Kerala 2011

Samira Ahmed hosts Front Row live from Hay Festival, joined by Jack Thorne, writer of the most acclaimed television drama of the year, Adolescence, as well as the BBC’s recent series Lord of the Flies. James Bond author Vaseem Khan will discuss Quantum of Menace, the first book in a spin-off mystery series led by the character Q. Best-selling crime writer Val McDermid talks about her latest thriller, Silent Bones. And we’ll have poetry from the National Poet of Wales, Hanan Issa.

Discover the story of how Hay-on-Wye came to be known as a book town, and the man who made it happen. Journalist James Hanning talks to writer and broadcaster Horatio Clare about the story of Richard Booth, the eccentric and chaotic entrepreneur known as the King of Hay. Guests Derek Addyman (who worked for Booth in the ‘70s) and Anne Brichto, who together run four bookshops in Hay including Addyman Books and Murder & Mayhem, bring first-hand experience of the early days of Booth’s reign.

They delve into Booth’s life, from buying a small shop in an obscure market town on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, to creating the world’s largest second-hand bookshop. Booth laid the foundations for the town’s reputation, eventually resulting in the founding of Hay Festival, a rival attraction that dismayed him.

Come and join the comedian, broadcaster, campaigner (and tiny Danish beacon of hope) for an evening celebrating her love and passion for writers and books. The show will be packed with silly stories, profound truths, fascinating facts, readings from her latest book Friends of Dorothy and a quick-fire Q&A. Life affirming, wise and funny.

Spend an uplifting evening with the fresh sound and strong female presence of Marshall Gilmour Webbs – a group formed of Louise Marshall (the celebrated vocalist from Jools Holland’s Orchestra), Romany Gilmour (hit single ‘Between Two Points’) and Hattie & Charley Webb (known for their work with Leonard Cohen and Tom Petty).

Their swelling vocals, ethereal harmonies and eclectic instrumentation bring new perspectives to the music of The Roches, Dolly Parton, Billy Joel, Minnie Riperton and more, along with their own original songs written collaboratively from Louise’s living room.

A riveting dissection of what’s really going on in British politics from three women on the inside. Harriet Harman is a veteran Labour politician and life peer. Ruth Davidson led the Scottish Conservatives for eight years and now also sits in the House of Lords. Beth Rigby is political editor for Sky News. Join the hosts of the Electoral Dysfunction podcast to find out what the political parties really think of the May local election results, and get their predictions for what might happen next.

Irish storytelling comes to the fore in this discussion between writer Liz Nugent and actor Ardal O’Hanlon. They discuss their new books, the craft of creating a mystery story and how Ireland’s heritage and culture impacts their work, with author Kim Sherwood.

Nugent’s The Truth About Ruby Cooper is about sisters Ruby and Erin, whose world implodes when Ruby is involved in an incident, causing a wake of destruction that lasts decades. Nugent brings experience in film, theatre and television to her work as a writer. O’Hanlon’s A Plot to Die For is the first in a new mystery series about beloved celebrity gardener Finn O’Leary, who returns to his hometown to care for his mother and finds himself trying to solve a murder, or two. Father Ted star O’Hanlon is one of Ireland’s best-loved actors and stand-up comedians.

Watch a selection of short films, curated by MUBI, throughout the morning. The day’s schedule will be listed each morning at the venue – pop along and take a look.

Step into the magical world of Bird & Blend Tea Co., discover the secrets of tea mixology and create your own perfect blend in an immersive and interactive Tea Mixology Experience led by an expert mixologist. This hands-on workshop invites you to taste up to six unique blends and test your tea knowledge with an engaging and fun tea matching game.

With expert guidance, you’ll get to craft two custom tea blends to take home and pair with your next fave book! You’ll also learn about different tea types and brewing tips to enhance your tea-making ritual at home. There’ll be an opportunity to ask questions, plus you’ll get a goody bag with free samples. Visit the Bird & Blend Tea Co. stand afterwards for a free gift with purchase (find a special token in your goody bag). Book now – it’s going to be TEArrific!

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The National Park is also home to a UNESCO geopark, and on the walk the Park’s Geopark Officer Alan Bowring will offer a journey through deep time, exploring the geology of the hills.

Hay-on-Wye is located within 520 square miles of beautiful countryside that makes up the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The National Park is driving change to bring about a sustainable future, meeting our needs within planetary boundaries. Their Hay Festival series of walks take you into the town’s local environment while offering the opportunity to learn more about the Park’s work.

Freedom is one of the leading values of our society. But with freedom comes responsibility, which is a much more contested principle. Deciding where responsibility lies, and what it means to take it, is the job of the courts. It is also debated in Parliament and in the media. It is often at issue on the psychotherapist’s couch. For BBC Radio 4’s arts and ideas discussion programme, Shahidha Bari gathers a panel of experts who deal with the concept of responsibility in very different contexts, including Baroness Hale, who served as the most senior judge in the UK, and philosopher Simon Critchley.

It’s hard to be resilient in our ever-changing world. From dealing with the aftermath of lockdowns to navigating the online environment, life seems more complicated than ever. But Dr Hannah Critchlow is here to show us how we can stay on top of these changes, develop stronger resilience and switch our mindset from can don’t to can do.

Drawing on her new book Brainwave, the internationally acclaimed neuroscientist gives positive and practical guidance on improving our concentration and developing our decision-making. With a sound understanding of children’s behaviours and emotions, she’ll lead us from easily distracted to fully focused.

In this laugh-out-loud session with energetic live illustration, author Anders Sparring and illustrator Per Gustavsson join us – all the way from Sweden – to show you how to craft a hilariously gripping heist story.

Their popular book series The Pinchers features a proud family of villains, going back three generations. Son Theo loves his family, but he just doesn’t fit in; he can’t lie or cheat to save his life! Anders and Per bring to life their tale about one very law-abiding child born to a family of robbers, combining adventure, silliness and the familiar day-to-day of family life with hilarious results.

Do you want to try writing your own detective story? Have you got some ideas but no idea where to start? A good mystery is filled with questions… At this writing workshop with author Jenny Valentine, you can start developing your own thriller. An experienced writing tutor and mentor, she can help you form your plot and develop your characters. Embrace the unexpected and learn how a story leaves its own clues along the way. This is a creative session, with a chance to share your secrets at the end.

Jenny Valentine is an award-winning writer whose novels include Finding Violet Park, the Carnegie-shortlisted Fire Colour One, and Us in the Before and After.

Please bring your own notebook and pen to this event.

An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative in these interactive sessions delivered by artists and discover that your imagination is the only 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.

Step inside Hay Castle – a border stronghold shaped by myth, power and reinvention. Visit the current BorderLands exhibition delivered in partnership with Meadow Arts, and enjoy full access to the castle, from cellar to rooftop. Explore rooms layered with stories, including Matilda’s room, the Richard Booth space, historic costumes and the castle cellar.

Visit the dungeon and climb to the viewing platform for wide views across the Wye Valley. Your ticket also includes unlimited return visits for a full year, so you can come back as the seasons – and the castle – change.

This ticket allows you to visit the castle at a time of your choice on the day selected, and also gives you entry into the Meadow Arts BorderLands exhibition.

Step inside Hay Castle during Hay Festival 2026 and explore a place shaped by power, survival and reinvention. Led by an expert volunteer guide, this tour traces 800 years of life inside the castle – from medieval plots and royal whispers to its rescue, restoration and reimagining as a place for ideas today. You’ll move through rooms, stairways and towers, hearing stories of the people who lived, schemed, dreamed and partied here. Along the way, take in sweeping views across the Wye Valley – a reminder that this is a border castle, built to watch and be watched.

Guided tours run daily at 11am and 2pm. Tour price includes entry into the Castle for a year including the current exhibition: BorderLands.

Back by popular demand, best-selling author Ben Macintyre brings a fascinating exploration of international espionage to Hay Festival. Macintyre has spent his career chronicling secret intelligence and the hidden lives of some of history’s most intriguing figures. He profiles the small and select list of world-changing spies: Oleg Gordievsky, Kim Philby, the Bletchley Park Code Breakers. And he reveals the important and far-reaching impact when espionage works (and when it doesn’t). A real treat for Macintyre’s existing fans, as well as anyone intrigued by the hidden forces and extraordinary people who’ve secretly shaped world events.

Take a seat with the nation’s favourite therapist as she discusses her fiction debut with lifestyle journalist Gaby Huddart. In Shrink Solves Crime a body washes up near Beachy Head, and while the police chalk it up to suicide, local psychotherapist Patricia Philipps – whose patient is the victim – isn’t convinced. With her chaotic best friend Pritchard in tow, Patricia swaps the therapy room for the crime scene to catch a killer hiding in plain sight.

Perry speaks about creating a fictional therapist and the influences she’s taken from her own work and life. She is an artist and psychotherapist as well as a TV and radio presenter. Her best-selling non-fiction books include The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read.

Jamie Bartlett’s new BBC Radio 4 podcast Everything is Fake and Nobody Cares asks why, in so many parts of modern life – like social media, TV and podcasting – fakery is no longer punished – it's rewarded! And why so many of us seem strangely unbothered by it. Jamie talks to writer and broadcaster James Crawford to explain how and why he thinks we got here.

What would your World Record be, and how would you go about setting it? Find out all about the challenge of record-breaking, and discover what incredible looks like in 2026, in this fascinating deep dive into the Guinness World Records.

Join Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday as he brings the book to life, with the help of special guests – some actual record holders! Expect an action-packed, involving hour full of jaw-dropping records, remarkable feats and fun facts for the whole family, as you learn how record breaking has changed over the years. There’ll also be an exciting opportunity to take part, and set a Guinness World Records title! Please bring a book, which we’ll use to set a new record and then donate to Oxfam afterwards.

Can you solve the mystery? Drop into the vicarage with our storyteller with a very cosy book about St Mary Mead's most brilliant detective, Little Miss Marple! This is an interactive read-along complete with live music, sensory participation, action and movement – with classic characters from the much-loved Mr Men and Little Miss universe. All mini-sleuths are cordially invited – there’ll be solving, storytelling and a draw-along.

An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative in these interactive sessions delivered by artists and discover that your imagination is the only 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.

Wonderland has come to a standstill! When Tick the clock is knocked over, time freezes, leaving everything paused. Now, the two culprits must set off on a magical quest to find the key that will wind Tick up again. Along the way, familiar faces and new friends join the adventure, bringing fun rhymes, lively music and enchanting physical theatre.

Performed by degree students from the School of Performance at Hereford College of Arts, this playful, family-friendly show invites everyone to sing, laugh and move along. Can you help restore the rhythm of Wonderland so Tick can tock again?

Who rebuilt the world, raising order from the ashes of the Second World War? Award-winning historian James Holland shares his extensive knowledge of the war and its aftermath, offering unique insight into the leaders, the philosophies and the policies that kickstarted unprecedented European growth and heralded peace and economic stability.

Through the economic and political earthquakes of the mid-twentieth century, Holland brings to life a broad sweep of history, linking to important lessons for the shifting world order we’re now experiencing.

An absolutely unmissable event with the queen of crime fiction. Val McDermid joins author Fflur Dafydd to introduce her latest book Silent Bones – a tense, multi-layered thriller. It’s the latest in McDermid’s popular Karen Pirie series, and navigates themes of corruption, privilege and hidden networks of the rich and powerful. A truly thrilling opportunity to hear from the iconic author herself about how she comes up with storylines, crime scenes and compelling characters... as well as the books she likes to read in her spare time. An absolute must for crime fiction super-fans.

A BBC Radio 3 lunchtime concert series exploring the music of Edvard Grieg and others. This second of three recitals recorded for broadcast features Alexander Ullman (piano), who performs a programme including Grieg and Wagner.

Programme:

Edvard Grieg, trans. Alexander Ullman Peer Gynt Suite No 1, Op 46

Edvard Grieg Lyric Pieces Book 10, Op 71

Richard Wagner, trans. Franz Liszt Tannhäuser Overture, S. 442

BBC Radio 4’s flagship literary programme, Take Four Books, speaks to an author about their latest novel and explores its connections to three other works. It’s a show about influences, inspiration and more broadly the joy of reading. Presented by the writer James Crawford the programme, which launched in November 2024, has featured some of the world’s biggest authors, as well as interesting debuts. Please join for what promises to be a fascinating conversation with the Irish writer Liz Nugent about her new novel The Truth About Ruby Cooper.

Join the BBC’s Dr Punam Krishan for an action-packed family session all about ailments, treatments and medical methods. Using inspiring examples from her books You and Your Body and The Superhero’s First Aid Manual, Dr Punam will explore what it’s like to be a real-life doctor. She’ll share life-saving tips, stay-calm tricks, and you’ll be able to test your skills in a medical quiz!

Jack Thorne is a ​groundbreaking playwright and BAFTA-winning screenwriter. His work is widely acclaimed and includes stage plays Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and The Motive and the Cue, television series Adolescence, His Dark Materials and This is England ’86/’88/’90, and films The Swimmers, The Aeronauts and Wonder. Jack will draw on his extensive experience to offer invaluable insights and advice on writing for stage and screen. He talks to BBC broadcaster Kirsty Lang.

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.

Do you want to try writing your own detective story? Have you got some ideas but no idea where to start? A good mystery is filled with questions… At this writing workshop with author Jenny Valentine, you can start developing your own thriller. An experienced writing tutor and mentor, she can help you form your plot and develop your characters. Embrace the unexpected and learn how a story leaves its own clues along the way. This is a creative session, with a chance to share your secrets at the end.

Jenny Valentine is an award-winning writer whose novels include Finding Violet Park, the Carnegie-shortlisted Fire Colour One, and Us in the Before and After.

Please bring your own notebook and pen to this event.

Come on a walk through the beautiful surrounds of Hay-on-Wye, led by guides from the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The National Park is also home to a UNESCO geopark, and on the walk the Park’s Geopark Officer Alan Bowring will offer a journey through deep time, exploring the geology of the hills.

Hay-on-Wye is located within 520 square miles of beautiful countryside that makes up the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. The National Park is driving change to bring about a sustainable future, meeting our needs within planetary boundaries. Their Hay Festival series of walks take you into the town’s local environment while offering the opportunity to learn more about the Park’s work.

Step inside Hay Castle during Hay Festival 2026 and explore a place shaped by power, survival and reinvention. Led by an expert volunteer guide, this tour traces 800 years of life inside the castle – from medieval plots and royal whispers to its rescue, restoration and reimagining as a place for ideas today. You’ll move through rooms, stairways and towers, hearing stories of the people who lived, schemed, dreamed and partied here. Along the way, take in sweeping views across the Wye Valley – a reminder that this is a border castle, built to watch and be watched.

Guided tours run daily at 11am and 2pm. Tour price includes entry into the Castle for a year including the current exhibition: BorderLands.

Crime titles dominate the best-seller lists. Crime dramas fill our screens. And the biggest TV show of the year has us all rooting for deceit, deception and dastardly duplicity against the honesty of the faithful. We bring together a round table of our own to analyse the irresistible pull of the villain and what makes a good liar – with sports presenter Clare Balding, broadcaster David Olusoga and crime author Harriet Tyce talking to psychologist Philippa Perry.

What makes us who we are today? Science professors Turi King and Adam Rutherford discuss the fascinating world of DNA and genes with best-selling science writer Professor Dan Davis. The pair share true stories from history, show us how we’re all interconnected, and illuminate who we are and how we came to be.

King’s The Secrets of our DNA: How Genetics has Changed the World is a myth-busting book that examines the world of modern genetics and reveals how DNA is essential to everything from solving crime to keeping food safe and protecting threatened wildlife. King is a scientist, presenter and author who led the genetic analysis for the identification of King Richard III.

Rutherford’s A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived at 10 Years is a look at what our genes now tell us about human history, and what history can now tell us about our genes. Rutherford is a professor of genetics and biosciences, and an author and broadcaster.

Experience evocative storytelling that bridges page and screen, in this screening of BAFTA-nominated actor John Hannah’s narration of John Buchan’s First World War classic.

Hannah gives a thrilling reading performance, bringing to life the threat of murder, conspiracy and espionage that are the thrilling themes of Buchan’s gripping adventure novel set in London and Scotland against the backdrop of war.

The Read is a series of outstanding performance readings of iconic British novels. Each episode offers a richly immersive celebration of literature.

The best-selling writer and Radio 4 host presents his latest novel - a darkly comic and utterly gripping crime caper set in the remote reaches of Scotland. Bad Deeds is a wickedly entertaining murder mystery that takes one not-entirely-innocent action and supersizes the consequences. Hunter Murray talks to author and journalist, Ava Glass to take us inside the process of creating a thriller to keep readers on the edge of their seat, while also making them laugh out loud.

Presenter Dr Sian Williams in conversation with mythologist, writer and oral storyteller Dr Martin Shaw, who has spent three decades working at the intersection of fairy tale, myth and lived experience. The author of Courting the Wild Twin and Liturgies of the Wild, Martin makes the case for the fairy tale as one of life’s secret weapons. And why in an age of turmoil and disinformation, they might provide a route to truth.

The name’s Mayhem… The author of My Brother is a Superhero unsheaths his new hilarious, action-packed adventure in this fast-paced event. Fans of spy thrills and spills will love Spyglass, and David will introduce us to Adam and his friends, who, when they accidentally reveal the secret location of an ex-spy, trigger a supervillain to turn up on their doorstep.

Contending with a dastardly plot, an evil doctor and a full complement of henchmen, it’s going to take Adam buckets of bravery, a truckload of gadgets and a lot of luck to defeat the bad guys and stop them from taking over the world.

David’s debut bestseller My Brother is a Superhero won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the British Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year.

An opportunity to get crafting! Activities differ every day, including everything from print-making to junk modelling with recycled materials. Get messy and creative in these interactive sessions delivered by artists and discover that your imagination is the only 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.

A tantalising opportunity to hear from a writer at the top of his game. Jack Thorne won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for writing Netflix’s global hit, Adolescence, and changed the national conversation about social media and toxic masculinity in the process. His work across TV, film and the stage – most recently Lord of the Flies for the BBC – is bold, brilliant and fearless. Hear first-hand from a writer shaping the stories of our time, in conversation with ITV News presenter Julie Etchingham.

The former president of the Supreme Court provides an extraordinary everyday guide to the law. Baroness Hale wants to demystify the legal system. Talking to broadcaster Paddy O’Connell, she takes us into the complexities of real courts and real decisions, using true stories to explain how the law represents all our rights.

Baroness Hale was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court and is the author of the acclaimed memoir Spider Woman. She came to public prominence when she delivered the Supreme Court verdict that ruled Boris Johnson’s advice to the Queen that parliament should be suspended at the height of the Brexit crisis was unlawful.

Discover the hidden world of queer history and the forgotten queer heroes whose legacy lives on with our panel of experts. In this conversation with Sacha Coward, writers Emily Garside and Jason Okundaye discuss the stories they have uncovered in the course of their writing, the importance of queer history to our cultural landscape, and the people they wish everyone knew about.

Garside’s Rainbow Wales: Queer Icons Past and Present is an exploration of the household names and hidden icons who have shaped their fields and driven forward queer representation in Wales. Okundaye’s Revolutionary Acts: Love & Brotherhood in Black Gay Britain looks at an elder generation of Black gay men, as he seeks to reconcile the Black and gay narratives of Britain. Coward’s Queer as Folklore: The Hidden Queer History of Myths and Monsters travels across centuries and continents to investigate the queer history of different mythic and folkloric characters.

Radically reimagining the nature-or-nurture novel, director Lynne Ramsay – and star Tilda Swinton – transform the text of Lionel Shriver’s polarising book into a chilling film rightfully venerated for its unforgettable visual language.

Eva puts her ambitions and career aside to give birth to Kevin. The relationship between mother and son is difficult from the very first years. When he does something irrational and unforgivable in the eyes of the community, Eva grapples with her own feelings of grief and responsibility.

Ride a rollercoaster of twists and turns, encountering secrets, lies, murder and money, in this discussion about The Heirs, an utterly addictive murder mystery.

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is author of the award-winning YA novel Ace of Spades, an unputdownable high-octane thriller which takes a powerful look at institutionalised racism. Ace of Spades won the Books Are My Bag Reader’s Award for Young Adult Fiction, was a Carnegie Medal nominee, and a shortlisted British Book of the Year.

Faridah will talk to Louie Stowell, author of the Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good series, about her journey as a writer, and the themes and characters within her novels, including the Button heirs, the five genius children of infamous (and now murdered) billionaire Leontes Button, adopted and trained under the ‘Button Method’ so that they’ve had no choice but to be brilliant.

Be in the audience for BBC Radio Wales' religious affairs programme, All Things Considered, tackling the thornier issues of the day in a thought-provoking manner.

We're delighted to present a special Hay Festival event to celebrate the hit BBC drama about Mary Bennet, the overlooked sister from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Go behind the scenes with Ella Brucculeri, who plays Mary, Lucy Briers who took the role in the 1995 BBC adaptation and plays the Bennet's housekeeper in this version, Sarah Quintell who wrote the TV series and Jane Tranter, Executive Producer and CEO of the Welsh drama company Bad Wolf which brought Janice Hadlow’s book to the screen. They talk to the journalist, Jude Rogers about exploring Austen's characters in a new way, and reveal the locations across Wales with a starring role of their own.

Free speech, protest and the law: where are the limits? Only at Hay Festival, join a compelling panel exploring the boundaries of protest, free speech and the right to assemble. From environmental activists like Just Stop Oil, who faced lengthy jail terms, to Gaza protesters whose cases were overturned after the High Court ruled the proscription of Palestine Action unlawful, this is a debate at the cutting edge of law, politics and civil liberties.

Our Chair, Alex Goodman KC, is a human rights barrister who has acted in leading cases on environmental and Gaza protests. He will be joined by Sir Max Hill KCB KC, former Director of Public Prosecutions (2018–2023), Jennifer Nadel, co-founder of think tank Compassion in Politics and Asad Rehman, Chair of Friends of the Earth, as they interrogate the legal, ethical and societal limits of activism. An essential Hay Festival event for anyone interested in the future of protest and the law.