Hay Festival 2019 Programme

Set sail for an adventure with these story legends as they introduce Oliver and the Seawigs, full of giggly-but-dangerous monkeys, a near-sighted mermaid and some very BIG WIGS. Learn how to draw your own Sea Monkey and join in with the silly sea shanty chorus.
6+ years

Join popular illustrator Salvatore Rubbino, creator of A Walk in London and A Walk in New York and his new A Walk in Paris for an interactive storytelling session about the French capital.

6+ years

Join The Phoenix comic artist Karen Rubins for her comic-creation sessions! As the scribbler of all things creepy and spooky, Karen will guide you through a world of comic monsters. Learn some top comic-creating tips while she helps you to draw your own ghosts, mythical beasts and of course…some pie!

7+ years

As the World Cup in Brazil approaches, The Telegraph gathers a stellar team of footballing greats including Sir Geoff Hurst, Argentinian superstars Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa, and Alan Smith, to debate the world’s most high-profile sport. Have your say – or just come along to cheer. Refereed by Sarah Crompton, TheTelegraph’s Arts Editor-in-Chief and Sports Columnist.

Roger Bushell was ‘Big X’, mastermind of the mass breakout from Stalag Luft III in March 1944, immortalised in the Hollywood film The Great Escape. Through exclusive access to his private papers – as well as fascinating new research from other sources – journalist Pearson has now written the first biography of this iconic figure. Chaired by Katrin Bennhold.

Bonhams’ Head of Books and Manuscripts talks about the collectors who have made and lost fortunes in rare books. He gives a summary of price trends in the book market, and considers whether rare books are a good investment.

The author discusses her first novel for seven years, the story of a motherhood and neighbourhood and society in North London over several decades. The book is rich with the combination of acute observation and insight and the beautiful economy of prose familiar to her readers.

The Next Big Things

From solar science to fungi sensing, four Royal Society Research Fellows discuss their research in cutting edge science. Chaired by Lucy Carpenter.

Five organisations shortlisted for the Future Dragons’ Den will tell their stories, practise their pitches and share ideas on how they’d use the £15,000 cash award from Social Enterprise funders UnLtd, if they won the Den.

A sudden gust of wind sets off a marvellous London adventure for the Queen, the Queen’s men and one very special hat. Follow one determined, daredevil Queen through the zoo, over Tower Bridge and up Big Ben…just where will that hat land?
3+ years

As a former Gurkha officer, Simpson completed three tours in southern Afghanistan, which informed his first book War From the Ground Up – Twenty-First Century Combat as Politics. He talks about people, perception and persuasion in contemporary armed conflict.

The Galapagos were once known to the sailors and pirates who encountered them as Las Encantadas: the enchanted islands, home to marvellous creatures and dramatic volcanic scenery. This captivating history of the world’s most famous islands charts their evolution from deserted wilderness to profoundly important scientific resource and now global tourist destination. Chaired by Oliver Bullough.

The medic/philosopher takes a wry look at a variety of topics such as stupidity (including the author’s own), fashions in academe, and the human propensity for mission drift. His latest book of essays is Epithemean Imaginings.

Five participants, four Dragons and three minutes to tell a story that will capture the Dragons’ hearts, minds and cheque books for a chance to win a £15,000 cash award and one-to-one support from UnLtd.

We need new ideas to solve old problems. The world is full of amazing minds: how can we bring them together to solve these challenges and have some fun? Mat Roberts is Head of Sustainability at Landmarc Support Services.

Clever, optimistic, beautifully written and very amusing, these three writers’ books explore the relationships within families and between close friends with great insight and humour. The multiple-award-winning Hilary McKay whose new book is Binny For Short, is joined by Natasha Farrant, author of The Diaries of Bluebell Gadsby series, and newcomer Jane Elson, author of A Room Full of Chocolate, for a lively session about the highs and lows of family life and how it inspires their fiction.
9+ years

Welcome to Pooch Parlour, where every dog gets star treatment. Whether your favourite adorable pup is a Bichon Frise, a Pomeranian or a cute little Yorkshire Terrier, you’ll meet them all here in these fun adventures with author Katy Cannon.
6+ years