Arts & Culture

Activist Sylvia Vasquez-Lavado discusses her inspiring work against sexual violence and her memoir In the Shadow of the Mountain with journalist Kirsty Lang. A businesswoman named one of the twenty most influential Latin Americans in Silicon Valley, Vasquez-Lavado was struggling with past trauma when she discovered mountaineering. In 2014 she founded Courageous Girls, a non-profit organisation that helps survivors of sexual abuse and human trafficking find their inner strength through mountaineering. The following year she became the first Peruvian woman to reach the summit of Sagharmatha (Mount Everest), and in 2018, the first woman from the LGTBQ+ community to climb the seven highest summits on each continent.

Christopher Haworth, Associate Professor in Music at the University of Birmingham, discusses the moral, ontological and aesthetic issues that are stirred by the proliferation of so-called deepfakes in twenty-first century popular music. Typically viewed as a form of audio clickbait, cases such as ghostwriter’s fusion of Drake and The Weeknd prompt us to ask what happens when music produced by deepfakes is aesthetically and culturally valuable. How will the legal and moral issues of ‘voice theft’ be resolved if the results are in the public interest?

Start your day with an hour of yoga blending movement, mantra, meditation and breathwork. The classes support detoxification and regeneration – physically, emotionally and spiritually. Our daily yoga classes are brought to you by a collective of ten highly skilled practitioners, all local to Hay-on-Wye. Each practitioner has their own style, but with all you can expect a mindful, student-focused practice with clear cueing and functional sequencing.

Whether you need grounding and recharging before a busy day at the Festival, an opportunity to stretch and move your body, or simply an hour to focus on your breathing, these classes are open and accessible to all. Practitioners will adapt to different levels of experience, providing options for deepening or softening within poses so that each student takes what they need from the practice. Beginners and experienced students are most welcome. Yoga mats are provided.

Please contact Clare Fry at hello@larchwoodstudio.com with any questions relating to these classes. As capacity is limited, we recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.

A fantastic opportunity to see behind the scenes of this unique and historic building. Visit at a time of your choice during Castle opening hours.

Hay Castle’s executive director Tom True introduces the key moments and characters from the castle’s past followed by a continental breakfast.

How many friends do you have? Growing up, Elizabeth Day wanted to make everyone like her. Lacking friends at school, she grew up to believe that quantity equalled quality. Having lots of friends meant you were loved, popular and safe. But in adulthood she slowly realised that it was often to the detriment of her own boundaries and mental health. Join Day, in conversation with the internet’s resident librarian Jack Edwards, to unpack her Confessions of a Friendship Addict, from her own personal friendships and their distinct importance, to the significance and evolution of friendship across the globe. Day’s critically acclaimed books include How to Fail, The Party and Magpie. She hosts the iTunes chart-topping podcast How to Fail with Elizabeth Day.

Amor Towles (A Gentleman in Moscow, The Lincoln Highway) shares some of his stylish and transporting shorter fiction with journalist Max Liu. Table for Two is a sophisticated collection of stories set in New York City and Golden Age Hollywood. Taking place at the turn of the millennium, the New York stories consider the fateful consequences of brief encounters and the delicate mechanics of compromise that operate at the heart of modern marriages. The novella ‘Eve in Hollywood’ picks up where Towles’ first novel Rules of Civility left off, with the indomitable Evelyn Ross crafting a new future for herself – and others – in a noirish tale that takes us through the movie sets and dive bars of 1938 Los Angeles.

A BBC Radio 3 lunchtime concert series marking the centenary of Gabriel Fauré’s death. This first of four recitals recorded for broadcast explores the music of Fauré and others. James Atkinson (baritone) and Michael Pandya (piano) perform a programme including Fauré, Chausson, Lili Boulanger and Hahn.

As Home Secretary for six years and Prime Minister for three, Theresa May confronted a series of issues in which the abuse of power led to devastating results for individuals and significantly damaged the reputation of, and trust in, public institutions and politicians. From the Hillsborough and Grenfell tragedies to the Daniel Morgan case and parliamentary scandals, the powerful repeatedly chose to use their power not in the interests of the powerless but to serve themselves or to protect the organisation to which they belonged. The Abuse of Power: Confronting Injustice in Public Life is May’s searing exposé of injustice and an impassioned call to exercise power for the greater good. The former prime minister argues for a radical rethink in how we approach our politics and public life, in conversation with BBC broadcaster Samira Ahmed.

Come and celebrate with the much-loved author and former Children’s Laureate as he introduces a new edition of his 1979 diary of Parsonage Farm. All Around the Year was Morpurgo’s first book, and his early impressions of the English countryside grew into an undertaking that he describes as the best story of his life: the founding of Farms for City Children, a charity started with his wife Clare that has since enabled over 100,000 city children to spend a week in the countryside, living and working on a farm. The book includes poems by Ted Hughes, Morpurgo’s friend and neighbour, and is illustrated with photographs by James Ravilious, who spent most of his life documenting rural life in Devon. This new edition is published to mark Morpurgo’s 80th birthday.

Rockfield Studios in Monmouthshire is one of the foremost recording studios in the world, immortalised in the documentary, Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm. The ‘Galileos’ of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ were born at Rockfield. Black Sabbath, Iggy Pop, Rush, Oasis, Simple Minds, Coldplay, Robert Plant, The Manic Street Preachers and Paolo Nutini have all recorded there. Tiffany Murray, whose memoir My Family and Other Rock Stars is set at the studios, talks to the King of Rockfield, Kingsley Ward MBE, and studio manager Lisa Ward about the legendary location.

The roots of Western civilisation lie in ancient Greek and Rome, and values like freedom, rationality, justice, democracy and tolerance originated in the West. But what if that’s not true? Covering 4,000 years of history, Josephine Quinn calls for a major reassessment of the West, arguing that many of the values we hold close are not only or originally western, and that the West is a product of longstanding links between a large group of cultures, from the Gobi Desert to the Atlantic Ocean, Scandinavia to the Sahara. Quinn, a professor of ancient history at the University of Oxford, puts forward a rich new narrative that has the power to change how we see the world.

The singer-songwriter, record producer and former British Army officer regales us with tales loosely based on fact, from his questionable Norfolk roots, eccentric family, boarding school antics, misjudged military service, to his rise to music stardom and tour escapades. His 2004 debut album Back to Bedlam, featuring the single You’re Beautiful, sold over 11 million copies and was the best-selling album of the 2000s in the UK. His new album, Who We Used to Be is out in October. Blunt talks to writer and presenter Matt Everitt.

There will be a BSL interpreter at this event

Artist and stage designer Es Devlin’s work is rooted in a lifelong practice of reading and drawing, whether she’s making fragile miniature paintings, paper cuts and small mechanical cardboard models, public sculptures and installations at Tate Modern and the V&A, or kinetic stage designs at the Royal Opera House and the National Theatre. Devlin’s book An Atlas of Es Devlin is a sculptural volume with foldouts, cut-outs and a range of paper types, mirror and translucencies. She speaks to journalist Kirsty Lang about her 30-year career.

Join Professor Diarmait Mac Giolla Chríost for an illustrated talk about his new book, Fieldnotes from Celtic Palestine. He shares reflections on his field visits to Palestine over several years, including encounters such as being served tea by the daughter of a Hamas suicide bomber in the family apartment in Ramallah, and being taken to Jewish settlements regarded as illegal under international law. He explores aspects of the conflict in Palestine through the medium of art, casting a critical eye upon depictions of Gaza by the Welsh artist Osi Rhys Osmond and upon portrayals of the West Bank in the creative writing of Irish novelist Colum McCann. Chríost is Director of Postgraduate Research Studies at the School of Welsh, Cardiff University.

Girlo Wolf longs for something beyond the defunct slag heaps of post-industrial Wales and nurtures dreams of becoming a poet. But, struggling with mental health challenges and the repercussions of childhood trauma, she falls into a dark underworld of sex, drugs and alcohol. Poet and activist Gemma June Howell discusses her darkly comedic novel The Crazy Truth, which sheds light on the harsh realities of economic poverty and present-day oppression, with author Rachel Trezise. Howell is director of Women Publishing Wales/Menywod Cyhoeddi Cymru.

Only 628 people in human history have left Earth. Tim Peake traces the lives of some of these remarkable men and women, from Yuri Gagarin to Neil Armstrong, Valentina Tereshkova to Peggy Whitson. He describes the wondrous view of Earth, the surreal weightlessness, the extraordinary danger, the surprising humdrum, the unexpected humour, the psychological pressures, the physical toll, the thrill of launch and trepidation of re-entry. He also examines the surprising, shocking and often poignant stories of astronauts back on Earth, whose lives are forever changed as they readjust to terra firma. A former Apache helicopter pilot, flight instructor and test pilot, Peake was the first British astronaut to visit the International Space Station.

Faced with family dramas, political crises and questions about the future of the monarchy in Britain and elsewhere, the new King has had no shortage of challenges to face including, most recently, his cancer diagnosis. Robert Hardman, writer and co-producer of the BBC documentary Charles III: The Coronation Year, gives his insight into the life of our current monarch, including looking at the role played by Queen Camilla and the monarchy’s role on the world stage.

Hardman has been a member of the BBC commentary team at all the major state occasions of recent times and is the author of several international bestsellers, including Queen of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II. His latest book is Charles III.

Join Leusa Llewelyn, Artistic Director of Literature Wales, as she speaks to four of the authors shortlisted for the 2024 Wales Book of the Year Awards. The writers discuss their work and explore the wider context of literature in Wales today. Gain an introduction to some of Wales’ best writers, with the winners being announced later this summer at the Awards Ceremony on 4 July.

The Wales Book of the Year Awards are the national literary awards celebrating outstanding creative talent in Welsh and English across fiction, poetry, non-fiction, creative non-fiction and writing for children and young people. Established in the late 1960s, the awards have since 2011 been run by Literature Wales, the national charity for the development of literature.

Explore the seductive and scandalous life of Lord Byron through a performance of his extraordinary narrative poem, Don Juan. Pianist Clare Hammond and actor Tama Matheson, using music by Felix Mendelssohn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Hélène de Montgeroult, William Grant Still and Isaac Albéniz, celebrate Byron’s inimitable wit in this bicentenary year of his death.

The American novelist joins us for a conversation about the TV adaptation of his 2016 novel. He discusses the story and its re-presentation, with clips from the Paramount+ limited series starring Emmy Award-winning actor Ewan McGregor.

In A Gentleman in Moscow, a Russian aristocrat in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution finds that his gilded past places him on the wrong side of history. Spared immediate execution, he is banished by a Soviet tribunal to an attic room in the opulent Hotel Metropol, threatened with death if he ever sets foot outside again. As the years pass and some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history unfold outside the hotel’s doors, the Count’s reduced circumstances provide him entry into a much larger world of emotional discovery. As he builds a new life within the walls of the hotel, he discovers the true value of friendship, family and love.

The hit musical Hadestown has recently opened in London’s West End, after an epic journey from Canada to Broadway, winning eight Tony Awards on the way. In this special event, Hadestown creator Anaïs Mitchell and members of the UK cast introduce us to the musical and perform excerpts from the show. Mitchell shares stories about the show’s early years and answers questions about its inception and its runaway success.

Hadestown intertwines two love stories in the underworld of Greek mythology – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone. Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winner Mitchell originated Hadestown as an indie theatre project and album. She then transformed the show into a genre-defying new musical, picking up a Tony Award for Best Musical and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. Blending modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz, it is one of the most streamed cast albums of all time.

Start your day with an hour of yoga blending movement, mantra, meditation and breathwork. The classes support detoxification and regeneration – physically, emotionally and spiritually. Our daily yoga classes are brought to you by a collective of ten highly skilled practitioners, all local to Hay-on-Wye. Each practitioner has their own style, but with all you can expect a mindful, student-focused practice with clear cueing and functional sequencing.

Whether you need grounding and recharging before a busy day at the Festival, an opportunity to stretch and move your body, or simply an hour to focus on your breathing, these classes are open and accessible to all. Practitioners will adapt to different levels of experience, providing options for deepening or softening within poses so that each student takes what they need from the practice. Beginners and experienced students are most welcome. Yoga mats are provided.

Please contact Clare Fry at hello@larchwoodstudio.com with any questions relating to these classes. As capacity is limited, we recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.

A fantastic opportunity to see behind the scenes of this unique and historic building. Visit at a time of your choice during Castle opening hours.

Featured in the BBC’s Digging for Britain, Snodhill Castle is the hidden gem of the Golden Valley. Explore the Norman ruins including the high keep, Royal Free Chapel and the newly-discovered ‘panic room’, and hear the story of its discovery and preservation. Guided by Tim Hoverd, Archaeological Projects Manager, Herefordshire Council.

Political sketch writer John Crace returns to Hay Festival with his blisteringly hilarious tour through the whirlwind of post-Brexit Britain, from the ousting of Boris to the dawn of a new era… sort of. Another month, another prime minister – how many have we been through now? Despite all the nonsense that has spewed forth from Westminster over the past two years, Crace’s brilliantly lacerating political sketches have provided some desperately needed relief. In Depraved New World: Please Hold, the Government will be With You Shortly, he takes in everything from Partygate, BoJo’s farewell, Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous reign to the psychodrama of the Tory leadership contest(s), the return of Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman’s hokey pokey and whatever lies ahead.

The American author whose We Need to Talk About Kevin won the 2005 Orange Prize for Fiction discusses her latest novel at Hay Festival. What if calling someone stupid was illegal? In Mania, where the Mental Parity Movement has taken hold, everyone is equally clever, exams are discarded and children are expelled for saying the S-word. You don’t need a qualification to be a doctor. Best friends since adolescence, Pearson and Emory find themselves on opposing sides of this culture war. Radio personality Emory makes increasingly hard-line statements while Pearson believes the whole thing is ludicrous. As their friendship fractures, Pearson’s determination to cling onto the ‘old bigoted way of thinking’ begins to endanger her job, her safety and even her family.

Our panel assembles for a thought-provoking discussion that delves into the critical theme of preserving identity and heritage during times of war and conflict. Exploring the challenges inherent in safeguarding cultural treasures and articulating the profound importance of preserving collective history and culture, they show that community involvement and practical action are badly needed now. Nicoleta Cinpoes is Professor of Shakespeare Studies and Professor Lisa Stansbie is Pro Vice Chancellor Education, Culture and Society, both at the University of Worcester. Dr Sara Nesteruk is a filmmaker and senior lecturer in creative digital design at Manchester Metropolitan University. Philip Parr is Artistic Director of Parrabbola and Chair of the European Shakespeare Festivals Network.

TikTok creators are sharing their passion for books with millions and reshaping the publishing world in the process. Join BookTokkers Coco Hagi and Ben Mercer and TikTok's Head of Creators Jo Burford alongside National Literacy Trust 's Jason Vit and author and journalist Tom Baldwin, for a dynamic look at what’s trending and how BookTok is changing how we tell stories and engage new audiences.

What do Billie Holiday, Irish fiddle music and reggae have in common? Which iconic pubs, clubs, community centres and record shops across the UK have inspired Black musical genres? What political and economic moments in history have shaped Black identity and experience in the UK and how, in turn, have these shaped contemporary British culture? At this event marking the publication of Boakye’s Musical World, George the Poet’s Track Record: Me, Music and the War on Blackness, and a major British Library exhibition, Beyond the Bassline: Black British Music, curated by Dr Gray and Dr Riley, our expert panel reflect on personal encounters with music as a political and shaping force, and on six centuries of African musical contribution to the UK and the world.

Steep yourself in the lives of characters living against the beauty, magic and history of Rome, as Jhumpa Lahiri takes you into her new collection of short stories. In Roman Stories, we meet a man who recalls a summer party that awakens an alternative version of himself, a couple haunted by a tragic loss who return for consolation, and an outsider family who is pushed out of the block where they hoped to settle.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lahiri discusses the collection, her love of Italy and her work as a bilingual writer and translator. She has been writing fiction, essays, and poetry in Italian since 2015 and is the editor of The Penguin Book of Italian Short Stories. Lahiri talks to Creative Producer Heather Marks.

Troy has fallen. After ten years of war, the Greeks make their way back to their own lands – but what homes now await them? Hay Festival President Stephen Fry is well known for his retellings of Greek myths – Mythos, Heroes and Troy are all bestsellers. Join him as he now directs his gaze to Odysseus, Agamemnon, Helen and Aeneas on their return from the Trojan War. The award-winning comedian, actor, presenter and director gives a pre-publication preview of the subjects of his next book.