Hay Festival 2026

As a presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Amol Rajan makes a living out of the way he speaks. In an exclusive session for Hay Festival, Rajan kicks off a campaign to get young people talking too. Improving a child’s speaking skills is proven to directly improve their life chances, and the biggest transformations can be seen in children from the poorest backgrounds. Rajan reveals his own oracy experiment and is joined by some surprise guests in his mission to help those from the toughest beginnings find a better life through the power of speaking.

One of literature’s most exciting names, Ocean Vuong, comes to Hay Festival for the first time to discuss his achingly beautiful novel The Emperor of Gladness. Exploring chosen family and unexpected friendship, the novel tells the story of 19-year-old Hai, who’s stopped from jumping off a bridge by the voice of Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia. The pair form a life-altering bond, and each find ways to heal through their extraordinary friendship. Join an unmissable conversation with the author who set the literary world alight with his bestselling novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous.

In this exclusive and magical event, two titans of fantasy fiction dive into the rise of the genre, its huge popularity on TikTok, and the power of otherworldly narratives. Bestselling author of The Bone Season, Samantha Shannon, discusses her latest book – from a series inspired by the legend of George and the Dragon. She’s joined by fantasy novelist Saara El-Arifi (Faebound), whose newest book is a groundbreaking exploration of Cleopatra in her own words. Together they celebrate fantasy fiction and interrogate what fantasy reveals about us all. No dragons here, but this event will be fire.

An intimate performance from the critically-acclaimed singer, Gwenno, featuring music from her latest trilingual album, Utopia. Gwenno sings in Welsh, Cornish, and English, creating a sound that’s both ethereal and powerful, and deeply rooted in cultural heritage. Her soundscapes fuse different musical genres into an immersive world of sound, captivating longtime fans and newcomers alike. An unforgettable event from one of the UK’s most original and compelling performers, in a night of music that will linger long after the final note.