BBC Events

Want to return home from Hay feeling younger? James Gallagher, presenter of Inside Health, and BBC health and science correspondent, delves into the science of ageing and how to age well. He’s joined by Professor Sarah Harper an Oxford gerontologist who will give insight on attitudes and perception, Professor Georgina Ellison from Kings College London who is a physiologist who can talk about age reversal, and Professor Norman Lazarus is longevity researcher and bike racer and who, at 88 years-old, has practical tips for ageing well.

Join BBC Radio Wales for the third year in a row, as our enthusiastic readers take a trip from Aberystwyth to the Hay Festival to review a book featured on this year’s line-up.

A great reason to come early, grab a coffee and get the chance to hear some incredible guests with memorable stories. Saturday Live at Hay will be presented by Huw Stephens and Kiri Pritchard McLean. They’ll be joined by Today programme presenter Mishal Hussain, designer Anita Mangan, actor, and comedian Stephen Mangan (brother of Anita) , and writer of the Emperor and Conqueror series Conn Iggulden.

We live in a world where artificial intelligence is making it difficult to figure out what’s real and what’s not. Professor Michael Sandel of Harvard University – Radio 4’s ‘Public Philosopher’ – talks about the challenge the virtual world poses and asks whether we should worry about it or embrace it.

In this special edition of BBC R4 podcast just One Thing, Michael Mosley speaks with Professor Tanya Byron, consultant clinical psychologist, broadcaster and author. Recorded live at Hay festival, we hear the top tips that Professor Byron swears by to improve and maintain good mental health and wellbeing. What are the best ways to improve our resilience to enable us to grow mentally stronger?

Now You’re Asking with Marian Keyes and Tara Flynn is the hit BBC Sounds and Radio 4 podcast where two Irish legends of page and screen solve the problems their listeners have emailed in. Or try to, anyway. For one day only (until they ask us again, next year) the podcast moves from Marian’s ‘good front room’ in Co Dublin and is live at Hay Festival.

From dilemmas about life, love and grief, to the perils of laundry or knowing what to say at a boring dinner, we’ll find out what Marian and Tara would recommend…which might not solve the problem exactly but will make us all feel a bit better.

Comedian Robin Ince and Historian Dr Lydia Zeldenrust join Greg Jenner for a special edition of You're Dead to Me, the BBC's hit history podcast. Infront of an audience at the Hay literary festival, they'll be looking at the history of printing and telling the story of the first book printed in English. It was a history of Troy printed by William Caxton (in case you were wondering) and this year marks its 550th anniversary. We'll also visit ancient China and Korea, meet Johannes Gutenberg, the creator of a movable type printing press, and we'll learn how printing shaped the culture in this country in the 16th century. As ever, there'll be lots of fun and fascinating facts from the show that doesn’t take history too seriously.

For the first time ever the BBC Radio 4’s You and Yours team is bringing Sliced Bread to the Hay Festival. Using science and consumer journalism to cut through the marketing spiel we’ll show you the truth behind the advertising claims. Greg Foot will arm the audience with the knowledge they need to make the right choices when it comes to spending their money.

Opening Lines is the weekly programme in which producer and writer John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the books and stories adapted for Radio 4's weekend dramas. In this special event for Hay, he explores the work of two of the most influential novelists of the twentieth century: George Orwell, whose Nineteen Eighty-Four was published 75 years ago and Franz Kafka, who died 100 years ago. Why do their dark ideas about the individual and society – the Orwellian and the Kafkaesque - still resonate so powerfully with us today?
Joining John Yorke on stage to discuss these essential writers are award-winning playwright Ed Harris, who has adapted Kafka’s The Trial and The Man Who Disappeared in new dramatisations for Radio 4 broadcasting in June, as well as a brand new play about Kafka called Franz and Felice. And Robin Brooks, one of the most experienced radio dramatists in the business, who has recently abridged a special reading of Nineteen Eighty-Four for Radio 4 and who was responsible for a day-long version of James Joyce’s Ulysses, as well as versions of classics like Boccaccio’s Decameron, Robert Graves’ I Claudius, the novels of Raymond Chandler, and many others.

The online world can be a breeding ground for hate. But why do some people behave the way they do on social media? In this event, the BBC's first ever Disinformation and social media correspondent Marianna Spring discusses what she's learned about finding understanding and forgiveness in the middle of these conflicts and casts ahead to the US edition of her Why Do You Hate Me podcast.

Reporter and presenter Gabriel Gatehouse’s award-winning podcast dives into the labyrinthine rabbit warren of American conspiracy theories to explore how millions of Americans have become convinced their democracy has been highjacked by a sinister Deep State cabal. Where did this story come from? And what are the prospects for the survival of the American political system? With a second series of the podcast coming later in the year, Gabriel talks to journalist Jenny Kleeman about these vital issues ahead of the US Presidential Election.

As the sun sets over Hay, Sara Mohr-Pietsch hosts BBC Radio 3’s immersive late night show Night Tracks, with music, soundscape, readings and conversation. She's joined by multi-instrumentalist and composer Tiny Leaves, who creates a live sonic portrait of the Shropshire countryside, created using instruments alongside field recordings and bio data captured from the plants and trees of the Long Mynd in the Shropshire Hills. Sara will also be joined by writer Jeanette Winterson, exploring the role of darkness and night time in her novels and in life.

Welsh Writer and broadcaster, Horatio Clare and Professor of psychiatry, Femi Oyebode are joined by special guests to explore the latest research on how narrative and storytelling can aid recovery from mental ill health.
This is a bonus episode of the second series of Radio 4’s Is Psychiatry Working? which looks at the most hopeful and promising treatments in psychiatry today.

A special Hay festival edition of the BBC Radio Wales Art Show. Gary Raymond hosts a roundup of the best of the Welsh contemporary arts scene.

Where better for people to discuss their favourite books? Radio 4 favourite A Good Read comes to Hay. Every week, writer and broadcaster Harriett Gilbert is joined by some familiar voices to champion their literary choices. But will everyone agree with the selections? Harriet is joined by Bruce Robinson, writer and director of cult classic Withnail and I, alongside actor, comedian, and star of Two Doors Down, Doon Mackichan.

Nature-writing is going through a renaissance. What started largely with TV tie-ins has evolved into a genre encompassing books about climate change, the countryside, walking, and off-grid living.
For Radio 4’s new landmark environment and nature series Rare Earth, presenters Tom Heap and Helen Czerski are joined on-stage by Mark Cocker, Philippa Forrester, and Chris Thorogood to discuss the purpose of nature-writing and why it's important, and how nature-writing can help shape our understanding of the natural world.

Michael Rosen is no stranger to Hay Festival. As the former Children’s Laureate and much-loved author, Michael presents Word of Mouth on BBC Radio 4, a series which explores the world of words. In this unique opportunity to see two great storytellers together, Michael will be interviewing War Horse writer Michael Morpurgo. Join this special exploration of words and language.

Combative, provocative and engaging debate examining a moral issue of the day, chaired by Michael Buerk. On the panel at Hay Festival with Michael will be Ash Sarkar, senior editor at Novara Media; Giles Fraser, Anglican vicar; Inaya Folorin-Iman, journalist, commentator and TV presenter; James Orr, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion at the University of Cambridge.

Accompanying podcasts for big television series’ have become popular for those that want to delve deeper into their favourite shows. Here, the team behind The Traitors Uncloaked deliver a masterclass continuing the storytelling with podcasts.

Graham Webb helps run 4Wood TV & Film Constructions who build sets for some of the best-known TV shows. Graham shares the details of how set building, including constructing the new Tardis for Doctor Who, helps tell stories.

Television writer, producer and director, Rem Conway, has worked on Sex Education, Riches and Father Ted amongst many more. He now leads on development for Kudos Knight with celebrated writer Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, This Town). Join Rem as he shares what he looks for in writers and writing, as he seeks projects for the screen.

Film maker Haz Dulull delivers a masterclass around making stories using gaming engines. What new opportunities exist in the next big global platform?

Bringing together all of the BBC’s supporters of unsigned music. Explore sessions from new and upcoming local musicians.

The curator of the Liverpool Football Club Museum is leaving to become a writer. He has just signed a publishing deal for his series of Inspector Vignoles novels and shares how he’s embracing the change.

The geneticist Adam Rutherford explores how indigenous stories of the natural world are entangled with scientific understanding of the environment. He’s joined by Robin Wall Kimmerer the botanist and Native American, and author of Braiding Sweetgrass. The ecologist and hedgehog expert Hugh Warwick investigates the thorny issue of invasive species, and killing in the name of conservation, while the writer Olivia Laing goes in search of a garden sanctuary, and the long, and sometimes troubled, history of making paradise on earth.

In 2019, DJ Day Day decided to make a mood board. A statement of intent. This ‘aspirational story board’ included logos of the BBC 1Xtra, award ceremonies and festivals; most of this he has achieved since. Join DJ Day Day as he shares the power of the stories you tell yourself.

'Rockstar mythologist' Natalie Haynes is the best-selling author of 'Divine Might', 'Stone Blind', and 'A Thousand Ships', as well as a reformed comedian who is a little bit obsessive about Ancient Greek and Rome. Today she stands up in the name of two great figures from the ancient world. Expect life-enhancing knowledge and entertaining stories from a millennium or so ago.

Join us for a recording of The Verb, BBC Radio 4’s poetry celebration and ‘language lock-in’, hosted by its kindly pub-landlord Ian McMillan. In this special festival edition Ian has invited a host of award-winning poets, writers and performers to join him on stage for a spoken word party. He’ll be revelling in the poetry of deep cool rivers, teenage angst, in verse inspired by minotaurs and labyrinths, and he’ll celebrate poetic forms from around the world, His guests include the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, National Poet of Wales Hanan Issa, Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, Owen Sheers – a poet and a Professor in Creativity, and Wiradjuri poet and artist all the way from Sydney- Jazz Money.

Ivor Novello Award nominated songwriter and international reggae artist shares his insights into writing global hits including Boom Shak-A-Lak and Arranged Marriage.