Our monthly 'Meet the Haymaker' series shares stories of the change-makers at the heart of Hay Festival and the impact it has had on their lives. This month, get to know our Hay Festival Academy press officers – Owen Peak, Bella Henry and Tamia Moyo.
What does Hay Festival Global mean to you?
Tamia Moyo – Simply put, to me, Hay Global means a chance to learn and discover something new. The diversity of voices and the vast range of events mean there is always something to learn, something to change your mind about, or an opportunity to expand your knowledge.
Owen Peak – Hay Festival Global, to me, is about bringing voices, both well-known and lesser-known, together and giving them all the same platform. At Hay Festival, it is inspiring to hear others' enthusiasm for artists I have never heard of before and, through conversations, learning new things about how they feel inspired by them. At Hay, it's exciting be a part of the conversation and constantly see the world through, literally, hundreds of different perspectives.
Bella Henry - For me, Hay Festival has been a space of connection and inspiration. I feel so lucky to, at such an early stage in my career, have been able to seize this chance to learn from such an incredible array of people. Whether it’s been speaking to journalists in the Press Office, listening to the brilliant minds of some of my favourite authors, or simply discovering a community of people with similar aspirations to me, Hay Festival has been a transformative experience. I have no doubt that it will be somewhere I return to in years to come.
What’s your favourite Festival memory?
OP – My favourite memories will always be hanging out with the team in the Press Office. It's been so fun meeting like-minded people, both on the team and guests, such as the wonderful journalists. As someone early in their career in the industry, it's inspiring to hear about different people's journeys in journalism and PR and reassuring to see how my goals are achievable. A personal favourite moment would be unwinding with a glass on wine after a busy day in the office, having a laugh and listening to each other's funny stories.
TM – This one’s so hard because every day has been nothing short of amazing! I’ve made some new friends, had so many laughs, and gained new skills. It’s been an intense twelve days; I think it’s the most I’ve ever socialised in one go. But through the delirium and the intense focus, I’ve enjoyed the company around me the most. A quick mention of the green room being next to our office, it was pretty cool to see some famous faces rush by in a hurry, or to pretend to be busy in the green room just to catch a glimpse of someone (sorry!). I loved the days when the green room and press office were buzzing, and you could feel the excitement from everyone because a certain person was in. It was so much fun!
BH - Standing a few feet away from the gorgeous Emma Thompson was pretty surreal - but beyond the exciting celebrity encounters, I think my favourite festival memories will be some of the many funny moments in the Press Office, working alongside the other Academy members and Frankie and embracing the delirious humour that you get after working for 12 days straight…
Have you ever changed your mind on something having been to a Hay Festival event?
TM – For me, I would say that watching How to Build a Library didn’t necessarily change my mind (as I already completely agree with the film’s sentiment), but it did broaden my perspective on just how deep colonial ties run. Watching Wachuka and Koinange revitalise and decolonise the McMillan Memorial Library, while discovering photographs and books that reflected European dominance, was incredibly moving. It has further solidified my belief that knowledge truly is power.
OP – Yes, definitely! I did some creative writing at university and a few of the writer events, such as Mónica Ojeda and Brenda Navarro's, really inspired me to pick up the pen again. It's exhilarating being around so many artists and getting little glimpses into their creative processes. In contrast, the demystification of writers and what they do has reframed theway in which I view writing as a profession and given me the motivation to revisit some of my old projects.
BH - I think it’s easy to have preconceived ideas about what working in creative industries might look like, how it can be inaccessible or unreachable in some ways - and what has been most powerful about Hay Festival is seeing just so many cool people doing cool things! It has truly revitalised my ambition, both in a creative sense and a professional sense, to pursue the projects that I'm passionate about and feel optimistic about the future of these creative spaces.
Who was the best speaker or performer you saw on a Hay Festival stage?
TM – My first talk was Maria Alyokhina talking to Oliver Bullough about her memoir Political Girl, which explored Pussy Riot (what a phenomenal name). I went to this event on a whim, interested to explore a topic I wasn’t tapped into, and I was, for a lack of better words, locked in the whole time. Eric Breitenbach was on stage playing techno music while Alyokhina read these chilling excerpts of her experience as an activist resisting Putin’s regime, and I was so captivated by her bravery. I think it’s worth mention she was also vaping on stage the whole time , which weirdly, added to the ambiance. I instantly went to the book signing after, and the first thing I said was, “I don’t know what to say.” I definitely lost cool points here, but I really enjoyed the experience and also picked up a book that, in my day-to-day life, I might have never read.
OP – My favourite speaker I saw was Liliana Colanzi at St. Mary's Church. As a Spanish-speaker and fan of Colanzi's short stories, it was exciting to hear about her influences, such as Latin American horror writing and explorations of the environment and indigenous identity through a post-colonial lens. Also getting the opportunity to help create some social content in Spanish with Colanzi and the International Team was a highlight of the festival!
BH - Every event I’ve attended at Hay Festival has been insightful and thought provoking, but I think the one that had the most impact on me was the brilliant Kae Tempest. Hearing about his creative process and how his brain works was fascinating, and I was so struck by his natural eloquence. I’ve been a fan of his music for years now, so to be able to be in that room and feel the palpable impact of his voice and lyricism on the audience was incredible.
What advice do you have for a first-timer at the Festival?
TM – My advice for a first-timer is to go in with a completely open mind. Don’t attend events purely because of the names attached to them; instead, read the descriptions and see what genuinely interests you. You never know what you might end up enjoying.
OP – My biggest piece of advice would be to try something you wouldn't normally go for! Just around the corner could be your new literary obsession so it's worth going into a couple of events blind and seeing what you make of it. For instance, this year I went to Kae Tempest's event not knowing much about his work and was blown away by his captivating performance style.
BH - I think part of what makes Hay Festival so special is how friendly and approachable everyone is - I would encourage anyone attending to just try and talk to new people! There’s such a fizzy atmosphere, especially after the shared experience of attending a talk, that can make for really interesting and unexpected conversations.
Sum up Hay Festival Global in five words or less…
TM – un-be-lie-va-ble
OP – Wildly entertaining and thought-provoking
BH - Fabulously fun