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.