Hay Festival Digital 2020

Calling introverts everywhere! Comedian Rhys James offers up a refreshingly honest look at modern life from the perspective of someone who doesn’t want to do anything. If you’ve ever been glad when plans were cancelled, actually quite liked the thought of another lockdown, and tried to control the outcome of everything you do, then this is the event for you.

There will be laughs aplenty as James discusses his book You’ll Like It When You Get There and, don’t worry, you’ll be home by 8.30pm. James has performed stand-up comedy around the world, including six solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and two international sell-out tours. He talks to comedian and Austentatious member Cariad Lloyd.

Grab your garlic and prepare your pitchfork for this encounter with modern-day Gothic authors Charlotte Cross and Mairi Kidd. They discuss retelling horror classics to place women at the centre, taking the iconic stories of Dracula and Frankenstein and reimagining them from a feminist perspective.

Cross’s The Brides brings to life the three women who became the brides of Dracula – and the fourth who managed to escape. Kidd’s Poor Creatures follows a young Mary Godwin – who would go on to become Mary Shelley – as a troubled girl with a mysterious ailment.

See a different side to actor Larry Lamb as he shares anecdotes and his own personal poetry. Making you laugh and cry in equal measure, Lamb will cover the highs and lows, joys and sorrows of his career, taking us from 1983 right up to his life as it is now.

Lamb takes a journey through the years with his very personal poems, reflecting on his life at different stages from the womb to the tomb. The British actor and presenter’s career has spanned several decades, including his best-known roles in EastEnders and Gavin & Stacey.

A space for young, emerging artists to share their work with Hay Festival audiences. Spanning a diverse range of art forms, The Platform aims to help promote and develop outstanding young creative artists aged between 21 and 28 who are at the start of their careers. Join us to discover and support some of the best young talent, and look out for their work across the Festival site.

Join us for a surprise screening of an acclaimed book-to-screen adaptation, hand-picked by MUBI’s team of curators. Encounter a celebrated work of literature through its cinematic transformation – without prior knowledge, expectation or title. What unfolds is a rare opportunity to experience adaptation as discovery, where language gives way to image and narrative is met afresh. Come curious. Leave surprised.

Join musician, actor and author Joey Batey for an evening of music and eerie folklore, diving into his new novel It’s Not a Cult before taking to the stage with his band The Amazing Devil for a special acoustic performance – their first live show in ten years.

In conversation with fellow musician, actor and artist Madeleine Hyland and framed by the Gothic arches of St Mary’s Church, Joey takes us into the darkly comic Northumbrian folk‑horror tale. We follow the story of a hopeless band who find their gigs taking on a terrifying new significance when they start to sing about Northern gods of mishap and mayhem.

After a brief interval, The Amazing Devil will sweep us into an exclusive set, bringing their lyrical alt‑folk sound and emotionally charged storytelling to the stage. Atmospheric and otherworldly, spend your Friday night with the creative forces of Joey Batey and Madeleine Hyland.

This is history – but not as we know it. Come on a sweeping journey through thousands of years of tyrants, seeing anew the lives and legacies of those who ruled through fear, manipulation and absolute power. Historian Ben Gazur shows the rise of ancient despots and modern-day dictators – how they maintained control, and how they ultimately fell.

A timely meditation on the nature of power and corruption, this gripping session looks at all forms of tyranny – political, personal, and psychological – from Julius Caesar to Adolf Hitler via Ivan the Terrible. Why have individuals always sought and abused power, and why does tyranny continue to resurface in new forms today? Gazur talks to the Times Literary Supplement’s politics and fiction editor Toby Lichtig.

The celebrated poet talks about and performs from her new collection exploring dyke counterculture and the queer underground. Through a cast of characters who meet in the Maryville butch bar over the course of many decades, Joelle Taylor examines queer class politics, the pain of oppression and the beauty and intimacy of community

This is a chance to see one of our best contemporary poets talking about and performing her work. Taylor is author of four collections of poetry and one novel. She won the TS Eliot Prize and the Polar Book Prize for her collection C+NTO & Othered Poems.

Join acclaimed writers Patrick McGuinness and Angharad Price in conversation with author and former Wales PEN Cymru director Dylan Moore for an exploration of how Welsh literature can forge renewed connections with European literary culture after a decade of post-Brexit isolation.

Both McGuinness and Price embody the cross-cultural exchange that has enriched Welsh writing: McGuinness, born in Tunisia to an English father of Irish descent and a Belgian mother, and living in Wales for over 20 years, writes between languages and national identities, while Price has published widely on Welsh literature, frequently within a broader European context. Together, they’ll discuss what has been lost and what might be regained as Welsh literature seeks to re-establish its place within the wider European conversation.

With whip-smart wit and a cavalcade of cads, dashing gents and fierce heroines, this is a legendary comedy experience for Austen fans and newcomers alike!

Austentatious is the improvised Jane Austen novel which has become a West End institution. An all-star cast in full costume takes an audience suggestion for an unknown Jane Austen book, and then you watch it unfold before your eyes. Previous suggestions have included Mansfield Shark, Double O Darcy, Bend It Like Bennet and The Taking of Pemberley 123.

An intimate performance from the critically-acclaimed singer, Gwenno. Featuring music from her latest album, Utopia, Gwenno sings in Welsh and Cornish, creating a sound that’s both ethereal and powerful, and deeply rooted in cultural heritage. Her soundscapes fuse different musical genres into an immersive world of sound, captivating longtime fans and newcomers alike. An unforgettable event from one of the UK’s most original and compelling performers, in a night of music that will linger long after the final note.

Begin the day with a guided tour of Hay Castle led by its director, art historian Tom True. Explore the castle’s layered history, meet some of the characters who once shaped it and hear how it is being reimagined today as a place for ideas, art and thoughtful encounters. The tour includes time to experience the castle’s new interactive interpretation on the second floor, followed by coffee and pastries.

Coffee and pastry included in the ticket price. Meet in the Great Hall.

A lively and entertaining discussion to start your day. The BBC’s international editor, Jeremy Bowen, brings together a brilliant mix of actors and authors for an energetic debate on the day’s news. Bowen is joined by actor and writer Carys Eleri, veteran of stage and screen Miriam Margolyes, journalist and author of Empireworld Sathnam Sanghera and author of We Need To Talk About Kevin Lionel Shriver.

Everyone expected Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli Maoz Inon to be enemies. Instead, the peace activists and social entrepreneurs forged a bond of brotherhood, connected by their belief in equality, dignity and the idea that Palestinians and Israelis can work together peacefully for a better future. They talk to the BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet about their book The Future Is Peace, a transformative journey across the holy land and a bold call for hope, humanity and empathy.

An ancient city brought vividly to life using extraordinary ancient sources, including acerbic letters between rival kings and bawdy drinking songs. Welsh academic Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones traces the history of the first metropolis from its foundation to world domination… and back to ruin. Babylon often appears more myth than history. But it was a real place teeming with life, a bustling mega-city which set the agenda for what civilisation meant. Llewellyn-Jones holds the chair in ancient history at Cardiff University and is author of Persians and The Cleopatras.

Come and listen to this year’s celebrated Hay Festival Writers at Work. This thrilling 2026 group of ten Welsh writers will share new fiction and poetry, in English and Cymraeg. See these rising stars at Hay Festival first!

Watch a selection of short films, curated by MUBI, throughout the morning. The day’s schedule will be listed each morning at the venue – pop along and take a look.

Step into the magical world of Bird & Blend Tea Co., discover the secrets of tea mixology and create your own perfect blend in an immersive and interactive Tea Mixology Experience led by an expert mixologist. This hands-on workshop invites you to taste up to six unique blends and test your tea knowledge with an engaging and fun tea matching game.

With expert guidance, you’ll get to craft two custom tea blends to take home and pair with your next fave book! You’ll also learn about different tea types and brewing tips to enhance your tea-making ritual at home. There’ll be an opportunity to ask questions, plus you’ll get a goody bag with free samples. Visit the Bird & Blend Tea Co. stand afterwards for a free gift with purchase (find a special token in your goody bag). Book now – it’s going to be TEArrific!

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. You’ll be joined by local experts who will give their insights into this treasured landscape.

Hay-on-Wye is located within 520 square miles of beautiful countryside that makes up the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The National Park is driving change to bring about a sustainable future, meeting our needs within planetary boundaries. Their Hay Festival series of walks take you into the town’s local environment while offering the opportunity to learn more about the Park’s work.

Take a journey into nature at night with brilliant young naturalist Dara McAnulty – author of Wild Child – and illustrator Barry Falls. They’ll walk us through nocturnal activity in five different habitats in Britain and Ireland – meeting hedgehogs and moths in the garden; bats, owls, foxes and badgers in woodland; glow worms on the coast; Manx Shearwater in the sky; and corncrakes, dormice and woodcock on the farm.

Learn about circadian rhythms, hibernation, echolocation, biofluorescence, murmurations, the dawn chorus and how to use the stars for orientation. Dara will share his tips on attracting wildlife and creating havens for nocturnal animals and insects, and shine a light on organisations doing their best to help wildlife to thrive. Dara and Barry talk to writer Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

Nibble on a witty new picture book that’s sure to become a firm family favourite. Mariajo Illustrajo is a Spanish author-illustrator based in the UK, whose playful and endearing books Flooded, Lost, I Hate Love Books and Oh, Carrots! have won a score of prizes and nominations.

Join Mariajo as she unveils her new story – where the mice are living happily under the floorboards until, one day, their peace is disturbed by some unexpected guests… humans! Curious, the mice set out to investigate and they find weird and wonderful human objects – maybe these guests are not so bad after all? But then our intrepid mouse narrator finds himself caught in a jar…

Come and learn how to make willow stars using willow grown in Herefordshire on the farm where The Cart Shed Charity operates. Simple weaving techniques will be taught and all participants will take home a star they have made from this beautiful, sustainable material.

The Cart Shed supports young people aged 10–25 and adults of all ages experiencing poor emotional wellbeing. Creative activities and emotional support given by skilled practitioners and clinicians empower people to overcome challenges and live life well. On Friday 29 and Saturday 30 May they’ll be demonstrating some of the techniques they use, on the Festival site.

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.

Step inside Hay Castle – a border stronghold shaped by myth, power and reinvention. Visit the current BorderLands exhibition and enjoy full access to the castle, from cellar to rooftop. Explore rooms layered with stories, including Matilda’s room, the Richard Booth space, historic costumes and the castle cellar.

Experience the new, interactive exhibit on the second floor, then climb to the viewing platform for wide views across the Wye Valley. Your ticket also includes unlimited return visits for a full year, so you can come back as the seasons – and the castle – change.

This ticket allows you to visit the castle at a time of your choice on the day selected, and also gives you entry into the BorderLands exhibition.

Come along on a relaxed and engaging guided walk exploring around the edges of Hay-on-Wye and enjoying its beautiful rural setting. Guided by Sarah Price, a professional walking guide who lives in Hay and knows its landscape intimately, this gentle walk of around three miles leads you out of the town and into scenic fields, peaceful woodland and along the historic River Wye.

Sarah will share stories of Hay’s past and present, and there will be space for pause and reflection, as well as a good chance of spotting some local wildlife. This walk is ideal for Festival-goers looking to stretch their legs, enjoy the countryside and experience a deeper sense of place.

Step inside Hay Castle during Hay Festival 2026 and explore a place shaped by power, survival and reinvention. Led by an expert volunteer guide, this tour traces 800 years of life inside the castle – from medieval plots and royal whispers to its rescue, restoration and reimagining as a place for ideas today. You’ll move through rooms, stairways and towers, hearing stories of the people who lived, schemed, dreamed and partied here. Along the way, take in sweeping views across the Wye Valley – a reminder that this is a border castle, built to watch and be watched.

Guided tours run daily at 11am and 2pm. Tour price includes entry into the Castle for a year including the current exhibition: BorderLands.

Enjoy this 20-minute open-air performance between events. Got 2 Sing Choir perform uplifting songs from top of the charts to golden oldies, with plenty of fun and laughter.

Best known for taking on two of the biggest roles in UK politics – Home Secretary and Chancellor – Sajid Javid comes to Hay Festival to share the story of his personal and political life. Introducing his memoir The Colour of Home, Javid gives an insight into his young life as the son of Punjabi immigrants growing up in the 1970s, surrounded by poverty and racism, and how he rose from adversity to top jobs in government. From tales of run-ins with the police to discussing how he felt constantly caught between two cultures, this is a raw and honest conversation about personal resilience, and the chance to get to know the man behind the headlines. He talks to journalist and writer Aasmah Mir.

A provocative new story of contemporary immigration, hostility and politics. In A Better Life, divorced mother-of-three Gloria signs up to take in a migrant as a lodger. Most of the family welcomes the new arrival. But Gloria’s son, Nico – resenting having to move back into his childhood bedroom at the age of 26 – is more sceptical. He grows increasingly hostile to his mother’s altruism and the ‘migrant crisis’ in general.

Shriver is the award-winning author of We Need to Talk About Kevin and the National Book Award finalist for So Much for That. She talks to journalist Nicola Cutcher.

Ever thought about the story behind the story? From a fragment of an idea to a hard copy in your hands, the journey of an award-winning book can have as many twists and turns as the tale between the pages itself. In this special salon series, The British Book Awards (aka ‘The Nibbies’) bring you authors in conversation with members of their publishing teams, shining a light on the creative process behind the best-loved books.

Join The Bookseller’s Katie Fraser as she unpicks the publishing process with Natasha Bardon, publisher at HarperVoyager, and award-winning author Saara El-Arifi, whose 2026 novel Cleopatra reimagines the story of the iconic Egyptian queen.

We’re having a party to celebrate Pooh turning 100! Come and join us for this special Winnie-the-Pooh family show, hosted by Waterstones Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce, co-writer of the film Goodbye Christopher Robin.

We’ll enjoy readings from special guests including: actor and Winnie-the-Pooh fan Emma Thompson; How to Train Your Dragon author/illustrator Cressida Cowell; Wonka actor Paterson Joseph; and Jane Riordan, author of the Winnie-the-Pooh prequel and sequel story collections written in the style of AA Milne.

Ottoline and Goth Girl author/illustrator Chris Riddell, who was inspired by the illustrations of EH Shepard, will be live illustrating throughout. This is a heartwarming show for the whole family to celebrate all things Winnie-the-Pooh in his 100th year.

Ever wondered what aliens really look like? What do they wear, how tall are they, are they really green? Decide for yourself when you design your very own alien in this event with sci-fi fanatic and creator of The Unexplained series, Adam Allsuch Boardman.

Get your creative cogs turning with the intriguing ‘exquisite corpse game’, then move on to building your alien’s backstory. Using prompts from real-life UFO sightings and folk art, you’ll imagine their history and form your own intergalactic tale to share with your friends. Adam will also explore the science behind supernatural research and suggest how spectacular sightings link to popular culture.

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.

Enjoy this 20-minute open-air performance between events. Got 2 Sing Choir perform uplifting songs from top of the charts to golden oldies, with plenty of fun and laughter.

In this rare and personal conversation, BBC news presenter Sophie Raworth interviews her sister, the economist Kate Raworth, about her groundbreaking book Doughnut Economics. Kate is at the forefront of rethinking how the economy works, so that everyone can live well without compromising the planet. During this intelligent and thought-provoking session, Kate and Sophie explore the challenges of how we meet people’s needs within the Earth’s environmental limits; and ponder the parallel lines of their own careers and how they’ve inspired each other along the way. Warm, insightful and full of humanity, this is a must for those who enjoy smart, accessible discussion about the world’s biggest challenges – and how we might fix them.

An homage to Afghanistan and its people from two veteran foreign correspondents. Afghanistan has been beset by war and turmoil for decades, and yet its people do not give up hope. Foreign correspondent Jon Lee Anderson and the BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet share their experiences of covering Afghanistan since the 1980s, the people they’ve met and stories they’ve heard, and why Afghanistan means so much to them.

Anderson is a seasoned war and international reporter. To Lose a War collects his writing from Afghanistan from the late 1980s. Doucet’s The Finest Hotel in Kabul is the story of the Inter-Continental Kabul hotel, a symbol of power and cosmopolitanism, and the people who work there. They talk to investigative journalist Oliver Bullough.

From Sappho to Virginia Woolf and James Baldwin, LGBTQ+ writers have told their stories throughout history – excavating the queer experience and laying a foundation for the writers of today. Santanu Bhattacharya, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Joelle Taylor talk to actor and writer Carys Eleri about the stories that shaped them, finding (or not finding) themselves in the characters they came across growing up, and their journeys to writing.

Bhattacharya’s Deviants is about three generations of men from the same family, all dealing with social taboos and laws criminalising homosexuality, and the legacy they leave. Millwood-Hargrave’s Almost Love is about a couple whose love story spans decades and time together and apart. Taylor’s new poetry collection Maryville explores dyke counterculture through a cast of characters who meet in a butch bar.

The best-selling author of An American Marriage returns to Hay Festival to talk about her luminous and deeply moving new novel about mothers, daughters and friendship. She talks to Tanya Burr, who runs monthly bookclub Chapter, a space for readers to celebrate literature and connect through thoughtful discussion.

In Kin, Vernice and Annie are inseparable, brought together by the shared absence of their mothers. Growing up in the segregated America of the 1950s and 1960s, the women are led down different paths. A treat for fans of literary fiction, this event is a chance to hear from Jones – the author of five novels – about her work and inspirations. An American Marriage won the Women’s Prize for Fiction and was one of President Barack Obama’s summer reading lists.

Hear the chants of ‘Women, Life, Freedom’, as strong as they’ve ever been, echoing through generations of Iranian women protesting imposed, patriarchal restrictions. Inspired by the ‘rebel poet of Iran’ Forugh Farrokhzad, new publication Iranian Women’s Voices brings together the perspectives of creative women in Iran and the diaspora, as they reflect on art, the constraints of present-day Iran and their dreams for the future.

Join this afternoon of poetry, film and Iranian music, presented by WritersMosaic, with writer and translator Shara Atashi, poet and author Sana Nassari, and poet and performer Marjorie Lotfi in conversation with historian Colin Grant, and featuring the extraordinary documentary photography of Hengameh Golestan, whose work captures women protesting the oppression of the Iranian authorities.

Tom Gates and his hilarious homework diary are celebrating 15 years in 2026. Come and enjoy this laugh-out-loud event filled with his adventures, doodles, friends, foes and caramel wafers! You’ll be kept busy with everything from games and storytelling to a live draw-along with much-loved author/illustrator Liz Pichon, where she’ll show you how she brings her best-loved Tom Gates and Mubbles characters to life.

Whether you’re a fan of the books, love the TV series (or both!) or you’re new to Tom and his friends, this event will be pure fun.

Come and learn how to make willow stars using willow grown in Herefordshire on the farm where The Cart Shed Charity operates. Simple weaving techniques will be taught and all participants will take home a star they have made from this beautiful, sustainable material.

The Cart Shed supports young people aged 10–25 and adults of all ages experiencing poor emotional wellbeing. Creative activities and emotional support given by skilled practitioners and clinicians empower people to overcome challenges and live life well. On Friday 29 and Saturday 30 May they’ll be demonstrating some of the techniques they use, on the Festival site.

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. You’ll be joined by local experts who will give their insights into this treasured landscape.

Hay-on-Wye is located within 520 square miles of beautiful countryside that makes up the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The National Park is driving change to bring about a sustainable future, meeting our needs within planetary boundaries. Their Hay Festival series of walks take you into the town’s local environment while offering the opportunity to learn more about the Park’s work.

Step inside Hay Castle during Hay Festival 2026 and explore a place shaped by power, survival and reinvention. Led by an expert volunteer guide, this tour traces 800 years of life inside the castle – from medieval plots and royal whispers to its rescue, restoration and reimagining as a place for ideas today. You’ll move through rooms, stairways and towers, hearing stories of the people who lived, schemed, dreamed and partied here. Along the way, take in sweeping views across the Wye Valley – a reminder that this is a border castle, built to watch and be watched.

Guided tours run daily at 11am and 2pm. Tour price includes entry into the Castle for a year including the current exhibition: BorderLands.

Acclaimed historian and writer Andrea Wulf brings to life the extraordinary story of George Forster, the 18th-century writer and explorer known for documenting Captain Cook’s second voyage around the world. His writings on the people and cultures he encountered transformed how Europeans understood the wider world. Drawing on Forster’s vivid letters and personal accounts – much of them never-before published in English – Wulf reveals a man of dazzling intellect and visionary thinking. For history-lovers and those interested in forgotten figures who shaped the modern world. She talks to the host of the BBC’s In Our Time, Misha Glenny.

Enjoy an afternoon with award-winning stage, screen and voice actor Richard Armitage, best known for his roles in North & South, The Hobbit trilogy and Oceans 8. Armitage turned author with his first novel Geneva in 2023, and now comes to introduce his second – psychological thriller The Cut.

The book is set in a village where, 30 years previously, one of Ben Knott’s school friends was murdered and another was convicted of the crime. The village has tried to move on, but as a movie is filmed in the area, Ben begins to recognise the storyline from his own past, and it becomes clear the killer is back.

Armitage discusses writing the book with literary journalist Alex Clark, revealing which film experiences he used as inspiration, and shares the difference between writing and acting.

Experience evocative storytelling that bridges page and screen, in this screening of Luke Thompson’s narration of Oscar Wilde’s only novel, a dark, glittering masterpiece that explores the seductive power of beauty and the ruin of the soul.

The Bridgerton actor delivers a spellbinding performance of Wilde’s haunting tale of beauty, vanity and moral corruption, where eternal youth comes at a terrible price.

The Read is a series of outstanding performance readings of iconic British novels. Each episode offers a richly immersive celebration of literature.

A chance to see an unforgettable and unique music-play about the life and work of the composer Andrzej Panufnik. Award-winning writer and actor Tama Matheson and award-winning pianist Clare Hammond deliver an emotional performance about Panufnik, one of the 20th century’s great artistic voices.

From Panufnik’s early musical awakening in war-torn Poland, to near-death encounters under Nazi occupation and oppression under Soviet rule, all culminating in a heart-stopping car chase, Matheson and Hammond perform a hilarious, heartbreaking and harrowing show about a life shaped by courage, loss and unbreakable artistic integrity.