Hit the Hay
Our pick of the must-see events at this year’s Hay Festival
COMEDY
■ Russell Kane
Stand-up from the comedian who is best-known as the host of BBC Three’s Live at The Electric and regular appearances on BBC One’s Live at the Apollo, BBC Three’s Unzipped, ITV2’s Celebrity Juice and I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! Now!
■ Friday, May 25, 9.45pm at Tata Tent
■ Rachel Parris
Viral sensation Rachel Parris, star of BBC’s The Mash Report, presents a comedy show packed with stand-up, song, sketch and, inevitably, a sideways swipe at society.
■ Monday, May 28, 8.30pm at Oxfam Moot
MUSIC
■ Laura Mvula
Innovative British singer-songwriter, two-time Mercury Prize nominee and two-time Mobo award-winner Laura Mvula first sang in church and later with all-female acapella group Black Voices. By 2008 she had formed and was composing for her own jazz/neo-soul outfit Judyshouse. Her debut album Sing to the Moon was released in 2013 and garnered multiple award nominations and critical acclaim.
■ Saturday, May 26, 9.45pm at Tata Tent
■ Imelda May
The Irish rockabilly superstar brings her phenomenal live show to the festival. Her new album is described as her “most personal and heartfelt work to date” (Independent). Her previous albums include Love Tattoo, Mayhem and Tribal.
■ Thursday, May 31, 8.30pm at Tata Tent
FOR THE KIDS
■ Michael Morpurgo in conversation with Peter Florence
The director of the Hay Festival talks to the author of War Horse and Private Peaceful. They discuss, in particular, his latest book Flamingo Boy, set during the Second World War in the Camargue region of France. The book is inspired by his grandson.
■ Monday, May 28, 2.30pm at Tata Tent Waterstones Children’s Laureate Lauren Child, creator of characters including Clarice Bean, Ruby Redfort, Hubert Horatio, Bartle BobtonTrent and Charlie and Lola, discusses the poetry of illustration, creativity and making time to dream with star mathematician Marcus du Sautoy.
■ Friday, June 1, 2.30pm at Oxfam Moot
FOR FOODIE FANS
■ Michael Gove talks to Rosie Boycott
An opportunity to discuss the immediate and longer-term challenges that range across his brief with the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
■ Friday, May 25, 7pm at Oxfam Moot
■ Henry Firth and Ian Theasby
Want to cook ridiculously good vegan food from scratch but have no idea where to start? Firth and Theasby, creators of the world’s biggest and fastest-growing plant-based platform BOSH! are the new faces of the food revolution. They share their favourite go-to breakfasts, crowdpleasing party pieces, hearty dinners, sumptuous desserts and incredible sharing cocktails.
■ Saturday, May 26, 7pm at Starlight Stage
FOR GARDENERS
■ Jules Hudson
For centuries, walled gardens have provided a wealth of food, fruit and flowers for our great houses. Beginning as simple medieval enclosures, they evolved into powerful status symbols and centres of world-class horticultural expertise. Yet during the 20th century their fortunes waned and most were lost or abandoned, as were many of the skills needed to run them. Happily, today many have been revived. Hudson is an archaeologist and historian who presents the hit BBC series Escape to the Country and Countryfile.
■ Thursday, May 31, 1pm at Baillie Gifford Stage
■ Monty Don and Derry Moore
In the Islamic tradition, a garden with central elements of water, the scent of fruit trees, and places for rest and reflection, celebrates heaven on Earth. Gardener Monty Don and acclaimed photographer Derry Moore set off on a journey to find out more about the principles and immersive delights of paradise gardens and how a very different culture and climate has influenced garden design around the world.
■ Saturday, June 2, 7pm at Oxfam Moot
FOR SPORTS FANS ■ Henry Blofeld talks to Simon Hughes
The first part of an evening of delicious cricket talk celebrates the career of the legendary broadcaster and commentator. His book reveals the secrets of life in the commentary box and of the rich cast of characters with whom he shared it, from the early days of John Arlott and Brian Johnson to Aggers and new boys Boycott, Swann, Vaughan and Tuffers.
■ Thursday, May 31, 7pm at Oxfam Moot
■ Bryony Gordon
Bryony Gordon was not a runner. A loafer, a dawdler, a drinker, a smoker, yes. A runner, no. Yet somehow, as she began to recover from the emotional rollercoaster of laying her life bare in her mental health memoir Mad Girl, she started to realise that getting outside, moving her body and talking to others for whom life was also an occasional challenge, might actually help her.
■ Sunday, June 3, 1pm at Baillie Gifford Stage
FOR SCIENCE BUFFS
■ Chris Haughton and Emily Shuckburgh
Shuckburgh is a climate scientist and deputy head of the Polar Oceans Team at the British Antarctic Survey. Haughton is a designer, author and illustrator of numerous publications including A Bit Lost, Oh No George! and Shh! We Have a Plan. They have collaborated to create an original piece of work that will explore the issues around polar science and climate change.
■ Saturday, May 26, 5.30pm at Starlight Stage
■ Aardman’s Dan Binns and Ally Lewis talk to Andy Fryers
Lewis is an atmospheric chemist and works for the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) and the University of York. His main research focus is air pollution and how to detect chemicals in the atmosphere. Binns is a commercials director at Aardman, the multiaward-winning studio, creators of Wallace & Gromit. They have collaborated to create an original piece of work that will explore the issues around air pollution.
■ Monday, May 28, 7pm at Llwyfan Cymru – Wales Stage
■ Ed Hawkins and Nicola Davies
Hawkins is a climate scientist and works for the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS) and the University of Reading. He focuses on improving predictions of climate change and its impacts. Davies is the author of more than 50 books for children: fiction, non-fiction and poetry. They have collaborated to create an original piece of work that will explore the issues around extreme weather events.
■ Tuesday, May 29, 7pm at Cube
FOR TEENS
Open Your Heart and Big Bones, are the best of friends and they know how important it is to talk. You can ask them about anything from heartbreak and heartache to body image and confidence.
■ Saturday, May 26, 4pm at Starlight Stage
■ Juno Dawson
The author is widely recognised for her skill in writing powerful stories that touch on some of the most difficult issues facing young adult readers today. Clean is a gripping and moving story that realistically tackles a broad range of issues including drug addiction, gender identity and mental health.
■ Monday, May 28, 5.30pm at Starlight Stage
FOR WALKERS
■ Ursula Martin, Hannah Engelkamp, Gwen Davies
Ursula Martin was diagnosed with ovarian cancer aged 31 and walked around Wales to raise money for a cancer charity; she recorded the experience in One Woman Walks Wales. Hannah Engelkamp’s book and film Seaside Donkey were based on her experience travelling with this companion around Wales. Hannah’s meanders are now accompanied by her toddler, Osian, who inspired her current writing on “wilding” childhood and what the “dériving” and colonialist habits of infants can teach us about travel. They talk to Gwen Davies.
■ Thursday, May 31, 10am at Good Energy Stage
FOR POLITICS BUFFS
■ Akala
A searing modern polemic on race in the UK, from the Mobo award-winning poet, musician and outspoken political commentator, founder of The Hip Hop Shakespeare Company. In his memoir Natives, he speaks directly to British denial and squeamishness when it comes to confronting issues of race and class that are at the heart of the legacy of Britain’s racialised empire.
■ Saturday, May 26, 7pm at Baillie Gifford Stage National Committee during the 2016 campaign, Brazile had a front-row seat to the wildest, craziest and most disturbing presidential race in American history. She was called to take over a party riven by scandal and allegations of corruption, and then thrust into the international spotlight after the DNC email system was hacked by the Russians, a brazen and wholly unprecedented attempt by a foreign power to influence a presidential election. She talks about the roles played by Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and President Obama with an insider’s knowledge and looks forward to the 2018 November mid-terms and the potential Democrat runners for 2020.
■ Saturday, June 2, 8.30pm at Baillie Gifford Stage
■ Gordon Brown
The former chancellor and prime minister brings an extraordinary amount of experience to bear in considering the political moment, in a wide-ranging conversation about politics and hope. His memoir My Life, Our Times was published last year.
■ Sunday, June 3, 4pm at Tata
Tent
FOR EARLY BIRDS
■ Morning Iyengar yoga session with Wye Valley Yoga
Wake up and re-energise with the morning yoga class. Iyengar yoga is characterised by precision, alignment and attention to detail and is an inclusive and accessible yoga practice. Mats are provided; wear comfortable clothing; all abilities welcome.
■ 8.15am daily at Cube
FOR NIGHT OWLS
■ Catrin Finch and Seckou Keita
The collaboration between two adventurous virtuoso musicians – Welsh harpist Catrin Finch and Senegalese kora player Seckou Keita – delivers a stunning exhibition of world-class musicianship.
■ Sunday, May 27, 10pm at Oxfam Moot