Fiction

Barbara Erskine’s Lady of Hay became an instant best-seller on its publication in 1986, and has remained in print ever since. Devoted and new fans alike will be delighted with her new edition that now includes an extra chapter. Erskine celebrates the book’s 40th anniversary and discusses bringing the story right up to date, with Emma Corfield-Walters, owner of independent bookshop Bookish.

The iconic novel blends historical fiction with fantasy, when a journalist debunking the idea of past-life regression submits to hypnotism and finds herself reliving the experiences of Matilda, Lady of Hay, the wife of a baron at the time of King John. As the unspeakable treachery of the past becomes entwined with the present, it becomes clear that, 800 years on, the story is beginning again.

Hear from one of our best-loved historical experts and actors, Sir Tony Robinson, about his debut novel for adults, an epic story of greed, ambition and betrayal. The House of Wolf moves between multiple characters across Rome, Wessex and Lindisfarne, and is a witty recreation of the Anglo-Saxons, Alfred the Great and the making of England.

Robinson discusses drawing on his own knowledge of history, how his acting career impacted his book, and moving from writing for children to adults. Robinson was the original presenter of Time Team, and has had a long acting career, including playing Baldrick in Blackadder and the Sheriff of Nottingham in Maid Marion and Her Merry Men, which he also wrote.

Comedy superstar Tom Allen is already a household name on TV, from Cooking With the Stars to Bake Off: An Extra Slice. Now he brings his acerbic wit and riotous storytelling to this discussion of his debut novel, in which all hell breaks loose in sleepy suburbia.

Common Decency chronicles the lives of one street’s residents as they band together to save a beloved oak tree from destruction at the hands of ruthless developers. As tensions rise and repressed neuroses and resentments seep out, the secrets of Oak Drive threaten to shatter the veneer of order, revealing some surprising truths.

Emerald Fennell is an Oscar-winning writer and a director known for work that sparks conversation and looks controversy straight in the face. Here she discusses her latest film, a big screen adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights, starring Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff.

Fennell first read the book at the age of 14, and says it quite simply “cracked me open”. As we’ve come to expect from the woman behind the controversial Saltburn, Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is provocative, sexy and primal. Is it what Brontë imagined?

Imagine a train that could take you back in time, so you can undo the mistakes you made. The best-selling author of The Midnight Library brings us another brilliant novel that asks us to consider what makes a life well-lived. The Midnight Train tells the story of Wilbur. On the brink of his death, a train arrives ready to take him back in time to relive his most important moments. If your life flashed before your eyes, where would you stop?

Join acclaimed author Katherine Rundell, the internet’s librarian and book advocate Jack Edwards, poet and author Joseph Coelho, and the Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust Jonathan Douglas, for a vital conversation on the urgency of the National Year of Reading, chaired by children’s books commentator Julia Eccleshare.

Discover how we can ‘Go All In’ to play a role in creating change, showing the power of books to transform lives, and how we can all play a part in boosting literacy levels at home, in schools and in our own communities.

Join trail-blazing publisher, writer and activist Margaret Busby in conversation with Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo as they discuss Busby’s acclaimed memoir, Part of the Story. A true pioneer of British publishing, Busby reflects on a remarkable life devoted to championing diverse voices, shaping literary culture and breaking barriers. Together these two influential figures explore creativity, activism and the ongoing struggle for representation in literature. Expect an inspiring, candid and humorous exchange about friendship, resilience and the power of storytelling. A compelling conversation for anyone passionate about books, identity and the stories that shape who we are.

YM Abdel-Magied brings real-life engineering experience to her first novel, a tale of ambition, greed and the deadly fury of Mother Nature in the face of Big Oil. Born in Sudan, her first job was in a coal mine in Australia, and she later trained and worked internationally as a drilling engineer.

Abdel-Magied speaks to literary influencer Jack Edwards about At Sea, in which a female driller takes charge of an isolated offshore oil rig with an entirely male crew. The rig is teetering on the edge of disaster – and when all her warnings are ignored, she realises that the real danger may lie in the cold calculations and base desires of the men determined to finish the operation as quickly and cheaply as possible. Can she prevent the looming catastrophe that threatens the rig, the crew and the sea before it’s too late?

We are thrilled to announce Fredrik Backman is coming to Hay Festival for the first time. His books have sold over 20 million copies in 40 countries. His debut novel, A Man Called Ove, spent over a year on the New York Times best-seller list. Since then he’s thrilled fans with titles including Bear Town, Anxious People and his latest novel My Friends. He talks about how he manages to combine the wickedly funny with the deeply moving, creating characters we all wish were our own best friends.

Novelist Yvvette Edwards talks to Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo about her latest book, Good Good Loving. It tells the story of a family gathered around the deathbed of matriarch Ellen. There, they assess Ellen’s failings, as she looks back on the dramatic turning points of her life, and the heartbreak and sacrifices she has made.

Edwards and Evaristo discuss writing about multigenerational families, putting women at the centre of their work, and what it means to be a writer today. Edwards’ previous novels include the Booker Prize-longlisted A Cupboard Full of Coats. Evaristo, who won the Booker Prize for Girl, Woman, Other, is President Emerita of the Royal Society of Literature.

Ali Smith discusses her latest novel, Glyph – a playful and inventive story which questions the boundary between imagination and reality, skilfully blending the fiction of childhood ghosts with the facts of real-life wars.

It tells the story of sisters Petra and Patch, who make up a ghost as children. In adult life, the estranged siblings are brought back together when Petra finds a phantom horse kicking the furniture to pieces in her bedroom.

Smith talks to artist and filmmaker Sarah Wood, who in her own work interrogates the relationship between history and personal memory. Smith is author of several novels and short story collections, and is a winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction.

Join Booker Prize-winning author Douglas Stuart for an unforgettable conversation about his deeply moving new novel, John of John. With the intensity and raw truth that made Shuggie Bain and Young Mungo modern classics, Stuart dissects masculinity, the search for love, and the profound peril of family secrets. A must-attend event for readers who crave fiction that speaks straight to the heart. Stuart speaks to writer and broadcaster Richard Coles.

Experience evocative storytelling that bridges page and screen, in this screening of BAFTA-nominated actor Christopher Eccleston’s narration of Barry Hines’ seminal 1968 novel A Kestrel for a Knave (later filmed as Kes).

The groundbreaking and much celebrated novel follows a young working-class boy troubled at home and at school, who finds and trains a kestrel whom he names ‘Kes’. Eccleston brings to life this coming-of-age classic, which explores poverty, isolation and youth.

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

Bolivian writer Liliana Colanzi and Guatemalan author Eduardo Halfón discuss the ideas of collapse, language, kinship and memory that show up in both of their works, with literary journalist and translator Ángel Gurría-Quintana.

Colanzi’s short stories (You Glow in the Dark, Our Dead World) build eerie dystopian landscapes out of the decimated ruins of post-nuclear Latin America, in a style that feels both very real and completely otherworldly. Guatemalan writer Halfón’s Tarantula explores the traumatic childhood episode of two brothers in an immersive Jewish camp that ends up turning into a militarised nightmare. Halfón was named one of the 39 most promising young Latin American writers by Hay Festival in Bogotá.

Dawn French has been making us all laugh for decades. But her new novel is an emotional tearjerker – telling the story of a 68-year-old woman who unexpectedly gathers her family around her to tell them this will be her last day alive. French talks about the idea behind the book – the ultimate cure for old age – and how she writes serious subjects without sacrificing any of the comedy. All her previous books have been best-sellers, and as a comedian and actor, she’s appeared in some of the UK’s most celebrated shows, from French and Saunders and The Vicar of Dibley to her recent comedy-drama Can You Keep a Secret? She talks to parish priest turned author Richard Coles.

Join Grace Murray, graduate of Penguin Random House’s fiercely competitive WriteNow mentorship programme for emerging talent, as she discusses her debut novel Blank Canvas with Scots poet Len Pennie, author of poyums annaw.

In Blank Canvas, a young woman at university learns that lying about her life back home can bring her attention, affection and even love. But the truth is always threatening to come out… Murray discusses themes of Catholic guilt and queer identity, clashing moral codes and lies, and how moving between countries and settings presents opportunities for reinvention.

Ready the lead piping and have the arsenic to hand for this deliciously dark dissection of Agatha Christie’s trademark murder mysteries. To mark the 50th anniversary of her death, parish priest turned mystery author Richard Coles leads a witty and affectionate tribute to the writer who turned the English countryside into the most dangerous place on the map. Coles is joined by fellow Christie fans to explore how the ‘murder in the countryside’ genre was born – and why it’s proved so enduring.

For lovers of the craft of fiction, this is an unmissable discussion on how the modern Western novel became a global form, with three great writers. Hisham Matar and Kamila Shamsie talk to Pankaj Mishra about the challenges and opportunities of representing a complex world and global identities in fiction.

Matar’s debut novel In the Country of Men was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and his memoir of the search for his father, The Return, won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography. Shamsie’s Home Fire won the Women’s Prize for Fiction and her novels have been shortlisted for multiple awards. Mishra’s latest book is The World After Gaza.

The session is hosted by Equator, a political and cultural magazine founded to tell stories traditionally neglected by Western narratives.

Home Fire author Kamila Shamsie chairs a discussion on violence, female power and freedom, through the lens of Tahmima Anam’s fiercely moving novel, Uprising.

Inspired by the real women of Banishanta, Bangladesh, the book follows the lives of a group of enslaved women on a desolate, sinking island, where their children witness the lives of cruelty and servitude that await them. But when a new woman arrives and refuses to accept this destiny, she opens up a horizon of justice and resistance. The children begin to imagine a life of freedom, and collective complacency soon turns into ferocious defiance.

Alex Jones (The One Show) is joined by writers from across the Festival in a celebration of their favourite books. They’ll each come armed with a list of recommendations they think you’ll love. Jones will also reveal the Hay Festival Pleasure List – the ultimate list of joyful reading as suggested by you, our audience. This event is perfect for book clubs, or anyone looking for new ideas of what to read next.

Prepare to suspend reality as the Reverend Richard Coles entertains the whole family with fantastical true stories of scrapes, escapes and close shaves from his first book for children. Hear about the theft of Albert Einstein’s brain, pick apart the sticky maple syrup mystery, and find out how McDonald’s was involved in a million-dollar heist! Uproarious tales brilliantly told will leave all with a curiosity for cracking crime… before bedtime.

Join the chairs of the 2026 Women’s Prizes for Fiction and Non-Fiction as they discuss the remarkable books recognised by this year’s prizes. Thangam Debbonaire is a politician, cultural strategist and CEO of UK Opera Association. Julia Gillard is the former Prime Minister of Australia, and a women’s rights campaigner. Claire Shanahan, executive director of the Women’s Prize Trust, will introduce the discussion.

The Women’s Prize Trust is the charity behind the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the largest celebration of female creativity in the world, and the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, which recognises brilliant writing by female thought-leaders, changemakers and experts.

Experience evocative storytelling that bridges page and screen, in this screening of award-winning actress Alex Kingston’s narration of Mary Shelley’s timeless gothic horror story.

Kingston breathes life into the story of young, gifted scientist Victor Frankenstein, who unwittingly creates a monster. Written more than 200 years ago, the classic masterpiece still resonates today as a tragic romance that examines the battle between ambition and morality.

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

Can the past live inside us, even if we have no knowledge of it? British-Palestinian author Selma Dabbagh and Mexican poet, author and translator Elisa Díaz Castelo discuss violence, collective trauma and literary inspiration, led by the chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, Gaby Wood.

Dabbagh’s writing explores the themes of idealism (however futile), placelessness and political engagement (or lack thereof). Castelo writes on intergenerational history and considers how the pasts that live inside us – including those we have no knowledge of – affect the present.

A huge treat for Ruth Ozeki fans as she visits the Hay Festival for the first time. Ahead of publication, Ozeki exclusively unveils her first ever collection of short stories. In conversation with the broadcaster, Samira Ahmed, Ozeki introduces the 11 stories which make up The Typing Lady – each with characters standing at thresholds in their lives: childhood ambition, youthful desire, mid‑life reinvention, and the clarity of old age. For readers of Ozeki’s prize-winning The Book of Form and Emptiness, this is a wonderful opportunity to hear from the author herself about her latest brilliant creation.

A real wait-and-see moment! The International Booker Prize is announced in May 2026, and here we present the winning author and translator in conversation with one of the judges, Sophie Hughes, the most-nominated International Booker Prize translator, and chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, Gaby Wood. The world’s most influential prize for translated fiction, the International Booker Prize is awarded annually for a single book translated into English, and celebrates the vital work of translation with the £50,000 prize money divided equally between author and translator. The prize is a global celebration of a community of writers and readers whose experiences and shared love of literature transcend borders.

Since the 1980s, Brazilian writer Milton Hatoum has depicted a hauntingly accurate pattern: the rise-and-fall cycle of Northern empires, endlessly repeating itself every few decades. In this event, Hatoum explores themes that have helped him find his own creative voice, including memory, democracy and the role that time and literature play in reshaping our common knowledge of history.

Hatoum is a three-time winner of the Jabuti Award, Brazil’s oldest and most prestigious literary prize. He speaks to literary journalist and translator Ángel Gurría-Quintana.

The debut novelist discusses his book, a poignant story exploring the extraordinary impact of the Windrush scandal on ordinary lives. McKenzie-Goddard is a UK-based writer and podcaster with Barbadian-Jamaican roots, and he talks to author Kamila Shamsie about his impulse to write about forgotten lives and unheard stories.

Smallie follows a family from Barbados to Britain, exploring themes of connection, community and country. Emotive, striking and important, the novel is expected to top many of the year’s must-read lists.

Two award-winning novelists discuss their work and their common theme of the relationship between people and planet, with BBC broadcaster Kirsty Lang.

Twice nominated for the Man Booker Prize, Sarah Hall is the award-winning author of several novels and short-story collections. Her most recent book Helm explores the interplay of nature and humanity through the character of a ferocious, mischievous wind who has blasted the landscape of the Eden Valley since the dawn of time, but now seems diminished.

Samantha Harvey won the Booker Prize in 2024 for her space-set novel, Orbital, in which a team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct experiments and test the limits of the human body, all while asking what life is without Earth, and what Earth is without humanity.

Master storyteller Helen Oyeyemi presents her playful new novel A New New Me.

Set over the course of a week, the book is the story of Kinga, who exists in seven different versions, Kingas A to G. When Kinga A discovers a man tied up in their apartment, the Kingas have to deal with the possibility that one of them might be planning to destroy them all.

Oyeyemi is the author of several novels including Parasol Against the Axe, and won the Somerset Maugham Award for White is for Witching. She talks to journalist Kirsty Lang.

Experience evocative storytelling that bridges page and screen, in this screening of award-winning actor Sacha Dhawan’s narration of George Orwell’s profoundly impactful and thought-provoking classic.

Dhawan gives an electrifying and fresh approach to Orwell’s chilling critique of totalitarianism and the dangers of unchecked power. Despite the book’s bleak tone, the compelling narrative ensures its enduring popularity and relevance.

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

How did the divisions of the American Revolutionary War play out in literature? On the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Professor of American Literature Sarah Churchwell and historian Simon Schama consider how American and British literature diverged in the wake of revolution – and how these literary traditions eventually found their way back to each other.

With discussion and short readings of their favourite books from both sides of the Atlantic, this session traces how writers responded to political rupture, cultural independence and shared language, and how a transatlantic literary relationship was reshaped, challenged and renewed over time.

How will our everyday lives be altered by climate change in 100 years? In his new novel, Ian McEwan imagines the radical changes we’ll all have had to accept. What We Can Know is the story of a great poem, read aloud in 2014 and never heard again. A century later, in 2119, scholar Tom Metcalfe is living in a UK ravaged by climate change when he stumbles across a clue that may lead to the lost poem.

Here, McEwan reflects on his career, the inspiration behind his book and what it means to write about climate change. He’s in conversation with Julia Gillard, whose work as Chair of the Wellcome Trust supports science to solve the planet’s urgent challenges. McEwan’s 18 novels include the Booker Prize-winning Amsterdam, and Atonement, which was adapted into a BAFTA-winning film.

Tanya Sweeney discusses her debut novel, a story of obsession and modern life, with Irish novelist Liz Nugent. In Esther is Now Following You, Esther first sees actor Ted in a park in London. Feeling something she’s never felt before when their eyes meet, she begins researching him, and soon joins a fan site where she and the ‘Tedettes’ stalk his every move. When Ted gets a girlfriend, Esther leaves her husband, takes all their savings and buys a one-way ticket to Canada, convinced she and Ted belong together.

Sweeney and Nugent discuss fame, family and what we do to cope when life gets too much. Sweeney is an Irish journalist, columnist and regular contributor to radio and TV. Nugent is the author of five crime novels, most recently The Truth About Ruby Cooper.

How do you write characters who feel authentic, original and intriguing? How do you fill your fiction with people your readers feel compelled to spend time with? Award-winning writer Helen Oyeyemi (A New New Me) will help you develop or create fresh aspects of your characters’ relationships to each other, as well as your characters’ perceptions of their own stories. Through short writing exercises and discussion you’ll refresh your approaches to the people you’re imagining.

Arvon is the UK’s leading creative writing charity. Founded in 1968, it is known for its diverse creative writing courses and events led by leading authors. Its online programme offers writing weeks, writing days, masterclasses and a Saturday Writing Club. Residential courses are set in historic writing houses in inspiring countryside locations. Courses cover a range of genres including fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, theatre, screenwriting and more.

Irish storytelling comes to the fore in this discussion between writer Liz Nugent and actor Ardal O’Hanlon. They discuss their new books, the craft of creating a mystery story and how Ireland’s heritage and culture impacts their work, with author Kim Sherwood.

Nugent’s The Truth About Ruby Cooper is about sisters Ruby and Erin, whose world implodes when Ruby is involved in an accident, causing a wake of destruction that lasts decades. Nugent brings experience in film, theatre and television to her work as a writer. O’Hanlon’s A Plot to Die For is the first in a new mystery series about beloved celebrity gardener Finn O’Leary, who returns to his hometown to care for his mother and finds himself trying to solve a murder, or two. Father Ted star O’Hanlon is one of Ireland’s best-loved actors and stand-up comedians.

Take a seat with the nation’s favourite therapist as she discusses her fiction debut with lifestyle journalist Gaby Huddart. In Shrink Solves Crime a body washes up near Beachy Head, and while the police chalk it up to suicide, local psychotherapist Patricia Philipps – whose patient is the victim – isn’t convinced. With her chaotic best friend Pritchard in tow, Patricia swaps the therapy room for the crime scene to catch a killer hiding in plain sight.

Perry speaks about creating a fictional therapist and the influences she’s taken from her own work and life. She is an artist and psychotherapist as well as a TV and radio presenter. Her best-selling non-fiction books include The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read.

An absolutely unmissable event with the queen of crime fiction. Val McDermid joins author Fflur Dafydd to introduce her latest book Silent Bones – a tense, multi-layered thriller. It’s the latest in McDermid’s popular Karen Pirie series, and navigates themes of corruption, privilege and hidden networks of the rich and powerful. A truly thrilling opportunity to hear from the iconic author herself about how she comes up with storylines, crime scenes and compelling characters... as well as the books she likes to read in her spare time. An absolute must for crime fiction super-fans.

Crime titles dominate the best-seller lists. Crime dramas fill our screens. And the biggest TV show of the year has us all rooting for deceit, deception and dastardly duplicity against the honesty of the faithful. We bring together a round table of our own to analyse the irresistible pull of the villain and what makes a good liar – with sports presenter Clare Balding, broadcaster David Olusoga and crime author Harriet Tyce talking to psychologist Philippa Perry.

Experience evocative storytelling that bridges page and screen, in this screening of BAFTA-nominated actor John Hannah’s narration of John Buchan’s First World War classic.

Hannah gives a thrilling reading performance, bringing to life the threat of murder, conspiracy and espionage that are the thrilling themes of Buchan’s gripping adventure novel set in London and Scotland against the backdrop of war.

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

A tantalising opportunity to hear from a writer at the top of his game. Jack Thorne won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for writing Netflix’s global hit, Adolescence, and changed the national conversation about social media and toxic masculinity in the process. His work across TV, film and the stage – most recently Lord of the Flies for the BBC – is bold, brilliant and fearless. Hear first-hand from a writer shaping the stories of our time, in conversation with ITV News presenter Julie Etchingham.

Dive into Glasgow in the 1970s, as Frances Crawford introduces her debut novel. Speaking to legendary crime writer Val McDermid, Crawford talks about graduating aged 60 with a degree in creative writing, getting her big break later in life, and the journey of her book.

A Bad, Bad Place follows 12-year-old Janey, who finds a murdered woman on an abandoned railway, and her grandmother Maggie, trying to protect her from the local hardman, whose daughter is the murder victim.

Crawford won Bloody Scotland/Glencairn Crime Short Story Competition and the first chapters of A Bad, Bad Place were Highly Commended by the Moniack Mohr Emerging Writer Awards 2024.

Two authors: licensed to thrill. Bond fans Vaseem Khan and Kim Sherwood discuss their reimaginings of the world of James Bond, bringing new and old characters to life. Both authors are working on books from the James Bond universe, at the invitation of the Ian Fleming Estate. They talk to Ava Glass, spy fiction writer and former investigative journalist.

Khan’s Quantum of Menace follows Q as he returns to his sleepy hometown. As he begins investigating the death of his childhood friend, a renowned quantum computer scientist, he soon finds danger closing in. Sherwood’s Hurricane Room is the latest in a series of Double O novels she is writing. When Agent 003 finds James Bond in Russia after years of searching, she just needs to get him out. But a mistrustful Bond only wants revenge on the head of a terrorist organisation with links to his past.

Three brilliant speakers, all with something completely different to say. Enjoy the range and variety of Hay Festival packaged into one entertaining session. This evening mathematician Marcus du Sautoy will debate how maths shapes our creativity, geneticist Adam Rutherford will prove that everyone in the audience is of royal descent, and author Sophia Smith Galer talks about how to kill a language. Chaired by former BBC and Sky News correspondent Robert Nisbet.

A must-attend event for Classics lovers with a world-class expert in Greek mythology. Daniel Mendelsohn has produced a brand new translation of The Odyssey, poised to become the authoritative English-language version of this magnificent, endlessly enjoyable masterpiece. He talks about the joys and challenges of translating such an iconic piece of work and why the story still appeals to modern audiences.

Mendelsohn is editor-at-large of the New York Review of Books, and author of An Odyssey: A Father, a Son, and an Epic, which was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize.

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!

Print: 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!

Chef, businesswoman and Great British Bake Off presenter Dame Prue Leith opens up about her extraordinary life via the pages of her favourite books. Leith’s CV is impressive to say the least. She started her first business at the age of 20. By 30, she’d opened Leiths, the Michelin-starred restaurant that made her name. She’s been a director of companies including British Rail, Woolworths and the Halifax Bank, and chair of the Royal Society of Arts. And still she finds time to read. Here she shares the books which have held a particular resonance for her through her life. Expect straight-talking and strong opinions and, of course, a fabulous pair of glasses.

Hay Festival is proud to support the National Year of Reading

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!