A publishing venture for the new age was unveiled yesterday in a purpose-built shed at the Hay Festival.  Unbound aims to connect writers with readers in new ways.

The Unbound web site hosts author’s ‘pitches’ for new books and if you like the idea, you can become a sponsor, when the target number of sponsors is reached the deal is done and the author can go ahead and start writing.  There are different levels of support, from simply pledging to buy an ebook through to tickets for the launch party and even lunch with the author. Sponsors also have access to the author’s private area of the website or ‘shed’ where there will be updates on the book’s progress and exclusive interviews.

The beautifully bound, limited edition hardback even comes printed with the sponsors names.  Several authors are already signed up including Terry Jones who is the first off the mark with a sponsor.  You can check out and even support the current projects on the Unbound site.

A veil was drawn over an epic literary feud at the Hay Festival. Paul Theroux and VS Naipaul ceased hostilities with a handshake in the green room.

..we post a definitive list of the 40 names already confirmed for the 2011 Hay Festival.

• Afro Celt Sound System.
• Bjørn Lomborg
• Brian Cox
• Cerys Matthews
• Chris Evans
• Dara O’Briain
• David Miliband
• Dylan Jones
• Eliza Carthy
• Eoin Colfer
• Eric Hobsbawm
• Henning Mankell
• Howard Jacobson
• Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
• Jacqueline Wilson
• Jason Bradbury
• Jean-Marie le Clezio
• Jo Brand
• Joan Bakewell
• John Waters
• Julia Hobsbawm
• Ladysmith Black Mambazo
• Malorie Blackman
• Meg Rosoff
• Mohamed El Baradei
• Nigella Lawson
• Owen Sheers
• Paul Merton
• Paul Nurse
• Philip Pullman
• Polly Samson
• Rob Lowe
• Rowan Williams
• Sandi Toksvig
• Sarah Brown
• Simon Russell Beale
• Simon Schama
• Sue Perkins
• Toby Harnden
• Vanessa Redgrave
• VS Naipaul

Early bird tickets for a handful of the acts are now on sale from the official site.

If you know of any other names attending drop us an e-mail at makinghay@rocketmail.com or message us on twitter.

There are sponsorships that are made in heaven and the Guardian’s long running partnership with the Hay Festival was one of them.  Very quietly last October the Guardian swept out of Hay and the Telegraph was ushered in with a three year deal to attach their name to the now growing list of Festivals that have emerged from the small Brecon town and are encircling the globe in celebration of the arts.

So if the Festival couldn’t go to Segovia or Zacatecas without keeping the name Hay in the event title, can it remain true to itself with the Guardian moniker making way for the Telegraph?

Whilst the subject matter for the annual fest has emerged from the printed page and grown to encompass the performing arts there has always been a powerful political undercurrent during those 10 days in May.    In 2008 John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the UN and advisor to George Bush narrowly escaped an attempted citizen’s arrest for war crimes by writer and activist George Monbiot.  Last year the 2010 festival goers held their collective breath as they awaited news of the best-selling Swedish author Henning Mankell who instead of being at the festival was on board a the convoy of Gaza-bound boats stormed by Israeli forces.   The festival’s biggest draws have invariably been from the centre left, Vince Cable, Gore and Clinton, journalist John Pilger.   Miliband is a regular but I don’ think Cameron has ever been.

For a decade the only daily paper on sale at the site has been the Guardian and I’ve never heard a single complaint.  You couldn’t cite a more certain collection of Guardian readers than at Hay in May. Will it change?  It’s difficult to see how it can be avoided.

The programme is live and ‘friend’s’ have had the opportunity to book early but as of midnight tonight booking is open to everyone.  You can search through the programme and make bookings though the official site by clicking here.