Events for Children and Young People

Children’s writer Onjali Q Raúf celebrates a hidden army of young carers in this event, as she shares her Wales-set novel The Letter with the Golden Stamp.

The book introduces Audrey, who lives in Swansea and is keeping a big secret: she’s the sole carer for her increasingly sick mother, as well as for her two younger siblings. Oh, and she’s also a seasoned thief…

When a new neighbour threatens Audrey’s world, she must go on an adventure to save her family.

The Letter with the Golden Stamp delves into the fears and hopes of young carers everywhere, and looks at the invisible sources of kindness knocking on all our doors.

Raúf gives young attendees to this event an insight into the challenges faced by carers, explains her storytelling process, and provides an uplifting look at how we can all be there for each other.

Come to a fun, story-generating workshop with Somerset children’s author Emma Bettridge (The Ranch at the End of the World, Goodbye Hobbs, Red is Home) and her dog Nell.

During the workshop, we’ll go for a little walk down to the River Wye and then gather to write, draw and use dictaphones to record our stories and ideas. This will be a relaxed, interesting and inspiring workshop.

Please note that the workshop involves Nell the dog – a very friendly and lovely Labrador x Golden Retriever. Please don’t bring any animals of your own with you.

An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative in these interactive sessions delivered by artists and discover that your imagination is the only limit.

Book for the session and you can drop in at any point during the 1.5 hour duration. Accompanying adults: please stay in attendance at all times, but you do not require a ticket.

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven.

Dairy-free and gluten-free options available.

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven.

Dairy-free and gluten-free options available.

Join award-winning children’s novelist Kiran Millwood Hargrave (The Girl of Ink & Stars, Julia and the Shark) as she celebrates the next book in her unmissable Geomancer trilogy, which began with In the Shadow of the Wolf Queen.

Kiran takes us on a journey through her creativity, to discover the real woodlands and earth magic that lie at the heart of her stories. You’ll marvel at Celtic rainforests, talking root systems, ambitious arctic foxes and ancient Greenland sharks. And you’ll leave feeling inspired by the world around you and ready to create your own tales.

Please bring your own notebook and pen to this event.

Join international storyteller Jan Blake, djembe player Mohamed Gueye and musicians from the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for an interactive performance of Ananse and the Monkeys.

Ananse needs some money to buy food, so makes some hats to sell, but on his way to the market some monkeys steal them! Can Ananse outwit the monkeys to get his precious hats back?

It is with great sadness that this event is cancelled due to the recent death of Alex Wheatle.

We hope you enjoy reading Alex's latest book The Girl with the Red Boots along with his prolific back list, including the Crongton series which is now adapted for screen on BBC.

An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative in these interactive sessions delivered by artists and discover that your imagination is the only limit.

Book for the session and you can drop in at any point during the 1.5 hour duration. Accompanying adults: please stay in attendance at all times, but you do not require a ticket.

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven.

Dairy-free and gluten-free options available.

Come to a fun, story-generating workshop with Somerset children’s author Emma Bettridge (The Ranch at the End of the World, Goodbye Hobbs, Red is Home) and her dog Nell.

During the workshop, we’ll go for a little walk down to the River Wye and then gather to write, draw and use dictaphones to record our stories and ideas. This will be a relaxed, interesting and inspiring workshop.

Please note that the workshop involves Nell the dog – a very friendly and lovely Labrador x Golden Retriever. Please don’t bring any animals of your own with you.

Join international storyteller Jan Blake, djembe player Mohamed Gueye and musicians from the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for an interactive performance of Ananse and the Monkeys.

Ananse needs some money to buy food, so makes some hats to sell, but on his way to the market some monkeys steal them! Can Ananse outwit the monkeys to get his precious hats back?

An unmissable, wild family game show with acclaimed French comedian Marcel Lucont, in which kids get to be pests, politicians and pétomanes (Google it) in order to be crowned the most awful child. See what happens when international insouciance meets infantile exuberance. A huge hit at Edinburgh Fringe and many other festivals, the award-winning comic channels his acerbic humour and quickfire wit into a series of tasks for the younger generation, which is every bit as entertaining for adults as it is for children. Très funny!

Superstar author and illustrator Rob Biddulph is coming to share more #DrawWithRob activities with us at Hay Festival! In this fun-packed session, you can join in live with his draw-along. He’ll share tips using illustrations from his Peanut Jones trilogy, fizzing with magic, danger, friendship and art, and from Fantastic Food.

His latest Draw With Rob book, Fantastic Food takes a spin round everything we love to munch on. Cupcakes, pizza, fruit and ice cream?! Dive into the delicious world of food, with easy-to-follow drawing instructions that are perfect for all the family.

Please bring your own sketchbook and pencils to this event.

How do we write ourselves into the world at a time of domestic and global political upheaval? Do we own the pen we write with? Set in the context of award-winning poet and author Joelle Taylor’s literary career – from back street bars to Sydney Opera House – these questions will form the spine of a talk focusing on how marginalised writers and performers can create work and, ultimately, a career.

Join Joelle in one of this 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.

Please bring your own notebook and pen to this event.

Join author Hannah Gold on a thrilling Arctic adventure, as she introduces us to the sequel to The Last Bear (winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2022 and Blue Peter Book Award 2022). Pull on your rainbow snow boots and travel across icy glaciers, cross dangerous fjords, take a husky ride, be dazzled by the Northern Lights and best of all, come face to face with the most adorable tiny polar bear cub.

In this immersive event, perfect for animal lovers, you’ll encounter quizzes, jawdropping Arctic facts and breathtaking adventure guaranteed to leave you inspired! The only question is… are you ready to find Bear?

Hannah will also share an exclusive preview of her brand new book, The Lone Husky.

An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative in these interactive sessions delivered by artists and discover that your imagination is the only limit.

Book for the session and you can drop in at any point during the 1.5 hour duration. Accompanying adults: please stay in attendance at all times, but you do not require a ticket.

Come to a fun, story-generating workshop with Somerset children’s author Emma Bettridge (The Ranch at the End of the World, Goodbye Hobbs, Red is Home) and her dog Nell.

During the workshop, we’ll go for a little walk down to the River Wye and then gather to write, draw and use dictaphones to record our stories and ideas. This will be a relaxed, interesting and inspiring workshop.

Please note that the workshop involves Nell the dog – a very friendly and lovely Labrador x Golden Retriever. Please don’t bring any animals of your own with you.

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven.

Dairy-free and gluten-free options available.

When 14-year-old Ronny’s life is struck by tragedy, his mum decides it’s finally time they move out of London. In his new city, as a Black teenager in a mostly white school, Ronny feels like a complete outsider and struggles to balance keeping his head down with his ambition of becoming a rapper. But when a local poet comes into class, Ronny discovers a world he’s never considered before.

Ashley Hickson-Lovence loves British hip hop, and it shows in his first Young Adult verse-novel. Wild East has been inspired by Ashley’s time as a secondary school English teacher, his own move from London to Norwich, and tutoring a group of asylum seekers.

Please bring your own notebook and pen to this event.

Zines are great ways for you to share ideas and information about something you really care about, from music to books, to politics to poems. In this workshop you’ll use the traditional eight-fold technique, exploring ideas and creating your own zine using collage materials.

Lizzie Lomax is this year’s Hay Festival Illustrator in Residence. She creates through made and found textures, drawing and collage, to create playful, bright and accessible illustrations. She is also co-founder and co-editor of Seed Magazeen – a magazine for kids who care about the environment.

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven.

Dairy-free and gluten-free options available.

Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven.

Dairy-free and gluten-free options available.