Young Adult

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time author weaves ancient fables into fresh, unexpected forms and forges new unforgettable legends, reimagining stories from Laika the Soviet space dog on her fateful orbit to St Anthony wrestling with loneliness in the desert.

The myth of the Minotaur in his labyrinth becomes a wrenching parable of maternal love – and of the monstrosities of patriarchy. Actaeon, changed into a stag after glimpsing the naked Diana and torn to pieces by his hunting dogs, becomes a visceral metaphor about how humans use and misuse animals. From genetic engineering to the eternal complications of family, Haddon shows us that we’re subject to the same elemental forces that obsessed the Greeks.

Fee Mak shares her career journey – from her start as a professional ballet dancer with the Royal Ballet School through to becoming a national BBC Radio broadcaster, and her love for literature which has led to her chairing events at leading UK literature festivals.

Join Fee in this workshop-style event, one of this 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.

Please bring your own notebook and pen to this event.

The Platform is a new space for young, emerging artists to share their work with Hay Festival audiences. Spanning a diverse range of art forms, The Platform aims to elevate and develop outstanding creative artists at the start of their careers. BBC Radio broadcaster Fee Mak hosts this session, where you can discover and support some of the best young talent working in the UK today.

Performances will be approx 20 minutes.

Alexis Maxwell - The Space Between Us
The Space Between Us is a live spoken word performance with animated visuals, exploring what it means to be human through a speculative, sci-fi lens. Blending poetry and digital storytelling, it centres on non-human figures -Androids, Machines and Aliens- as metaphors for marginalised identities; weaving together personal reflections and cultural narratives to touch on the ways we navigate belonging, otherness and the shifting borders of identity.

Alexis Maxwell is an interdisciplinary storyteller, self-taught animator and long-time fan of all things spoken word. They adopt a socially involved approach to exploring their lived experiences; using a blend of sound, projection and poetry to merge the digital and physical realms. Loudly and proudly working class, they navigate the art sector with a tongue in cheek use of its overblown terminology and a healthy dose of imposter syndrome; not shying away from crudely drawn imagery, purposely distorted audio and cheap alternatives to the modern technology that is so necessary to contemporary art.

Eden Peppercorn - NED (Extracts from Vegemite Sandwich)
“A blistered film reel. A man made of steel. Twenty-seven paintings, enamel on hardboard. The foamed sweat on the neck of a stolen horse. Ned is a black box against a finely painted orange-blue sky.”

Australian-born, British-raised theatremaker Eden Peppercorn leads us through a vivid, visceral dream of a homeland with the ghost of Antipodean antihero Ned Kelly as our companion. NED is a series of extracts from their current work-in-progress Vegemite Sandwich, through which they try to navigate the landscape of their dual nationality and the colonial shadows that hang over modern stories of im/emigration down under.

Eden Peppercorn is a writer, theatremaker and visual artist born on the Central Coast of Australia, Darkinjung Country, raised in the West Midlands and currently based in Nottingham. They are a graduate of the University of Bristol and The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and their love of literature, visual art and performance permeates all elements of their artistic practice. They create interdisciplinary performance work rooted in notions of queerness, a love of mess and asking questions to which there aren’t always easy (or any) answers.

Award-winning filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki (Le Havre, The Other Side of Hope) makes a masterful return with Fallen Leaves, a timeless, hopeful and satisfying love story that won the Jury Prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Set in modern day Helsinki, the film tells the story of Ansa (Alma Pöysti) and Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), two lonely souls whose chance meeting at a local karaoke bar is beset by numerous hurdles. From lost phone numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism and a charming stray dog, the pair’s path to happiness is as bittersweet as it is ultimately delightful.

Shot through with Kaurismäki’s typically playful, idiosyncratic style and deadpan sense of humour, this tender romantic tragicomedy is both a loving tribute to the filmmaker’s beloved contemporaries and a timely reminder of the potency of movie-going from one of cinema’s living legends.

“Gorgeous… A heartfelt cinephile ode to the possibility of love” – Little White Lies

Light. Darkness. Power. Magic. Join YA author and TikTok personality Andy Darcy Theo as he talks about his publishing journey and epic Descent into Darkness series. From BookTok to Bookshop, Andy shares the inspiration behind The Light That Blinds Us and his publication journey. He’ll offer top tips for aspiring writers and walk you through an interactive quiz to find out your elemental power! Andy Darcy Theo is a BookToker and Bookstagrammer and has been documenting his author journey as @andydarcytheo.

Reena from Bollywood Dreams Dance Company will teach you some dynamic moves in this fun Bollywood dance workshop. You’ll learn hand gestures, some technique work and choreography. By the end of the session you’ll have formed a fun Bollywood routine to take away and show your friends!

The Platform is a new space for young, emerging artists to share their work with Hay Festival audiences. Spanning a diverse range of art forms, The Platform aims to elevate and develop outstanding creative artists at the start of their careers. BBC Radio broadcaster Fee Mak hosts this session, where you can discover and support some of the best young talent working in the UK today.

Performances will be approx 20 minutes.

Grace O’Brien - Falling off Endz: A Lyrical Odyssey
Falling off Endz: A lyrical Odyssey is a fictional, underscored, spoken-word exploration following Ava from her council flat in South Wales to the Big Smoke; she falls into low-level coke dealing to escape credit card debt using her boyfriend's ice cream van and we witness her subsequent demise. It's semi-autobiographical in that it draws on personal experience as a Working-Class, Autistic ADHDer from The Valleys who spent time living in Northeast London.

Ava’s Disabilities contribute to her entrepreneurial flair & the text explores the challenges of late-diagnosed, high-masking Women/Girls and the link with executive function challenges, impulsive decision-making and substance abuse.

Grace O'Brien is a Welsh-Irish, Working-Class, Disabled/Neurodivergent multidisciplinary from Rhymney in South Wales; she's a Writer, Actor, Producer & Artistic Director of Purple String Productions. Grace's style is a fusion of spoken word, poetry, playwriting & Welsh language long-form fiction. Her writing project 'The Welsh Lxdies' was long-listed for the RSC's 37 Plays & recently undertook R & D supported by ACW for further development. Grace is an AuDHDer with OCD & participated in 'Reinventing The Protagonist', via Literature Wales & Disability Arts Cymru, which inspired the piece that she's performing at Hay. She's hoping to develop this further on Representing Wales 2025-2026.

Safiyah Zanabi -1001
‘Do you believe in God?’
‘What do you want me to say?'
‘Don’t be diplomatic.’

Tom and Leila have been together for 2 years, 8 months and 2 days… 1001 nights. In the early hours of the morning, before the funeral of their mutual friend, they begin to tell each other stories to get back to sleep. But the stories they tell betray unspoken truths; their relationship is put to the test. As the sun rises and the funeral creeps closer, Tom and Leila are forced to find ‘endings’ for the stories they have begun telling, and to confront what ‘endings’ really mean.

Safiyah Zanabi is an Algerian / British writer and actor based in London. Her writing has previously been performed at Theatre503, RADA studios, the Oxford Playhouse, Burton Taylor Studios, and the Edinburgh Fringe. She is currently developing her recent play as part of Soho Theatre’s Studio Writers Group. She recently graduated from an MA in Text & Performance at RADA and Birkbeck.

Actress (The Good Place, She-Hulk, Legendary), activist and feminist-in-progress Jameela Jamil shares thought-provoking, vulnerable and often hilarious stories that will leave you feeling empowered and uplifted.

The former C4 and BBC Radio presenter exploded into the podcasting sphere with I Weigh, exploring issues surrounding mental health, body image and activism with a diverse range of guests including Jordan Stephens, Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda. Jamil founded Move For Your Mind in 2023, aiming to democratise fitness and place emphasis on exercising for your mental health instead of the endless pursuit of fitting into toxic beauty standards.

Weigh in on the debate with Jamil and discover how to celebrate progress over perfection, to encourage better mental health, healthier body image and more.

The Platform is a new space for young, emerging artists to share their work with Hay Festival audiences. Spanning a diverse range of art forms, The Platform aims to elevate and develop outstanding creative artists at the start of their careers. BBC Radio broadcaster Fee Mak hosts this session, where you can discover and support some of the best young talent working in the UK today.

Performance will be approx 20 minutes

Alfiah Jade Brown - In Memory of Aunty Woody
In Memory of Aunty Woody is a 20-minute live poetry performance written by Alfiah Jade Brown. Blending four poems with archival footage and a Caribbean reggae-inspired soundscape, it weaves live verse, video, and music into an intimate reflection on loss, memory, and what we inherit.

After laying her grandmother to rest on British soil—next to her great-grandparents—Alfiah faced a quiet grief: she may never stand on the land that raised the woman who raised her. Now it’s her turn to carry the culture, the stories, the bits you don’t write down.

Part tribute, part reckoning, this piece holds the fear of forgetting—and asks, especially for Black Britons, how we carry forward the things that made us, when the people who made us are no longer here to remind us.

Alfiah Jade Brown is a visual poet, producer, and facilitator from South London, patterning poetry with visuals, rhythm, and sound to create experiences you don’t just read—you feel. Raised around her father’s sound system, she discovered early how words can move people, literally and emotionally. Embracing her dyslexia, Alfiah flips language on its head, turning everyday moments into immersive storytelling. Constantly scribbling, snapping, and filming, her work is a living collage of life. A passionate advocate for community arts, she’s led workshops with Poetic Unity, Apples and Snakes, and Bold Tendencies. Her debut poem, I, Luv Ya West, was recently commissioned by The Television Centre.

"A brand new voice and a fresh perspective on the art of poetry and performance. Finding majesty in misery and making the mundane move you to laughter and tears. He leaves an emotional impact whilst employing a delicate touch. A wry observer of the first quarter of the twenty first century. - Craig Charles

The Platform is a new space for young, emerging artists to share their work with Hay Festival audiences. Each year we like to invite one of the Platform artists back to the Festival, to give them a longer opportunity to share their work - this year we are extremely pleased to welcome back award winning poet Bradley Taylor.

Bradley appeared on The Platform in 2024 and was an immediate hit with Hay audiences. As well performing on stage he also delivered 'Poetry on Demand' across the Festival site, where he created dozens of new poems on his old typewriter. After Hay Festival his career has continued to go from strength to strength and he went on to win the prestigious Roundhouse Poetry Slam in London, the UK's biggest spoken word competition for 18-25 year-olds. The night was the most attended poetry slam in history - his award winning performance of "Got a Light" can be seen here

Bradley is the co-host of The Big Gay Poetry Night alongside M.L.Walsh, which has featured poets such as Joelle Taylor, Kandace Siobhan Walker & Sanah Ahsan. He has appeared at the Hay Festival, Cheltenham Literature Festival, The Inspirational Youth Awards, on BBC News and BBC Radio 6 Music as part of Craig Charle’s 'Class of 2024'. His work has appeared in Gutter Magazine, Shooter, Strix and across Birmingham train stations as part of Birmingham Hippodrome’s collaboration with photographer Paul Stringer’s project The City That Spoke To Me.

He writes for, and about, people.

In 2025 Bradley releases his debut collection ‘You Missed The Best Part’ with Verve Poetry Press, which he will perform tonight. Fee Mak will be in conversation with Bradley following the performance.

"From the moment Bradley takes to the stage you can tell he belongs there. A brilliant and engaging performer who pushes the boundaries of what poetry is and can be, and who takes the audience with him every step of the way" - Harry Baker

This much-loved musical conversation-starter asks its family audiences: 1) What kind of world would you like to be living in? and 2) What will you do to create that world?

Join Shea Ferren, Male Singer of the Year at the International Eisteddfod 2023, and Peace Child International’s David Woollcombe, for what may be the most consequential conversation you will ever have.

Driven by the magisterial songs of David Gordon (brother of Cat Stevens) and marking the 80th Anniversary of the United Nations, this show gets audiences to create a collective time machine to bring themselves back from two very different futures – one in which they follow UN guidance and create a safe, sustainable future, the other in which they don’t. If, as we hope, audiences choose the first option, the workshop focuses on answering the second question.

Are you sitting comfortably? Then he’ll begin… Settle in for a thrilling adventure from long ago, brimming with monsters, madness and gruesome humour, told by the Festival’s favourite storyteller Daniel Morden. Conall was once a hero of the people, but he has left behind his thieving ways – until three strangers come to his door and he reluctantly agrees to One Last Job, with predictably disastrous results! One part Homer’s Odyssey, one part anxiety dream, The Thief’s Tale is proof of the power of a great tale well told.

Award-winning director Kelly Reichardt (Meek’s Cutoff, Wendy and Lucy)’s First Cow is a gripping and glorious story of friendship and petty crime in the Old West.

A taciturn loner and skilled cook (John Magaro) has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) also seeking his fortune. Soon the two collaborate on a successful but precarious cake-making business, the longevity of which is reliant upon the clandestine participation of a wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow – the very first, and only, in the territory.

With this simple premise, Reichardt paints an authentic portrait of harsh frontier life in the early nineteenth century, depicting the immense, unsettling quietude of rural America and interrogating the very foundations on which the country was built.

“Pitch-perfect… A riveting, resonant, exquisite film” – The Telegraph

Join award-winning author Elle McNicoll for a conversation to launch her new YA book, Wish You Were Her. Book Lovers meets You’ve Got Mail in this enemies-to-lovers romance. Elle will share her thoughts on diving into Young Adult fiction, cosy romance, experiencing fandom and normalising neurodiversity.

Elle’s debut novel A Kind of Spark won the Blue Peter Book Award, the Overall Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and Blackwell’s Book of 2020. She is twice Carnegie nominated, and was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Awards 2020, the Branford Boase Award and the Little Rebels Award.

In this arts-based workshop you’ll use collage and printmaking techniques to design a Sirens of Sustainability character to protect our rivers, waterways and oceans.

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 young creatives. All materials and equipment provided – just bring your imagination!

The award-winning shows Jesse Armstrong has created and co-created are nothing short of iconic. Succession, the phenomenally popular HBO series following the internecine struggles of a family fighting their patriarch for control of a global media and entertainment conglomerate, is the latest in his string of lauded releases, from Peep Show and Fresh Meat to The Thick of It.

Armstrong is an Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning TV and film writer. Join him for a look at his work: how he creates the sharpest satire in television today; what he thinks about the relationship between media organisations, news cycles and government; and stories from behind the scenes of some of his shows. Amstrong talks to BAFTA-winning actor and writer Joanna Scanlan, whose credits include The Thick of It, Wicked Little Letters, Slow Horses.

A dynamic evening of performance and poetry from three of the resident artists at the Roundhouse, one of London’s most iconic music and arts venues.

Daze Hingorani is a queer choreographer and poet, currently working as a Resident Artist at the Roundhouse and in association with Sadler’s Wells. Maureen Onwunali is a Dublin-born Nigerian published poet and a two-time national slam champion. Zakariye is a poet, playwright and filmmaker whose work often explores masculinity, faith and identity.

The Roundhouse Resident Artist programme is a year-long creative and professional development programme which supports outstanding emerging artists across a range of disciplines to build sustainable careers in the creative industries.

Celebrate big decisions and messy relationships with Dean Atta as he launches his new coming-of-age novel-in-verse I Can’t Even Think Straight. Kai and his best friend Matt made a promise to each other to stay in the closet. Matt isn’t ready to come out, but Kai wants nothing more than to write his own story. He decides it’s time to break his promise…

Dean Atta has been named as ‘one of poetry’s greatest modern voices’ (Gay Times). His first novel The Black Flamingo was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, the CILIP Carnegie Medal, the Jhalak Prize and the YA Book Prize.

From celebrated filmmaker Mati Diop (Atlantics), Dahomey is a poetic and immersive work of art that delves into real perspectives on far-reaching issues surrounding appropriation, self-determination and restitution. Set in November 2021, the documentary charts 26 royal treasures from the Kingdom of Dahomey that are due to leave Paris and return to their country of origin: the present-day Republic of Benin.

Using multiple perspectives Diop questions how these artifacts should be received in a country that has reinvented itself in their absence. Winner of the coveted Golden Bear prize at the 2024 Berlinale, Dahomey is an affecting though altogether singular conversation piece that is as spellbinding as it is essential.

“Invigorating and enlivening… An interrogative reverie about colonialism, culture, the past and the present” – The Guardian

Save the date… for a killer wedding! Award-nominated BookTokkers Busayo Matuluko and Kemi Ayorinde bring the vibe, discussing Busayo’s slick and addictive mystery thriller ’Til Death celebrating the nuances and dramas of Nigerian family and culture. Busayo will break down all the elements of a gripping mystery as they guide you through building the perfect ‘whodunnit’. Bring your best plot twists and red herrings, and join in the conversation.

In ’Til Death, true-crime-obsessed Lara is heading to Lagos for her cousin Dérin’s wedding. It’s going to be a holiday filled with glitzy dress-fittings and glamorous parties. But everything isn’t perfect in Dérin’s world. Lara puts her sleuthing knowledge to work – and soon she’s uncovering a web of secrets and malicious crimes…

Please bring your own notebook and pen to this event.

Feeling a little weird at times isn’t weird at all, in fact it’s entirely normal according to comedian, actor and writer Robin Ince. In Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal, Ince – who was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 52 – uses his own experiences to explore the neurodivergent experience and to ask what the point of ‘being normal’ really is, reminding us that it’s ok to be a little different.

In this event he shares the story of how he was diagnosed and what life was like before that point, and offers up personal anecdotes to explore the world of human behaviour. He talks to bibliotherapist, writer and painter, Ella Berthoud.

What happens when an object of suspicion becomes a case of obsession? Winner of Best Director at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, The Handmaiden) returns with a seductive romantic thriller that takes his renowned stylistic flair to dizzying new heights.

From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il, The Host) arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae (Tang Wei, Lust, Caution) may know more than she initially lets on. But as he digs deeper into the investigation, Hae-joon finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire, proving that the darkest mysteries lurk inside the human heart.

With nods toward classic Hollywood and Hitchcock’s Vertigo, Decision to Leave is a masterwork infused with elegance, ingenuity and a knife-edge precision.

“Sumptuous… an intoxicating spell” – Total Film

What is a planet? And what makes Earth so special? Take a new look at the world around you with the space scientist and broadcaster. She explains that the story of Earth is best understood as part of its larger family, where each planet becomes a character with a story of its own to tell, from Jupiter, the King of the Solar System, to ice oddity Uranus and outlier planet-but-not-a-planet Pluto.

Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock has worked in both industrial and academic environments. As a broadcaster and author she works to encourage underrepresented communities to enter STEM and to make science more accessible to young girls, literally encouraging them to ‘reach for the stars’. Her latest book The Story of the Solar System: A Visual Journey brings the space family to life.

When it comes to autism, girls and women have often been forgotten. Autistic girls are often misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, personality disorders, or are missed altogether, and many women only discover they have the condition when they are much older, missing decades of support and understanding.

Renowned brain scientist Gina Rippon looks at why autism has historically been focused on men and how it manifests in them, and delves into the emerging science of female autism, asking why it has been systematically ignored and misunderstood for so long.

Author of The Gendered Brain, Rippon is Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Neuroimaging at the Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment, Aston University, where she has used brain-imaging techniques to investigate patterns of brain activity in developmental disorders such as autism. She talks to comedian and writer Robin Ince.

How do we write ourselves into the world at a time of domestic and global political upheaval? Do we own the pen we write with? Set in the context of award-winning poet and author Joelle Taylor’s literary career – from back street bars to Sydney Opera House – these questions will form the spine of a talk focusing on how marginalised writers and performers can create work and, ultimately, a career.

Join Joelle in one of this 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.

Please bring your own notebook and pen to this event.

A superb and searingly emotional debut film from Scottish writer-director Charlotte Wells. Aftersun juxtaposes a hopeful coming-of-age story with a poignant, intimate family portrait that leaves an indelible impression.

At a fading vacation resort in the late 1990s, 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) treasures rare time together with her loving and idealistic father, Calum (Oscar nominee Paul Mescal). As a world of adolescence creeps into view, beyond her eye Calum struggles under the weight of life outside of fatherhood.

Twenty years later, Sophie's tender recollections of their last holiday become a powerful and heartrending portrait of their relationship, as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t.

Aftersun is the winner of seven British Independent Film Awards including Best British Film.

“What a pleasure… ripples and shimmers like a swimming pool of mystery” – The Guardian

Film duration 1 hour 42 minutes. Certificate 12.

When 14-year-old Ronny’s life is struck by tragedy, his mum decides it’s finally time they move out of London. In his new city, as a Black teenager in a mostly white school, Ronny feels like a complete outsider and struggles to balance keeping his head down with his ambition of becoming a rapper. But when a local poet comes into class, Ronny discovers a world he’s never considered before.

Ashley Hickson-Lovence loves British hip hop, and it shows in his first Young Adult verse-novel. Wild East has been inspired by Ashley’s time as a secondary school English teacher, his own move from London to Norwich, and tutoring a group of asylum seekers.

Please bring your own notebook and pen to this event.

Award-winning filmmaker Aki Kaurismäki (Le Havre, The Other Side of Hope) makes a masterful return with Fallen Leaves, a timeless, hopeful and satisfying love story that won the Jury Prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Set in modern day Helsinki, the film tells the story of Ansa (Alma Pöysti) and Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), two lonely souls whose chance meeting at a local karaoke bar is beset by numerous hurdles. From lost phone numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism and a charming stray dog, the pair’s path to happiness is as bittersweet as it is ultimately delightful.

Shot through with Kaurismäki’s typically playful, idiosyncratic style and deadpan sense of humour, this tender romantic tragicomedy is both a loving tribute to the filmmaker’s beloved contemporaries and a timely reminder of the potency of movie-going from one of cinema’s living legends.

“Gorgeous… A heartfelt cinephile ode to the possibility of love” – Little White Lies

Marking 40 years of Jeanette Winterson’s explosive first novel, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. Published when she was just 25, the book is a gripping coming-of-age story, a queer romance and a modern classic. It tells the story of Jeanette’s avatar, a fiction as well as a fact. Adopted into a northern, working-class family who believe their new baby is destined to be a missionary, Jeanette falls in love with a young woman. Love, as always, changes the road ahead.

In 2011 Jeanette Winterson revisited this material in her best selling memoir, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

Read it? Let us know what you think on TikTok, X, Facebook and Instagram using #HFBookClub.

Further reading

Digested classics, The Guardian
“She gave me the chance that became my life”: Jeanette Winterson on her first editor, Philippa Brewster, The Guardian

About the author

Jeanette Winterson CBE, was born in Manchester. She published her first novel Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit in 1985. It was adapted by her for the BBC in 1990 and won a BAFTA for best drama. Jeanette Winterson has written numerous novels, short stories, works for children, screenplays, and non-fiction. She regularly talks to tech conferences, following her essays about AI: 12 Bytes. Her latest book is the collection of ghost stories, Night Side of the River.
She is Professor of New Writing at the University of Manchester.

About Hay Festival Book Club

Timeless titles to offer you a break from the day to day. Can't decide what to read next? Follow your curiosity and join Hay Festival on a journey to imagine the world anew through great literature. Unconstrained by genre or form these are our monthly picks of great books worth reading (or re-reading) right now.

Throughout the month, we'll share interesting links and articles relating to our selection on social media using #HFBookClub and invite you all to get involved with your questions and comments. Each selection will also be marked with a free online event.

If you'd like to recommend a book for consideration, get in touch via bookclub@hayfestival.org.

Happy reading!

“Hello to you, I am with news. I have a new book: I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest with You. I know – what an intriguing title!”

Comedian Miranda Hart has been keeping a secret or two, but she’s ready to reveal all now. From surprising joys to challenging lows, via love and chronic illness, Hart shares the values and practical tools that led her to a sense of freedom, joy and physical recovery she never would have thought possible. Life now, amazingly, with what she will share, is – SUCH FUN!

Hart is a writer, comedian and actor. She is best known for her much-loved and multi-award-winning sitcom Miranda, as well as her BAFTA-nominated role of Chummy in Call the Midwife. She is the first female comedian to do an arena stand-up tour with her ‘My, What I Call, Live Show’.

The latest film from iconic writer-director Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette), Priscilla is a moving, nuanced and visually ravishing exploration of the dark side of celebrity, delicately retelling and re-examining one of history’s most complicated love stories.

West Germany, late 1950s. Teenage Priscilla Beaulieu (Golden Globe nominee Cailee Spaeny) receives an invitation to a party with Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi, Saltburn). Already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar at this time, Elvis becomes someone entirely unexpected in their private moments together: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a gentle best friend. Through Priscilla’s eyes, Coppola presents the unseen story of their long courtship and turbulent marriage: a great American myth spanning decades and oceans, from the army base where they met to his dream-world estate at Graceland.

Faithfully adapting Priscilla’s own memoir, and anchored by Spaeny’s Venice Best Actress winning performance, this is a mature and masterful cinematic feast for the senses that sees Coppola at the very top of her game.

“A transportive, heartbreaking journey into the dark heart of celebrity… Sofia Coppola at her best” – Rolling Stone

A highly anticipated return to fiction feature filmmaking from Wim Wenders (Paris, Texas, Wings of Desire), Perfect Days takes the writer-director to Tokyo to tell a story celebrating the hidden joys and minutiae of Japanese culture.

Winner of the Best Actor award at Cannes 2023, Koji Yakusho (Babel, 13 Assassins) stars as Hirayama, a contemplative middle-aged man who lives a life of modesty and serenity, spending his days balancing his job as a dutiful caretaker of Tokyo’s numerous public toilets with his passion for music, literature and photography. As we join him on his structured daily routine, a series of unexpected encounters gradually begin to reveal a hidden past that lies behind his otherwise content and harmonious life.

Combining a refreshingly unstereotypical depiction of the Japanese capital with a soundtrack comprised of iconic hits from the ’60s and ’80s, this is a subtle, shimmering and ultimately life-affirming reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us. The film was nominated for the Best International Film award at the 96th Academy Awards.

“A humane, hopeful embrace of everyday blessings” – Variety