Music plays a big part in the annual Hay Festival and it is always a carefully considered and eclectic mix of artists.  This year there is a strong Welsh flavour with Cerys Matthews (above) on the bill along with Bryn Terfel (already sold out). Balladeer and story teller Max Boyce will be there along with  Paper Aeroplanes, an alternative pop band from Wales who have been compared to Fleetwood Mac and The Cranberries.

Other artists that will be on the bill include much acclaimed British singer and producer Ghostpoet and the Edinburgh-based Hidden Orchestra whose sound combine elements of jazz, classical, drum’n’bass, rock and hip hop.

The man about to grace our screens on Britain’s Got Talent and erstwhile star of Little Britain seems at first glance an unlikely booking for the Hay Festival of literature and the arts.  Unbeknownst to many however Walliams is also a writer of children’s books.   ‘Mr Stink’, ‘The Boy in The Dress’ and ‘Billionaire Boy’ are all bestsellers on the children’s charts.

His latest,’Gangsta Granny’, from which he will be reading at Hay, is riding high in the top sellers list for all genres.  The hero of the book Ben, is bored at his grandma’s house.  All she wants to do is to play Scrabble, and eat cabbage soup.   But Ben doesn’t know his grandma was once an international jewel thief, plotting to steal the crown jewels.

Walliams will be at Hay as part of the Hay Fever young persons programme on the 31st June.

• Adonis*
• Harry Belafonte*
• Simon Callow**
• Jeremy Cooper
• Phil Earle
• Luke Harding
• Nick Harkaway*
• Rolf Heuer
• Matthew Hollis*
• Richard Holloway*
• Robin Ince
• Suzy Joinson*
• David Lammy
• John Lewis-Stempel
• Ian McEwan*
• Zara McFarlane
• Hilary Mantel**
• Jonathan Meades
• Tim Minchin**
• Karl Ove Knausgaard*
• Paper Aeroplanes
• Michael Rosen*
• Axel Scheffler**
• Elif Shafak*
• Francesca Simon**
• Jon Snow
• Bryn Terfel**
• James Watson**
• Patrick de Witt*