Hay Festival 2026

The celebrated poet talks about and performs from her new collection exploring dyke counterculture and the queer underground. Through a cast of characters who meet in the Maryville butch bar over the course of many decades, Joelle Taylor examines queer class politics, the pain of oppression and the beauty and intimacy of community

This is a chance to see one of our best contemporary poets talking about and performing her work. Taylor is author of four collections of poetry and one novel. She won the TS Eliot Prize and the Polar Book Prize for her collection C+NTO & Othered Poems.

Join acclaimed writers Patrick McGuinness and Angharad Price in conversation with author and former Wales PEN Cymru director Dylan Moore for an exploration of how Welsh literature can forge renewed connections with European literary culture after a decade of post-Brexit isolation.

Both McGuinness and Price embody the cross-cultural exchange that has enriched Welsh writing: McGuinness, born in Tunisia to an English father of Irish descent and a Belgian mother, and living in Wales for over 20 years, writes between languages and national identities, while Price has published widely on Welsh literature, frequently within a broader European context. Together, they’ll discuss what has been lost and what might be regained as Welsh literature seeks to re-establish its place within the wider European conversation.

Humans have advanced incredibly over the past 1,000 years – but will it continue? Come on a sweeping journey through the history — and future — of progress, from early dynastic China to Deep Seek, as Carl Frey offers a fascinating explanation of why some societies flourish and others fail in the wake of rapid technological change. The Oxford economic historian and author of The Technology Trap shows how technological shifts have shaped, and sometimes destabilised, entire civilisations – challenging the conventional belief that progress is inevitable.

Perhaps we can't depend on any AI-fuelled great leap forward? Frey’s message is simple: progress is possible but never guaranteed. He talks to the Times Literary Supplement’s politics and fiction editor Toby Lichtig.

With whip-smart wit and a cavalcade of cads, dashing gents and fierce heroines, this is a legendary comedy experience for Austen fans and newcomers alike!

Austentatious is the improvised Jane Austen novel which has become a West End institution. An all-star cast in full costume takes an audience suggestion for an unknown Jane Austen book, and then you watch it unfold before your eyes. Previous suggestions have included Mansfield Shark, Double O Darcy, Bend It Like Bennet and The Taking of Pemberley 123.

An intimate performance from the critically-acclaimed singer, Gwenno. Featuring music from her latest album, Utopia, Gwenno sings in Welsh and Cornish, 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.