MAKING HAY at the Hay Festival 2013

Tickets have go on sale today for the first sixteen publicised events at this year’s Hay Festival.   They include the Noah and the Whale gig and the talks by Rupert Everett and Dawn French that we posted about earlier in the week.  In addition seats are now available for:

Quentin Blake

The illustrator and writer, whose collaboration with Roald Dahl and his own work, which includes Clown, Zagazoo, Mrs Armitage and the recent Beyond The Page, will give this years’s Hay Library lecture.

John McCarthy talks to Sandi Toksvig

McCarthy was kidnapped and held hostage in the Lebanon for five years. In the years since his ordeal, he has travelled through Israel and East Jerusalem, from the shores of the Mediterranean to the the Negev Desert. He will discuss his book “You Can’t Hide the Sun; A Journey Through Israel and Palestine.”

Christy Moore

The singer songwriter will play from his Folk Tale album, the latest in his long musical collaboration with Declan Sinnott.

Hans Blix

The Swedish politician and diplomat and former  Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency led the search for Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq between 2000 and 2003.  He will be interviewed by Jon Snow.

Elif Shafak

The author of Honour, The Bastard of Istanbul and The Forty Rules of Love will talk amongst other things about her fascination with the silent letter of her Turkish alphabet – the ‘Ghost G’.

Muhammad Yunus

The Nobel Peace Prize-winning pioneer of microfinance and founder of the Grameen Bank will talk to Nicholas Stern.

Carl Bernstein

The journalist who broke the Watergate story discusses the second-term Obama administration, the end of the Vietnam War and JFK’s assassination.

Mary Robinson talks to Helena Kennedy

The former President of Ireland and UN Human Rights Commissioner runs the Climate Justice foundation, which works for the millions of poor across the world who are most affected by climate change.

Rowan Williams and Neil MacGregor

A conversation about religion and imagery with the former Archbishop of Cantebury and the Director of the British Museum, and author and presenter of A History of the World in 100 Objects.

Amadou & Mariam

The legendary Malian duo bring their ‘exquisite, intergalactic Afro-pop’ (Time Out) to Hay.

Dara Ó Briain

The Irish comedian and presnter brings his Craic Dealer show to the 2013 Hay Festival.

John le Carré

The creator of George Smiley and author of spy thrillers The Constant Gardener and The Honourable Schoolboy makes his first appearance at the Hay Festival and talks about his work to Philippe Sands.   A new novel A Delicate Truth is out in May.

Philip Glass

A new opera by Philip Glass, The Perfect American imagines the final years of Walt Disney’s life, including mythical imaginings of Abraham Lincoln and Andy Warhol.   The composer will discuss this his new work and will be joined by ENO Artistic Director John Berry and members of the production team. The opera is directed by Phelim McDermott.  Glass will also give a solo piano recital featuring music from his classic repertoire.

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Chaired by Rosie Boycott, the larger part of this event was a narrative on the emergence of the press and the major shifts in press freedom culminating in the present media crisis and the Leveson inquiry.  At the start we were warned that as deputy chair of Ofcom Patricia Hodgson was restricted in what she could say about matters currently under investigation.

What we were treated to was a clear history of the relationship between press and state.  We began with the visions of the founding father of the USA Thomas Jefferson.   Hodgson moved on to cite the importance of the work of John Wilkes who produced he radical pamphlet, The North Briton, was a rebel MP who was actually Wilkes was arrested and charged with seditious libel over attacks on George III.  Wilkes was later elected Lord Mayor of London “a good position from which to challenge the prime minister of the day”.  Though as promised Hodgson avoided analysis of the detail of the current furore she did tackle the subject of press regulation directly. “the problem of over mighty barons has been with us since Henry II fell out with Thomas o’Becket”.    Her strong contention is that whatever regulatory system we settle on we must retain a crusading and fearless press.

There was in my opinion insufficient attention to the growing importance of citizen journalism, blogs and social networks as a member of the audience said ”We are all journalists now if we have the means to be heard”.

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Rob Brydon tells a story from backstage at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert

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Making Hay made its first excursion to The Sound Castle, the Hay Festival’s new music venue to see the excellent Belleruche on the final date of the UK leg of the current tour. The set list featured much of the new album Rollerchain as well as music from the band’s first album on their own label. Kathryn deBoer’s voice was in top form despite a gruelling live schedule and we were treated to tight and lively performance.

The liveliness came in the second half when the audience was invited to dance.  Prior to that the venue, which has tables and chairs more akin to a cabaret venue seemed sedate in daytime light.  I imagine it really comes alive at night.   There’s a bar, outdoor tables and it’s in a wonderful location beneath the castle.  First impressions confirm it’s a great addition to the Festival.

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The arrival of a new cinema in Hay, which we reported back in April, has apparently caused confusion amongst some Festival goers.  Here’s our attempt to clear up the confusion.

• The cinema in Hay was converted into a bookshop in 1965
• It is called Hay Cinema Bookshop
• It is a bookshop, not a cinema
• Part of a bookshop in Hay has just been converted into a Cinema
• It is called Richard Booth’s Bookshop Cinema
• It is a cinema not a bookshop
• It is in a bookshop though

Hope that clears it all up.  We’ve posted photos to assist and finally if you on Castle Street you are at the bookshop and if you are on Brook Street you are at the cinema. Phew.

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The Tote bags have come free with newspapers have been a long standing tradition at the Hay Festival.  There are a ubiquitous sight at the site.  I have no idea when they first appeared, but I acquired quite a collection of Guardian bags over the years.

Amongst the reactions to the change in sponsor last year was a desire amongst some aficionados of The Guardian not to promote The Telegraph by carrying their bags.  Frances Ham commented on this blog ”Loyal Guardian readers will be washing, starching and ironing their treasured but shabby collections of free-with-the-Guardian bags. They will then carry these around defiantly at this year’s Festival.”

The Telegraph has broken new ground this year with a designer bag. They invited  Sir Paul Smith to exclusively design the book bag for this year’s Hay Festival.   As ever the bag is free with copies of The Telegraph – you need to buy the paper.   Perhaps the Guardinistas that are also fashionistas may be persuaded to slip one over their right shoulder.

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It’s day one of the 25th Hay Festival and we thought we would share our thoughts and experience on how to get the most out of the event whether you are a day tripper or you are in residence for the full 10 days.

1.  Book early – book often

Select some key events and book ahead (OK I’m a little late with this advice) and allow for some serendipitous choices too.  Many of my favourite Hay experiences have been chosen on the fly.

2. Footwear choices

When it rains at Hay it may not reach Glastonbury or, despite what Clinton experienced, Woodstock mud levels but when there’s a downpour, the walkways around the site can get wet and the sections in between get muddy quickly.  So wellies or walking boots for the wet and comfortable shoes for all that walking around on dry days.

3. Make a  beeline for the box office

Make it the first thing you do on arrival at the site and get there early to avoid the queues.  Ask about returns for sold out tickets as they quite often have some.

4. Wardrobe

Hay can feel like winter or summer this time of year and the effect is magnified because you’ll be outside a lot.  The weather can change in a trice, as we’ve seen so many times at Hay so take a big bag and pack for every outcome.

5.  Park and ride

There are good charity car parks in fields by the site but you should also consider parking in one of the car parks in or on around the town.  You avoid site traffic and there are shuttle buses that take you to the site.  On foot its a nice stroll and only takes 10 minutes.

6.  Make time for Hay

Hay-on-Wye is world-famous for its secondhand bookshops. There are about thirty bookshops in the town, only one Pembertons sells new and they have a big shop on site.  There are cafes, other interesting shops, don’t miss out.

7. Eat when you are hungry 

Don’t stick to meal times if you want to eat on site.  Lunch time is incredibly busy especially at the weekends.  It can be expensive too so make it a mid-week treat.

8.  Eavesdrop

Listen to what people are saying in the Friends cafe, bars and out on the walk ways.  You’ll get ideas about who to see.  If you are a twitter user electronic eavesdropping using the hashtags #hayfestival or #hay25 is a good idea too.

9.  Be ever vigilant.

One of the real beauties about the Hay Festival is that the writers, artists, politicians et al wander round the site.  You might just see Peruvian Nobel laureate Mario Vargas Llosa sharing a joke with Stephen Fry.

10. Buy a Book (or three)

If you like signed copies you are in monikered book heaven. If that doesn’t move you you should still buy something from Pembertons, find a deck chair and read it on site.  There is nothing quite like looking up from text to see the author striding past.

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Flags and flower beds.  A different angle on the ‘main square’ at the Hay Festival site.  Click the shot for a larger image.

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