HAY FESTIVAL 2021 REPORT
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye – 2021 Report 3 Photographs throughout by Billie Charity Grace Blakeley CONTENTS
Overview 5 The programme in detail 9 The Festival in numbers 13 Festival bestsellers 15 The Festival in the media 17 The Festival in quotes 19 With thanks to... 23 About Hay Festival 25
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye – 2021 Report 3 Caitlin Moran Ed Miliband
Ray Mears Hafsa Zayyan
Simon Armitage Mya-Rose Craig Yvonne Witter OVERVIEW
ay Festival 2021 brought writers Many thousands of book lovers tuned in and readers together from from 135 countries to hear from guests 24 May-6 June for a fortnight of live including novelists Ali Smith, Lisa McInerney, Hand online conversations, debates and Deborah Levy, Rachel Cusk, Colm Toíbín, performances, and an inspiring, free Ethan Hawke, Jojo Moyes, Sjón, Maggie Programme for Schools. Shipstead, Val McDermid, Raven Leilani, Brit Bennett, Caleb Azumah Nelson, Marian Broadcast from temporary studios in Richard Keyes and Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Booth’s Bookshop, Hay-on-Wye, within strict Llosa; artist David Hockney; poets Simon health and safety protocols, the 34th Hay Armitage, Hollie McNish, Lemn Sissay and Festival Wales shared the work of more than Mererid Hopwood; economists Daniel 300 acclaimed writers, global policy-makers, Kahneman and former Bank of England poets, historians, scientists, environmentalists governor Mark Carney; activist Gina Miller; and innovators. The Festival launched the journalists and commentators Anne best new fiction and non-fiction books while Applebaum, Gary Younge, Laura Bates, interrogating some of the biggest issues Caitlin Moran, Bonnie Greer and Ash of our time, from climate catastrophe and Sarkar; rapper Guvna B; scientists Suzanne global inequality to the future of the arts Simard, Nobel Laureate Didier Queloz, and world leadership. Pragya Agarwal, Alice Roberts, Heidi Larson This year’s edition was the most accessible and the world’s first human cyborg Peter and inclusive yet. All events were Scott-Morgan; historians Natalie Haynes, closed-captioned, free to view, and available Malcom Gladwell, Sathnam Sanghera, Simon to watch for 24 hours after the initial Schama and Kehinde Andrews; philosopher broadcast. They then moved to Hay Player, Noam Chomsky; former Australian PM Julia our subscription archive platform, which Gillard, former British PMs Tony Blair and now holds more than 8,000 Hay Festival Gordon Brown, and COP26 president Alok events dating back to 1995. Sharma; comedians Mel Giedroyc, Robert
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye – 2021 Report 5 Benjamin Zephaniah
Ali Smith Webb, Frank Skinner and Graham Norton; actors Russell Tovey, Michael Sheen, Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson; Reverend Richard Coles; children’s writers and illustrators Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Patience Agbabi, Cressida Cowell, David Walliams and Radzi Chinyanganya; while star line-ups for the two Festival galas included HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, Kate Winslet, Vanessa Redgrave, Romola Garai, Theresa Lola, Juliet Stephenson, Skin, Guvna B, Jessica Raine, Louise Brealey, Charly Arrowsmith, Rob Brydon and Margaret Busby.
While the Festival could not host ticketed audiences in person, the booktown of Hay-on-Wye embraced the Festival spirit, providing a free WIFI network throughout the town centre to offer unlimited event streaming for visitors.
A free digital Programme for Schools, captioned in English and Welsh, ran from 24-28 May for KS2-4 pupils, broadcasting storytelling and live performances to schools throughout the UK to inspire reading for pleasure. Partnerships with the Living Knowledge Network, Calibre Audio, LitHub and Monocle24 brought event highlights to thousands more.
This was the third Hay Festival under Covid-19 restrictions, so we were tasked with re-designing the festival online and re-thinking ways of engaging artists, audiences, sponsors and partners. It has set the course for an exciting hybrid future.
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye – 2021 Report 7 Joeli Brearley, Pragya Agarwal, Caitlin Moran, Laura Bates THE PROGRAMME IN DETAIL
wo headline galas bookended the aimed at engaging and inspiring audiences. programme. Main stage events got Additional teaching materials were provided underway on Wednesday 26 May to support learning before, during and after Twith the inaugural Opening Night Gala: a the Festival. night celebrating the power of words to The HayDays and HayYA strands were offer hope in dark times, with a selection centred on contemporary issues and the of readings hosted by Natalie Haynes. On value of reading for pleasure, broadcasting Saturday 5 June, ‘From Women to the World’ high-impact events with charismatic speakers saw women writers, thinkers and performers from the UK and international authors reading excerpts from The Penguin Book beamed in to engage with young readers. of Feminist Writing and From Women to the World: Letters for the Female Century. Thought leaders delivered headline lectures throughout the Festival, tackling some of Author and poet Lemn Sissay curated a the biggest questions of our times. These three-part Festival series, George Floyd: comprised Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist One Year On, to mark the anniversary Anne Applebaum (Christopher Hitchens of the killing in Minneapolis, while Lecture), Gary Younge (Aneurin Bevan writers, campaigners, politicians and Lecture), Gordon Brown (Raymond Williams historians explored the crisis in racial Lecture), former Bank of England governor inequalities globally. Mark Carney (The Friends Lecture), Welsh The Festival launched some of the best poet Gillian Clarke (Anthea Bell Lecture), fiction, non-fiction and poetry, including Jojo Moyes (The Reading Agency Lecture), major prize-winners, while a daily 10@10 Heidi Larson (John Maddox Lecture), Jini New Voices session (at 10pm each night) Reddy (the inaugural Jan Morris Lecture), introduced many new writers tipped to and Margaret McMillan (British Pugwash become the next generation of Festival stars. Lecture), while leading universities shared their latest research in the Festival’s new This year’s free digital Programme for Lunchtime Lectures series. Schools featured authors out on location, interactive workshops and varied content
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Looking ahead to COP26, to be held in world were centre-stage in a series November 2021 in Glasgow, a 22-part of conversations with scientists, nature Hay-on-Earth series explored the latest writers and innovators, featuring events environmental science, sustainable policies with The Royal Society and the The British and creative responses to the climate Academy. crisis, while Festivalgoers were encouraged Collaborations with global Hay Festivals to share their creative responses via the showcased international prizewinners such Festival’s new Write for Change project. as Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa and Our post-Covid future was highlighted with Cymrawd Rhyngwladol Cymru Greadigol discussions on the impacts of the pandemic Hay Festival/Creative Wales Hay Festival and the potential for a new green recovery. International Fellow Mererid Hopwood. Everyday Sexism founder Laura Bates led Book Aid International hosted a session a series of discussions around the ways on library activism, and we marked 100 Covid-19 has impacted the gender divide years of English PEN in a discussion and its effect on mothers in particular. around free speech, chaired by its president Philippe Sands. To mark 300 years since the UK first appointed a Prime Minister, the Festival Entertainment was provided by leading encouraged contributors to draw on lessons comics and musicians including Mel from the past to inform solutions to the Giedroyc, Graham Norton and rapper global crisis in democracy. Participating in Guvna B, who performed to evening PM300 were former PMs Tony Blair and audiences, while a special series of Gordon Brown, and historian Anthony workshops encouraged audiences to get Seldon, author of political biographies of six creative themselves. former British Prime Ministers.
The past was reimagined by historians sharing their insights that included a showcase of the Wolfson History Prize shortlist. Developments in tech and our understanding of the natural
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye – 2021 Report 11 THE FESTIVAL IN NUMBERS 1,570 press mentions generated an 208 estimated OTS (opportunity to events see/hear) of 802m 23 million impressions generated by @hayfestival across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram 302,138 event views 91% of teachers agreed that watching the Programme for Schools had enriched and supported 393 creative learning during the pandemic writers and artists
198,490 estimated Programme for Schools attendees 135 58% countries new audiences tuned in reached
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FESTIVAL BESTSELLERS
Isabel Allende The Soul of a Woman Alice Roberts Ancestors Simon Armitage Magnetic Field Jonathan Drori Around the World in 80 Plants Michael Morpurgo The Puffin Keeper Gillian Clarke The Gododdin Raymond Williams Who Speaks for Wales? Frank Skinner A Comedian’s Prayer Book Benjamin Zephaniah Windrush Child Natalie Haynes Pandora’s Jar
ur audience selected books of Hay Player gives you access to the world’s the highest quality – intelligent, great thinkers and writers on film and audio. well-written, imaginative and Authors from our Programme for Schools Ointellectually curious. The range of authors filmed over the past four years can be shows a gender balance and a diversity watched free of charge. of cultural influences: Anglo-Saxon, Celtic, Caribbean and Hispanic. There are books Our series of podcasts give audiences a for children, novels, poetry, history, feminism, snapshot of all the incredible content that politics, religion and nature all represented. can be found in long form on Hay Player.
In addition to the Book of the Month live events, there are many ways to enjoy the festival year-round.
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THE FESTIVAL IN THE MEDIA
ress mentions created an estimated On social media, 23 million impressions OTS (opportunities to see/hear) of were generated on Festival feeds, while 802m (Gorkana, June 2021). There 12,834 users posted about the event on Pwere news pieces, features and interviews public feeds for a total reach of 121 million. across BBC Arts, BBC World, BBC Radio 2, In the UK book trade, 51 libraries and BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 6Music, BBC Wales, bookshops supported the event with BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester, ITV point-of-sale displays, while our Bookshop. Wales, LBC, Absolute Radio, TalkRadio, Times org partnership reached 195k book lovers Radio, Press Association, The Guardian, The i, with the Festival’s curation of new titles. Metro, The Independent, The Times, FT, Daily Twenty-one wider event partnerships Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Sun, Daily Express, were created to reach the largest possible Western Mail, Evening Standard, Hereford audience, including co-streaming with The Times, B&R Express, British GQ, Waitrose British Library’s Living Knowledge Network Weekend, House & Garden, Lodestars, Country and Estuary Festival, plus post-event content Living, The English Garden, Cosmopolitan, packaging with Calibre Audio, Graham Tatler, The Big Issue, New Statesman, History Norton’s Book Club Podcast, Vince Cable’s Revealed, National Geographic, Mslexia, Podcast, Country and Town House magazine, Countryfile, The Week Junior, The School Literary Hub and Monocle24. Librarian, School Travel Organiser, and with media partners LitHub, The TLS, Country & Town House, Monocle24, The Bookseller and Happiful.
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye – 2021 Report 17 Vanessa Kisuule David Hockney
Tahmima Anam THE FESTIVAL IN QUOTES
Hay Festival stays After a tumultuous ahead“ of the literary year,“ Hay’s programme curve... this annual literary is reassuringly stellar, extravaganza has been with the world’s leading identifying subjects that writers, speakers and matter, and tracking thinkers lined up for a down top writers and free, digital festival. With authorities to talk about events addressing the them, since it was climate crisis and Black founded in 1987.” Lives Matter, as well as Waitrose Weekend, readings, debates, film May 2021 screenings and interviews with novelists, poets and journalists, the Hay Festival is one for Welsh Borders are set all“ seasons, balm in a calm, to become a literary a mainstay in a storm.” paradise this spring.” novelist Ali Smith British GQ, April 2021
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye – 2021 Report 19 Thank you for I so appreciate this providing“ such a diverse Festival“ and all the and engaging programme. celebrating of work It really helped my that they’re doing” children recapture a love actor/writer/director of learning following the Ethan Hawke recent lockdowns. Diolch yn fawr!” Teacher, Llangorse The combination of Primary School book-browsing“ heaven and cafés, all of them independent, as well as We loved it! So easy the surrounding natural to“ follow and it was great landscape, and welcoming having such talented locals, means I’ll definitely authors in the classroom. be returning to Very well organised. Hay-on-Wye, and likely Diolch yn fawr.” not only during Teacher, Ysgol Gymraeg the Festival.” Cwmbrân author Jini Reddy Having a worldwide I’m over the moon stage“ like Hay Festival to“ receive this medal, where you can speak and very grateful to Hay so candidly about the Festival not only for most intimate issues is the award but for all its extraordinary.” brilliant work over the Reverend Richard Coles years. Anyone working on environmental and social I’ve lost count of how justice must swim against many“ years I’ve been going the prevailing currents: to Hay Festival as a poet, though these are the novelist, musician, as an most important issues audience member, and on Earth, they are all too now digitally. So, when I often marginalised and say that receiving the Hay neglected. So it’s a lovely Festival Medal for Poetry surprise to be recognised is a great moment for me, for my work in these you must understand, I areas. Thank you.” really mean it. I love the George Monbiot on Festival, I love the people receiving the Hay Festival who work on the Festival, 2021 medal for journalism and I love the town. For me, this medal is all about love. Thank you.” Benjamin Zephaniah on receiving the Hay Festival 2021 medal for poetry
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye – 2021 Report 21 Michael Rosen, Jim Down and Rachel Clarke WITH THANKS TO...
ponsorship, grant funding and Starry Meadow Camping, Ewemoo, Hill donations to Hay Festival Foundation and Dale Caravan Park, Gabbs Solicitors, all contributed to this year’s successful Mostlymaps, Randan Stables Gallery and SHay Festival. With a Cultural Recovery Shepherds Parlour. Grant from the Arts Council of England, In addition, we would like to thank the major sponsorship from Visit Wales and following for their invaluable support: the Baillie Gifford, and Hay Festival Foundation Welsh Government’s Department for donations, we sustained our creative Education and Skills, British Pugwash, English programming and wider operations to PEN, Estuary, Hachette, TooFar Media, produce the Festival and offer access free Virtual Writers Weekend, Prospect magazine, of charge. Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust, Scottish Project sponsorship from Keystone Positive American Investment Company, British Change Trust supported our work to Council, Acción Cultural Espanola, Embassy measure the carbon footprint of our digital of Colombia and media partners Country & content, while consultancy support from Town House, Happiful, Monocle24, Lit Hub, Accenture has informed our development The Bookseller, The TLS and VCA. and marketing strategies, supporting us in Partnerships with disability charities reaching new audiences. Calibre Audio and Leonard Cheshire helped Sharing academic research is a fundamental us to reach new, diverse audiences, while aspect of our work through collaboration collaborations with The Reading Agency, with our university partners (Aberystwyth, Bookshop.org and independent bookshops Swansea, Birmingham, Worcester), national encouraged wider national engagement. institutions The Royal Society, Royal Botanic Donations and memberships (Friends, Gardens, Kew, The British Academy, The Patrons, Benefactors) contributing to British Library, Eccles Centre for American Hay Festival Foundation have given us Studies, The National Library of Wales, and enormous moral and financial support the science journal, Nature. throughout the pandemic. We are incredibly grateful to all our local Special thanks to the team at Richard sponsors who help to create a very special Booth’s Bookshop for hosting the Festival sense of place: Farmers’ Welsh Lavender, and making us so welcome. The Haymakers Gallery, Bartrums Stationery,
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye – 2021 Report 23 Carolyn Dunster and Arthur Parkinson ABOUT HAY FESTIVAL
ay Festival is a not-for-profit now reaches a global audience of millions organisation that brings readers and each year and continues to grow and writers together to share stories and innovate, building partnerships and initiatives Hideas in sustainable events live and online. alongside some of the leading bodies in arts The Festivals inspire, examine and entertain and the media. Hay Festival was awarded globally, inviting participants to imagine the Spain’s Princess of Asturias Award in world as it is and as it might be. Communication and Humanities in 2020.
Nobel Prize-winners and novelists, scientists In 2020, the Festival launched a series of and politicians, environmentalists, historians new digital initiatives to expand its global and musicians take part in the Festival’s audience, including the Hay Festival Podcast global conversation, sharing the latest in English and Spanish, the Imagina el Mundo thinking in the arts and sciences with curious film series, and Book of the Month Live audiences. A wide programme of education Q&As. Meanwhile, thousands of audio and and outreach work runs alongside all of film recordings from the Hay Festival archive the festival’s events, supporting coming can be enjoyed on Hay Player (hayfestival. generations of writers and culturally org/hayplayer). hungry audiences. Coming up... Hay Festival Querétaro, Mexico In 1987, the Festival was dreamt up (1-5 September 2021); Hay Festival Segovia, around a kitchen table in the booktown of Spain (16-19 September 2021); Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye, Wales. Thirty-four years later, Arequipa, Peru (28 October-8 November the unique marriage of exacting conver- 2021); Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye Winter sations and entertainment for all ages has Weekend, Wales (24-28 November 2021); travelled to editions in 30 locations, from Hay Festival Medellín, Colombia (January the historic town of Cartagena in Colombia 2022); Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias, to the heart of cities in Peru, Mexico, Spain, Colombia (January 2022); Hay Festival and this year to Croatia. The organisation Hay-on-Wye, Wales (26 May-5 June 2022).
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