One of my favourite things about Hay is that it provides a space for ideas and experiences to collide and for new conversations to open up. The event on Women in public life in Wales managed to do just that, and created an open, inclusive space in which women's experiences could be shared and heard on their own terms. These spaces are not always easy to come by.
I was taken by the number of young people in the audience listening attentively to the conversation unfolding. An audience member on twitter celebrated taking her younger brother to his "first feminist panel", "his highlight of the day". One young lady, Mari, asked a question, via her mum: "What can I do to make my voice heard?" I was struck by the power of that one question - eager to be answered but not dared to be spoken directly. We clearly have much further to go until our young people, especially young women, have full access to and feel able to play a full part in the conversation.
"Keep asking questions, share your opinion and expect to be heard" were the takeaways from the panel, but is that individual action really sufficient in itself? As well as individual voices, we need collective, inclusive spaces where all voices can be heard and new ears can be exposed to the debate. As ever, Hay has given me much to think about, and much to do, beyond the day.