t want a hug right now. Can Waffles wait? Ed will bring his crayons to show you how to draw Waffles and Julius… Sketch along with Ed and see how easy it is to draw this loveable duo!

The blockbuster Skandar series concluded last year with fifth book Skandar and the Spirit War, and is set to hit the big screen with Sony Pictures. This is an unmissable opportunity to hear about it all straight from the unicorn’s mouth, as author AF Steadman shares the inspirations behind her unlikely heroes, elemental magic, sky battles, ancient secrets and ferocious single-horned beasts.

Come prepared to create your own bloodthirsty unicorn, take part in the Chaos Cup and discover elemental magic!

Jay Hunt, Creative Director for Apple TV+ in Europe and chair of both the BFI and Hay Festival, will draw on her extensive experience to offer invaluable insights and advice for a career in TV production.

Before joining Apple, Hunt was Chief Creative Officer of Channel 4. She has also served as Controller of BBC One and Director of Programmes at Channel 5. In 2023, she was named one of the Top Twenty Most Powerful Women in Global Entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter.

Calling all pet fans! Join Pia’s Pet Club with Serena Patel, author of the award-winning Anisha, Accidental Detective. Serena will introduce you to Pia, a girl who loves pets, but isn’t allowed one of her own (maybe like you)! But Pia doesn’t give up easily and forms Pet Club with her friend Hari.

Serena will tell you about her own pets, kittens Arlo and Bean and a brand-new puppy. She’ll test your pet-based knowledge with a PAWesome quiz (do you know what percentage of the time cats spend sleeping?) and help you create your own pet story character.

The latest in the Pia’s Pet Club series is Pia’s Pet Club: Secret Kitten, and there’s an official World Book Day book coming up in 2026 – Pia’s Pet Club: Iguana Escape.

Award-winning author and illustrator David Litchfield is bringing his Bear Band to Hay Festival on a 10th anniversary concert tour! David will read his book The Bear and the Piano, (winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2016) accompanied by live music, with David on guitar, Rebecca De Winter on piano and lots of audience participation.

After this very special story time, stick around to help David create a piece of animal-related artwork. You can even join David’s Merry Band of Bears as they perform a live music concert. There’ll be plenty of fun for both Little Bears and Big Bears.