Families

Dennis the Menace has a special birthday wish – he wants to break the rules of reading! Beano’s Directors of Mischief and Mayhem, Craig Graham and Mike Stirling, help him in this jokey session, revealing their top-secret tips for creating the laugh-out-loud stories and comic strips in Beano, where Dennis has starred since 1951. They’ll also reveal insider info on how they’ve reinvented reading with their smash-hit latest Beano Boomic The Day We Got Lost in Time.

Join their Mischief Squad, as you help co-create the funniest Dennis the Menace comic strip of all time. This is the cheekiest, funniest, most creative show ever!

Wren James introduces their debut graphic novel, a funny and uplifting take on the ‘chosen one’ trope. In The Victors, Wren explores what happens after the chosen one has saved the world. In this interactive session they’ll discuss the process of creating an illustrated novel in collaboration with the artist, and give a crash course in visual storytelling, from comic book scripts to their work in a TV writer’s room on Netflix’s Heartstopper.

Wren is the award-winning author of many YA novels, including The Loneliest Girl in the Universe (previously published as Lauren James).

Join romance author Beth Reekles, creator of YA hit sensation The Kissing Booth, as she takes us through a fan-tastic journey into the world of fandoms, nerd culture and what it means to find a community where you belong – and, of course, that all important, fascinating insight into becoming a published author!

In Beth’s new novel For Real This Time, misfit and hardcore fangirl Anissa is finally coming out of her shell. She’s officially part of the group chat with the girls from college, and she’s even managed to bag work experience on the set of her favourite TV show. Things couldn’t be going better – until she meets the hot new actor behind her favourite character, and gets totally starstruck. Anissa’s about to realise that sometimes getting lost in the fantasy isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be…

Spend a morning visiting Whiskery Paw, where kittens abound in the brand new series from award-winning creator Laura Ellen Anderson. Meet the extraordinary cast of new characters in Star Kitties, including Tabitha Flair and her feline friends. Laura will show you how she creates magical new worlds, and invite you to help her design an exciting new Star Kitty. Then get your pencils at the ready and learn how to draw one of Tabitha’s adorable friends for yourself!

Join expert art historian and best-selling author Katy Hessel for an interactive journey through history and landscape, to celebrate her new Guide to Amazing Women Artists. Hessel has adapted her global sensation The Story of Art Without Men to bring the untold stories of art to a young audience, shedding light on the lives of women artists who have gone uncelebrated for too long.

From the Renaissance to the Second World War, and from Cornwall to Manhattan, Nigeria, Japan, step into the extraordinary lives of these women artists and marvel at the art they made, with its striking styles, hidden messages and calls for women’s rights. Discover how they changed the world with their art, and explore how to bring art into your every day.

Joanna Quinn is very excited to run this fun animation workshop, where she will introduce her endearing heroine, Beryl, and share the skills and knowledge of behind-the-scenes animation processes from her Oscar-nominated animation career.

Joanna’s creation Beryl is an unconventional heroine, a middle-aged factory worker pursuing her dream as an aspiring artist. Joanna’s film about Beryl and her eccentric family, Affairs of the Art, was nominated for Academy and BAFTA awards. An independent animator and director, Joanna holds over a hundred international awards, including four BAFTAs and two Emmys.

 Enjoy undersea antics with Aoife Dooley as she presents her hilarious, zany and action-packed graphic novel Squid Squad. Spongebob Squarepants meets Bunny Versus Monkey in this cartoon chronicle of ocean mayhem. Join naughty best friends Ollie the vampire squid and Zing the toxin-squirting sea bunny as they cause chaos in the deep sea with the rest of their wacky crew, from the stinky Blob to the crafty Hypno-snail and the mysterious Snakey Unicorn Thing…

Aoife Dooley is an award-winning Irish illustrator and graphic designer who shares how an autism diagnosis helped her to truly understand herself. Squid Squad is a celebration of imagination, friendship and being completely unique.

Join award-winning author-illustrator Ed Vere for a story-time session celebrating Waffles and Julius: No Hugs Please – a new, brilliantly funny picture book about friendship and respecting each other’s differences.

Waffles loves hugs and would very much like to hug his friend Julius. Julius, however, doesn’t want a hug right now. Can Waffles wait? Ed will bring his crayons to show you how to draw Waffles and Julius… Sketch along with Ed and see how easy it is to draw this loveable duo!

The blockbuster Skandar series concluded last year with fifth book Skandar and the Spirit War, and is set to hit the big screen with Sony Pictures. This is an unmissable opportunity to hear about it all straight from the unicorn’s mouth, as author AF Steadman shares the inspirations behind her unlikely heroes, elemental magic, sky battles, ancient secrets and ferocious single-horned beasts.

Come prepared to create your own bloodthirsty unicorn, take part in the Chaos Cup and discover elemental magic!

Jay Hunt, Creative Director for Apple TV+ in Europe and chair of both the BFI and Hay Festival, will draw on her extensive experience to offer invaluable insights and advice for a career in TV production.

Before joining Apple, Hunt was Chief Creative Officer of Channel 4. She has also served as Controller of BBC One and Director of Programmes at Channel 5. In 2023, she was named one of the Top Twenty Most Powerful Women in Global Entertainment by The Hollywood Reporter.

Joanna Quinn is very excited to run this fun animation workshop, where she will introduce her endearing heroine, Beryl, and share the skills and knowledge of behind-the-scenes animation processes from her Oscar-nominated animation career.

Joanna’s creation Beryl is an unconventional heroine, a middle-aged factory worker pursuing her dream as an aspiring artist. Joanna’s film about Beryl and her eccentric family, Affairs of the Art, was nominated for Academy and BAFTA awards. An independent animator and director, Joanna holds over a hundred international awards, including four BAFTAs and two Emmys.

Calling all pet fans! Join Pia’s Pet Club with Serena Patel, author of the award-winning Anisha, Accidental Detective. Serena will introduce you to Pia, a girl who loves pets, but isn’t allowed one of her own (maybe like you)! But Pia doesn’t give up easily and forms Pet Club with her friend Hari.

Serena will tell you about her own pets, kittens Arlo and Bean and a brand-new puppy. She’ll test your pet-based knowledge with a PAWesome quiz (do you know what percentage of the time cats spend sleeping?) and help you create your own pet story character.

The latest in the Pia’s Pet Club series is Pia’s Pet Club: Secret Kitten, and there’s an official World Book Day book coming up in 2026 – Pia’s Pet Club: Iguana Escape.

Award-winning author and illustrator David Litchfield is bringing his Bear Band to Hay Festival on a 10th anniversary concert tour! David will read his book The Bear and the Piano, (winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2016) accompanied by live music, with David on guitar, Rebecca De Winter on piano and lots of audience participation.

After this very special story time, stick around to help David create a piece of animal-related artwork. You can even join David’s Merry Band of Bears as they perform a live music concert. There’ll be plenty of fun for both Little Bears and Big Bears.

Don’t miss some far-out fun with Olaf Falafel! Join the award-winning comedian, author and illustrator for a fun, interactive session inspired by his new graphic novel The Far-Out Five: Snot Jelly Island. Olaf will be telling jokes, sharing tips on creating funny comics and guiding you through drawing one of his wonderfully weird characters. Warning: this event will contain art, farts and bum-faced woodlice!

In this entertaining event for absolutely everyone, we’re celebrating inclusivity in reading in an interactive storytelling session for all the family.

The 2026 Inclusive Books for Children (IBC) Awards winners are: Let’s Play by Alex Strick, Annie Kubler and Sarah Dellow for baby and toddler books; The Beautiful Layers of Me by Sophia Payne and Ruchi Mhasane for picture books; Supa Nova by Chanté Timothy for children’s fiction; and Cloud Boy by Greg Stobbs is the Children’s Choice Award winner.

IBC is a charity with a free website for families, schools and libraries to help easily choose books for a more inclusive bookshelf. IBC showcases stories that represent all types of family, featuring books with a variety of ethnicities, positive images of disabilities and different identities.

The IBC Awards celebrate the talent behind the best new inclusive children’s books published in the UK across three categories: baby and toddler books (1–3 years), picture books (3–7 years) and highly illustrated children’s fiction (5–9 years). The Festival bookshop features a dedicated Inclusive Books for Children section showcasing IBC’s top-reviewed books of the year. Come along and get your books signed after the event!

Enter the dangerous, magical world of the Geomancer, as Kiran Millwood Hargrave leads us through a quest with the future of the whole world at stake. In The Ship of Strays, the thrilling third book in her epic fantasy trilogy, heroine Ysolda has unlocked the earth magic, and its powers are rising within her. With a rebel princess by her side, she is racing against the fearsome wolf queen. But they’re in for a stormy journey…

In this inspiring mixed media workshop, you’ll explore the legendary Persian bird, the Simurgh, and the folklore that surrounds it. The Simurgh is a mythical creature and an ancient symbol that appears across time and cultures and in different legends, often with varying roles, qualities and names. It is sometimes depicted with a head of a dog, lion’s claws and a peacock’s body. All materials and equipment provided – just bring your imagination!

University of Worcester staff and students from the Department of Illustration and the International Centre for the Picture Book in Society (ICPBS) return to Hay Festival with their engaging workshops to inspire all young creatives.

Batten down the hatches for the arrival of the next How to Train Your Dragon School adventure! Legendary author and illustrator Cressida Cowell is back, and she’s drawing up a storm. In this high-energy event full of chatting and sketching, Cressida will show you how Viking and Dragon Heroes are made.

In their latest exploit, Hiccup and his fellow Warriors-in-Training are learning Disastrous Lesson Number Two: Boarding-An-Enemy-Ship-At-Sea. Well, they’re supposed to be learning about enemy ships at sea. But when they come across a mysterious vessel, with a ripped sail and nobody driving it, Hiccup’s heart sinks. They really, really shouldn’t get onboard. But… as on so many occasions in Hiccup’s life, they are going to do it anyway.

Step into a mystical fae world with Welsh author Anna Fiteni as she takes you on a journey through the history and fantasy that shaped her homegrown YA debut novel, The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire.

Lush, romantic and hypnotic, Fiteni’s whimsical tale finds sensible Sabrina Parry drawn into a world of disarmingly attractive faeries after her sister vanishes in the woods. Budding writers and romantasy readers will love this event, as Fiteni offers practical writing tips, imagines a snapshot of Wales’s enchanting history, and takes a deep dive into the global influence of Welsh fantasy.

In this inspiring mixed media workshop, you’ll explore the legendary Persian bird, the Simurgh, and the folklore that surrounds it. The Simurgh is a mythical creature and an ancient symbol that appears across time and cultures and in different legends, often with varying roles, qualities and names. It is sometimes depicted with a head of a dog, lion’s claws and a peacock’s body. All materials and equipment provided – just bring your imagination!

University of Worcester staff and students from the Department of Illustration and the International Centre for the Picture Book in Society (ICPBS) return to Hay Festival with their engaging workshops to inspire all young creatives.

Paterson Joseph is an actor​ and author​. He is known for extensive theatre work with the Royal Shakespeare Company and acclaimed screen roles in Peep Show, Vigil and Wonka. Paterson will draw on his extensive experience to offer invaluable insights and advice for anyone interested in a career in performance. He talks to comedian and actress Cariad Lloyd.

This event is one of a Hay Festival series of sessions delivered by inspiring producers and practitioners from the creative industries, giving their insights, experience and advice on progression in their field.

Author and illustrator Jim Smith brings friendship, fun and toilet jokes galore to this event launching the fifth instalment in his graphic novel series My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary.

Join best friends Pedro, Olga and Ozzy – otherwise known as the Poopies – on a series of fun adventure stories, and help them solve mysteries of the most unexpected kind… such as the case of the unflushed poos.

In between author/illustrating, Jim Smith is a kids’ book spellchecker, and also designs cards and gifts under the name Waldo Pancake. As well as spellchecking, Jim offers a free smellchecking service with every book – these ones stink.

In this inspiring arts workshop, supporting neurodivergent participants, you’ll use DIY print-making processes, recycled materials and mixed media to produce a portrait of yourself, or of somebody or something that you love. All materials and equipment provided – just bring your imagination!

University of Worcester staff and students from the Department of Illustration and the International Centre for the Picture Book in Society (ICPBS) return to Hay Festival with their engaging workshops to inspire all young creatives.

Join Bea Fitzgerald, Tiktok star and Sunday Times best-selling author of Girl, Goddess, Queen, as she talks about her latest novel A Beautiful Evil – a romantic reimagining of the myth of Pandora, the first ever woman, in which love may very well be the end of the world.

We’ll discuss our favourite romantasy tropes, reimagine myths for a young adult audience and connect with feminist themes in ancient tales. This event is for myth lovers and newbies alike, although vendettas against Zeus are highly encouraged.

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.

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.

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.

Join the much-loved author/illustrator of Ottoline and Goth Girl to dip a toe into the underwater secrets of his new fantasy adventure. In A Mermaid’s Diary, we meet shy mermaid Atalanta Scrimshaw, who lives a quiet life in the backwater of Sleepy Cove. But Atalanta must break out of her comfort zone when unscrupulous developers threaten to transform her home into a seaside golf resort.

The former Children’s Laureate will share insights into this tale full of his stunning illustration and signature allusive wit. Can Atalanta enlist her friends’ help to stop the development from destroying her home?

Discover more about Black British history with actor and author Paterson Joseph, as he takes us back in time to meet ten inspiring, rebellious and brave children. Goddaughter to the Queen of England. Human rights activist. Librarian and author. Former slave… The ten were all born when slavery was still legal, but went on to change the world for the better, helping to secure their own freedom and the freedom of so many. Paterson will tell the stories of the ten aged ten, and answer the question: how did these inspirational people change the world?

Paterson is one of Britain’s best-loved actors (Vigil, Noughts & Crosses, Wonka, Peep Show) and author of award-winning historical novel The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho. Ten is his first book for children.

How can you use art to protest injustice and galvanise others to resist? Caryl Lewis has imagined some answers, in her suspenseful new YA novel about teens finding their voices in the darkest of times. Join Caryl as she discusses dystopia, destruction and defiance, and shares advice for young writers embarking on their own creative journey.

Caryl takes us into the near-future of The Danger of Small Things, a world where all the bees have died and young girls are taken to camps and made to pollinate by hand. Against this frighteningly real scenario, she explores how art and literature might yet save us.

Just Visiting is a heartening and humorous piece of theatre, woven from real memories and explored through storytelling and puppetry. A gentle dance through grief to discover joy and meaning.

About Face is a professional learning disability theatre company based in Herefordshire, which has developed a reputation for highly creative, unusual, and thought-provoking work. Created from the actors’ own stories, this show captures grief from many angles; personal yet universal, poignant and funny. Audiences are invited to laugh, cry and connect with the most human experience which unites all of us.

Get ready to be inspired, amazed and totally fascinated by the incredible human body with the nation’s most-loved doctor! Dr Ranj will guide young curiosity seekers on an exciting adventure exploring every nook and cranny of the wondrous world within us: from the powerhouse of the heart to the bustling networks of the brain.

The BAFTA-award-winning TV presenter, musical theatre star and best-selling author will share fun facts about what makes us tick from his new book Dr Ranj’s Human Body Encyclopedia, top tips on wellbeing and keeping your body healthy and happy, as well as reminders of everything that makes every single one of us special.

Embark on an epic animal adventure with the award‑winning historian and television presenter (Digging for Britain) as she introduces the jaw-dropping sequel to her highly acclaimed debut novel Wolf Road. Professor Alice Roberts bases her stories on real archaeological discoveries, and in this event she takes us on a stunning journey through the prehistoric landscape.

In Wolf Mountain, the seasons are changing and Tuuli, along with her faithful wolf cub Lupa, is on the move. Leaving her tribe behind, she sets out across the Tundra to discover a new world and find the family of Andar, the friend she has lost. With danger everywhere, will Tuuli find who she is looking for?

Get ready to rhyme, rap and ROAR with laughter!

Join former Children’s Laureate and poetry icon Michael Rosen and award-winning rap teacher and viral sensation, MC Grammar, for a riotous celebration of words. These two masters of language pit Raps against Rhymes in a high-energy carnival of poetry, performance and pure fun. Perfect for families and anyone who loves wordplay. It will leave you smiling, inspired and maybe even freestyling your own ridiculous rhymes all the way home!