IT’S that time again as The Telegraph Hay Festival launches this year’s wide-ranging and exciting programme.
Some events are almost instant sell-outs, among them big names like Carl Bernstein, John le Carré, Rupert Everett and Miranda Hart, as well as tours of Hay Castle.
As it does every year, Hay Festival 2013 has invited leading writers, thinkers, filmmakers, historians, politicians, businessmen and scientists as well as the best of today’s comedians, actors and musicians to provide 10 days of incisive and thought-provoking events - a rich menu of food for thought from May 23 to June 2.
Think of any of the big issues of the day – from the Arab uprisings to obesity, the growth of the Chinese economy to the impact of erotica on contemporary literature and where technology is taking us – and they’re all the subject of debate and discussion at this year’s festival.
Whatever your interests, there’s guaranteed to be something to whet your appetite. Fans of The Great British Bake Off, for instance, will be keen to catch John Whaite (last year’s winner) and the Fabulous Baker Boys as they create a 26th birthday cake for the festival, while lovers of Cath Kidston’s home and fashion styles will be interested to hear the story behind her success.
Eric Schmidt, Google’s chief executive, will examine the future of a connected world distinguished economist Linda Yueh will look at China’s growth – the making of a superpower – and Middle East correspondent Jeremy Bowen will be examining the Arab uprisings. Professor Raymond Tallis asks what can be done to improve the NHS, while in the Cambridge University Series of talks, Sadaf Farooqi, professor of metabolism and medicine explores What Makes Us Fat?
Peter Oborne and David Morrison attempt to avert a potential global catastrophe by showing that the grounds for war do not exist – that there are no Iranian nuclear weapons. Satish Kumar, Roger Thurow, Elisha London and Esther Mweso ask Can we Really be the Generation to End World Hunger? John Holmes, the former UN secretary general for humanitarian affairs, exposes the often depressing difficulties behind providing humanitarian aid to some of the most troubled spots in the world. And Paul Silk, Graham Allen, Richard Wyn Jones debate constitutional reform, asking: “Is the UK on the verge of breaking up?”
On a lighter note, Giles Coren will reveal How to Eat Out: lessons from a life lived mostly in restaurants. Geoffrey Marsh and Victoria Broackes, curators of this year’s blockbuster David Bowie retrospective exhibition at the V&A, provide an insight into the making of the show.
And two giants of children’s literature, Judith Kerr (The Tiger Who Came to Tea) and Michael Morpurgo will be at Hay in the year they celebrate, respectively, their 90th and 70th birthdays.
Add a wealth of music, from Noah and the Whale and KT Tunstall to jazz legend Manu Dibango, Rokia Traore, Malian superstar appearing before her Glastonbury and WOMAD performances and giants of world music, Amadou and Mariam, plus an impressive collection of comedians, from Lee Mack and Dara Ó Briain to Alan Davies having the last word at Hay with his new stand-up show, and it’s never been more true that there is ‘something for everyone’ on offer.
For full programme details and to book tickets, call 01497 822629
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