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Clare Balding talks to Carolyn Hitt

An Evening with the Award-winning Broadcaster

Hay Festival 2026, 

Spend a leisurely evening with broadcasting royalty Clare Balding CBE in conversation with sports journalist Carolyn Hitt. The award-winning presenter shares how she got her stripes, and presents her feel-good debut novel, Pastures New.

The heroine of Balding’s first novel for adults is a woman whose life is turned upside down by the mysterious inheritance of a crumbling sheep farm in Wales. Balding will recount her own childhood in the countryside – surrounded by horses and dogs, and reading everything from Jilly Cooper to Henry James. She’ll talk about her passion for sport and journalism, leading her to the very top of her game, presenting award-winning coverage of the Olympics, Wimbledon and royal events. A recent Celebrity Traitors participant and acknowledged national treasure, Clare is also a passionate campaigner for equality and women’s sport.