Hay Festival

Hay Festival

The Hay Festival of Literature & Arts, often called the Hay Festival (Welsh: Gŵyl Y Gelli), is a big yearly event in Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales. It lasts ten days, usually from May to June. The festival began in 1988 when Norman, Rhoda, and Peter Florence had the idea to start it.

Many famous people enjoy the Hay Festival. In 2001, Bill Clinton compared it to Woodstock. Tony Benn said it means a lot to him.

The Hay Festival is important in British culture. Sessions have been recorded for TV and radio shows like The Readers' and Writers' Roadshow and The One Show. Almost all of the BBC's national radio channels, except BBC Radio 1, have broadcast from the festival. From 2010 to 2013, Sky Arts showed highlights, and then the BBC took over coverage in 2014.

History

The Hay Festival started in 1988. It was created by Peter Florence and his parents, Rhoda and Norman. The town of Hay-on-Wye was already known for its many bookshops, called "The Town of Books." The festival began in different places around the town, including a school. In 2005, it moved to one main spot south of the town.

Over the years, the festival grew to include music and films. There is a special part just for children, called "Hay Fever," that happens at the same time as the main festival. In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was held online instead of in person.

Awards for the festival

The Hay Festival was chosen as one of 11 winners from Wales for The Queen's Awards for Enterprise in 2009. That year’s festival had many famous people. They included writers like Carol Ann Duffy, David Simon, and Stephen Fry. Other speakers were scientists such as Martin Rees, economists like Anthony Giddens, and comedians including Dylan Moran. Important figures like Desmond Tutu also spoke.

Eccles Centre & Hay Festival Writer's Award

Main article: Eccles Centre & Hay Festival Writer's Award

The Eccles Centre & Hay Festival Writer's Award is given each year to two writers. This award helps them write a new book about the Americas. The book can be fiction or non-fiction. The award is supported by the British Library's Eccles Centre for American Studies. Each winner gets £20,000, paid in four parts during the year. They can also stay at the Eccles Centre to research and share their work at Hay Festival events.

Abu Dhabi controversies

Some groups that help protect people's rights and famous writers spoke out about how free speech was handled in Abu Dhabi during the 2020 Abu Dhabi Hay Festival. They were concerned about how people were treated in the United Arab Emirates.

The leader of the festival, Caroline Michel, decided the festival would not return to Abu Dhabi. This was because one of the festival’s workers said she had been treated badly. She felt the festival did not support her well when she spoke up, and it was very hard for her.

Criticism of Festival

In 2009, a bookseller named Paul Harris worried that the Hay Festival was too big. He thought it took business away from local bookshops and drew attention away from the town’s normal events.

In May 2024, a few speakers chose not to attend the festival because they did not agree with one of the sponsors. Because of this, the festival paused that sponsorship for a time.

International editions and forums

The Hay Festival has grown and is now held in many places around the world. Some of these places include Arequipa, Jericó, Cartagena, Querétaro, and Segovia.

There are also smaller events called "forums" that happen over one or two days. These forums take place in places such as Dallas, Moquegua, Panama City, Medellín, Sevilla, Ayacucho, and Santiago de Chile.