Hay Festival

[Matildalamp]

The Hay Literary Festival has gone online this year. Some good sessions, I’m hoping they consider doing it online in the future. I’ve never been as it’s okay school term.

www.hayfestival.com/m-156-hay-digital-2020.aspx?skinid=1&currencysetting=GBP&localesetting=en-GB&resetfilters=true

In school term

I've just watched Maggie O'Farrell discussing Hamnet which was excellent, and I've got several more events booked.

I've been lucky enough to go to Hay a few times. It's getting really huge though and I think I prefer Edinburgh now. The first time I went to Hay it consisted of two marquees in a field. I turned up on spec and saw Ian McEwan and Sebastian Faulkes.

I’ve got several booked as well. Just finished listening to Stephen Fry, from last night.

I know what you mean about festivals getting too big. I’d love to have gone when it was a bit smaller.

I went last year, having not been for about 7 years. It was soooo huge! We just spent the day wandering around. Such a shame the honesty book 'castle' had been turned into a food/drink area. No cash points working anywhere and massive queues for loos.

Did come home with some lovely welsh gin though

Have done several events over last 3 days and LOVED it. I realise that those who went when it was smaller may have different memories of it than me, but I desperately miss the real physical Hay while feeling very glad there is a way to listen in this year.

I've loved it too ReadingTeaLeaves; it's brilliant what they've done this year; I really appreciate it.

I'd like to visit more of the book festivals around, hopefully next year. My husband found a map of them ranging from Boswell in Ayrshire to Chiddingstone Castle in the SE. All postponed for 2020 of course

I hadn't planned to watch Stephen Fry until a friend said how much he'd enjoyed the event. It was fab .. like being read a story as a child really. I've sent for Mythos now.

And having listened to Maggie O'Farrell, I gave up waiting for the paperback of Hamnet and ordered the hardback. The online equivalent of my tendency at book festivals to end up in the bookshop tent every single time

I still have Elif Shafak to catch up on from Saturday and today I'm starting with Devi Sridhar then later Jessie Burton and Ingrid Persaud.

Maybe could use this thread to discuss the Hay events we've watched?

What's everyone else been watching and what did you think?