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Hay Festival 2024

Escape the day-to-day at Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye 2024. Join us 23 May–2 June at our free-to-enter Festival site. Explore the full programme and book your individual events below. If you want to see the programme at a glance, please use our schedule view.

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Event FiltersYou are viewing events filtered bySunday 26 May 2024Reset all filters
Page  2 of 4
WorkshopRotoscope Animation Workshop

Event W14

Rotoscope Animation Workshop

With MASH Cinema

–  Creative Hub
Read more

Rotoscope and remix! Leave your mark – help reanimate, reimagine and remix short films with visual artists MASH Cinema. During the workshop you’ll experiment with techniques pioneered by animator Max Fleischer to produce new moving image artwork in this fun, hands-on collaborative creative project. Completed animations will be available to view online.

9–11 years
Parents/carers may attend (no ticket required), or sign children in/out.
This event has taken place
ActivityMake & Take Crafting

Event MT5

Make & Take Crafting

Sunday Lunchtime Session

–  Make & Take Hub
Read more

An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative: your imagination is the 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.

3–11 years
This event has taken place
ConversationWes Streeting talks to Samira Ahmed

Event 81

Wes Streeting talks to Samira Ahmed

One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up

–  Global Stage
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The front-bench Labour MP grew up on a council estate in Stepney, East London, the son of teenage parents. His maternal grandfather Bill, an unsuccessful armed robber, spent time behind bars, as did his grandmother, who was also a political campaigner. He brings to life the struggle and heartache of his parents’ and grandparents’ lives in poverty; the choices they had to make between feeding the meter and feeding the family. He is also passionate about the life-changing power of education. Encouraged by a series of inspirational teachers, he won a place at Cambridge, and later became head of education at Stonewall. He talks to BBC broadcaster Samira Ahmed about his journey to become an elected MP in 2015 and now Shadow Health Secretary.

This event has taken place
 
PanelPeter Pomerantsev and Maria Ressa talk to Oliver Bullough

Event 82

Peter Pomerantsev and Maria Ressa talk to Oliver Bullough

On Propaganda

–  Discovery Stage
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Propaganda, fake news and the fight for the narrative define contemporary and past wars and society. How do we identify and combat propaganda, and how should we move forward from it? Our panel discuss how to deal with biased and misleading communication with Oliver Bullough, author of Butler to the World.

Peter Pomerantsev is author of How to Win an Information War: The Propagandist who Outwitted Hitler. A Soviet-born British journalist and TV producer, he is Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics’ Institute of Global Affairs. Nobel Peace Prize-winner Maria Ressa is author of How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future. Co-founder and CEO of the Filippino online news site Rappler, she is a Fellow at Columbia’s new Institute of Global Politics.

This event has taken place
ConversationChris Thorogood talks to Robert Penn

Event 83

Chris Thorogood talks to Robert Penn

Pathless Forest

–  Wye Stage
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The Indiana Jones of the botanical world recounts his quest to find and save Rafflesia, the world’s largest flowers, from extinction. Talking to writer, photographer and broadcaster Robert Penn, botanist Chris Thorogood offers a fantastic glimpse into the world of extreme fieldwork, with local guides and foresters, braving leeches, kidnap, monitor lizards and lethal forest swamps.

Finding Rafflesia completes Thorogood’s childhood obsession with these plants. From the age of eight he was growing vines up his curtain pole. Today that boy is a world specialist on parasitic plants, Deputy Director of Science at the Oxford Botanic Gardens and a regular panellist on Gardeners’ Question Time.

This event has taken place
ConversationTéa Obreht and Sarah Perry talk to John Mitchinson

Event 84

Téa Obreht and Sarah Perry talk to John Mitchinson

Fictions: Past and Future

–  Meadow Stage
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The American and British novelists discuss their latest work. Téa Obreht won the Orange Prize in 2011 for The Tiger’s Wife. Her new novel The Morningside follows Silvia and her mother, expelled from their ancestral home, to a crumbling luxury tower in a dystopian future. Silvia knows nothing about why she and her mother came to be here, but an aunt offers glimpses of her demolished homeland. Sarah Perry’s Enlightenment is a story of love and astronomy told over the course of 20 years through the lives of two improbable best friends, torn between their commitment to religion and their desire for more. They develop an obsession with the 19th-century female astronomer said to haunt a nearby manor. Could astronomy offer as much wonder as divine or earthly love? Perry’s previous novels include The Essex Serpent, which was adapted into an Apple TV series starring Tom Hiddleston and Claire Danes. Obreht and Perry talk to publisher and writer John Mitchinson.

This event has taken place
PerformanceClare Hammond

Event 85

Clare Hammond

Hay Music Concert

–  St Mary’s Church
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Well known to Hay Music audiences and acclaimed as a “pianist of extraordinary gifts” (Gramophone) and “immense power” (The Times), Clare Hammond is recognised for the virtuosity and authority of her performances. In 2016, she won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Young Artist Award in recognition of outstanding achievement. In the fine setting of St Mary’s Church, Hammond plays a programme comprising: Clara Schumann: Three Romances Op. 21; Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 ‘Moonlight’; Samy Moussa: Al’assaut des jardins; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sonata in D major, K. 311 and Cécile Chaminade: ‘Impromptu’ Étude de Concert, Op. 35 No. 5 and Étude Romantique, Op. 132.

This event has taken place
ConversationBBC Radio 4: Orwell Vs. Kafka

Event 429

BBC Radio 4: Orwell Vs. Kafka

–  Exchange Marquee
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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.

This event has taken place
ConversationLouie Stowell

Event F17

Louie Stowell

Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Ruling the World

–  Spring Stage
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Are you a fan of Norse myths? Have you ever wondered what Loki, the mischievous shape-shifter and cunning trickster god would be like if they were banished to Earth in the form of an 11-year-old? Well, look no further – this is the event for you! Join author and Norse myth super fan Louie Stowell to hear all about her bestselling series Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to… Discover how to draw Loki and even create your own Norse gods in this interactive event packed full of humour and cool facts.

Please bring your own sketchbook and pencils to draw along in this event.

9+ years
This event has taken place
WorkshopRotoscope Animation Workshop

Event W15

Rotoscope Animation Workshop

With MASH Cinema

–  Creative Hub
Read more

Rotoscope and remix! Leave your mark – help reanimate, reimagine and remix short films with visual artists MASH Cinema. During the workshop you’ll experiment with techniques pioneered by animator Max Fleischer to produce new moving image artwork in this fun, hands-on collaborative creative project. Completed animations will be available to view online.

12+ years
No parent/carer attendance nor sign in/out is required.
This event has taken place
ConversationCaroline Lucas

Event 86

Caroline Lucas

Another England

–  Global Stage
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Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion and the UK’s first and only Green Party MP, delves into our literary heritage to explore what it can teach us about the most pressing issues of our time, from the toxic legacy of Empire to the struggle for constitutional reform and the accelerating climate emergency. Today the dominant story of English nationhood is told by cheerleaders for Brexit, exceptionalism and imperial nostalgia. Focusing on stories of the English people’s radical inclusivity, their deep-rooted commitment to the natural world, their long struggle to win rights for all, Lucas sketches out an alternative Englishness: one that we can all embrace to build a greener, fairer future. In conversation with Brenda Hale, judge and former President of the Supreme Court.

This event has taken place
 
ConversationFrancis Spufford talks to Tiffany Murray

Event 87

Francis Spufford talks to Tiffany Murray

Fictions: Keeping the Peace

–  Wye Stage
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Join the novelist for a discussion of writing and their latest book. Francis Spufford’s Cahokia Jazz takes place in 1922, in an America that never was, when two detectives find a body on a roof. A delicate peace holds in the city of Cahokia, but that body is about to spark off a week that will spill the city’s secrets and bring it either to destruction or rebirth. Spufford talks to writer Tiffany Murray.

This event has taken place
ConversationJulius Roberts

Event 88

Julius Roberts

The Farm Table Cookbook: Demo and Tasting

–  Meadow Stage
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Watch the professional at work in this cooking demonstration and tasting session as chef and farmer Julius Roberts shares simple, seasonal recipes and tales from his Dorset smallholding. After a year at London’s Noble Rot, he longed for a simpler life and to grow his own food. Four piglets were soon joined by chickens, goats, sheep and an extensive vegetable patch. Three years later, his debut cookbook The Farm Table contains 100 recipes using affordable, seasonal ingredients. Each chapter has a mix of smaller plates, veggie dishes, fish and meat, with a few easy puddings to finish.

This event has taken place
ConversationMaggie Aderin-Pocock

Event F18

Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Imagine… Science: Am I Made of Stardust?

–  Discovery Stage
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Award-winning scientist and BBC broadcaster Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock returns to Hay Festival with more of her fabulous facts, mind-blowing insights and engaging explanations. Dr Maggie’s new book Am I Made of Stardust? addresses such questions as whether there are rainbows on other planets, and what dinner tastes like on the International Space Station…

9+ years
This event has taken place
ConversationLaura Bates

Event F19

Laura Bates

Sisters of Sword and Shadow

–  Spring Stage
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Take a fresh look at chivalry with activist and bestselling feminist writer Laura Bates. She introduces her new YA fantasy Sisters of Sword and Shadow, a reimagining of the tales of the Arthurian Round Table through a feminist lens. Discover the Sisterhood of Silk Knights who live in a world of ancient feuds and glorious battles and who are determined to protect their community and right the wrongs of men. Laura shares her original inspiration, her action-packed research at Knight school and why she hopes this novel will energise and bring joy to feminists young and old.

14+ years
Please bring your own notebook and pen or pencil.
This event has taken place
ActivityMake & Take Crafting

Event MT6

Make & Take Crafting

Sunday Afternoon Session

–  Make & Take Hub
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An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative: your imagination is the 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.

3–11 years
This event has taken place
WorkshopPizza-making Workshop

Event W16

Pizza-making Workshop

Kitchen Garden Pizza

–  Family Garden
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Come to the Family Garden for a pizza masterclass with Kitchen Garden Pizza. In this one-hour session your imagination and creativity will be fed along with your belly! You’ll get your hands messy with freshly grown and foraged ingredients, make and top your own dough and observe the pizzaioli at work at the wood-fired oven. And while you wait for your pizza to cook, you can decorate your own pizza box!
Dairy-free and gluten-free options available

4+ years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place
WorkshopRotoscope Animation Workshop

Event W17

Rotoscope Animation Workshop

With MASH Cinema

–  Creative Hub
Read more

Rotoscope and remix! Leave your mark – help reanimate, reimagine and remix short films with visual artists MASH Cinema. During the workshop you’ll experiment with techniques pioneered by animator Max Fleischer to produce new moving image artwork in this fun, hands-on collaborative creative project. Completed animations will be available to view online.

7–9 years
Parents/carers must attend but do not need a ticket.
This event has taken place
ConversationMarian Keyes talks to Kirsty Lang

Event 89

Marian Keyes talks to Kirsty Lang

My Favourite Mistake

–  Global Stage
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Facing a minor mid-life crisis, Anna packs in her high-powered life in New York – complete with beautiful apartment, well-meaning partner, and excellent job – to head back to Ireland for a PR job at a super-high-end coastal resort. Even though the locals hate the resort, there’s no wrinkle Anna can’t smooth over… apart from her own mistakes, which have followed her from New York. Much-loved author and literary phenomenon Marian Keyes introduces Anna, the star of her newest book My Favourite Mistake, discusses her writing career and perhaps even shares a few of her own favourite mistakes.

There will be no signing after this event.
This event has taken place
ConversationTaras Grescoe and Pen Vogler

Event 90

Taras Grescoe and Pen Vogler

Once and Future Food

–  Discovery Stage
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The two writers discuss the history and future of food. Taras Grescoe argues that the key to sustainable eating lies in looking back to the foods, many almost extinct, that have sustained us throughout existence. His The Lost Supper reveals the flavours captivating gastronomes today: ancient sourdough bread last baked by Egyptian pharaohs; raw-milk farmhouse cheese from endangered British cattle; ham from Spanish pata negra pigs foraging on acorns. To save these foods, we have to eat them, or face famine and ecological collapse. Pen Vogler tells the stories of foods at the centre of social upheaval: the medieval inns boosted by the plague; the Enclosures that finished off the roast goose; the post-war supermarkets luring customers with strawberries. Her book Stuffed draws on cookbooks, literature and social records, to tell a tale of feast and famine. In times of plenty, we stuff ourselves. When the food runs out, we’re stuffed too. In conversation with writer, photographer and broadcaster Robert Penn.

This event has taken place
 
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