THE Guardian Hay Festival reached its 20th anniversary this year, firmly established as one of the world's foremost literary events.

Leading figures from literature, the arts and entertainment - with a politician or two thrown in for good measure - continue to flock to what former President Bill Clinton, himself a speaker on a previous occasion, memorably described as "the Woodstock of the mind".

And it is this huge and diverse guest list which brings the paying customers through the gates in their thousands and, on any given day, an extraordinary wealth of talent is on offer.

On the festival's final day last week, there were more than 40 events available, including one of the BBC's best-known journalists, a novelist considered among the finest of his generation, a comedian beloved of all age-groups and a musician who took guitar-playing to new heights.

In conversation with Guardian journalist John Harris, the BBC's Middle east editor, Jeremy Bowen, explained what had drawn him to the job, its highs, lows and many horrors.

In a wide-ranging session, celebrated author Martin Amis prophesied the death of poetry and read an extract from his most recent work, House of Meetings, set in the Soviet gulags.

A complete contrast was provided by Ronnie Corbett, one of TV's best-loved stars, who, with Ronnie Barker, created a double act that kept audiences glued to their TVs. That enduring partnership is the subject of a new book, and formed the basis of his talk at Hay, interspersed with his inimitable anecdotes.

And former Dire Straits front-man Mark Knopfler didn't disappoint a packed house as he gave what, at times, amounted to a master-class in the instrument.

Earlier in the week, Rosie Boycott, former editor of The Express, joined Herefordshire's Monty Don to talk about the change of direction she and her husband Charlie have taken to run a small farm in Somerset, a conversation that included a discussion about the impact of supermarkets on farming and a call to consumers to buy, use and endorse British farmers.

Meanwhile, Hay Fever offered a wealth of events for younger festival goers, providing plenty of opportunities for the grown-up festival's audience of tomorrow to be inspired by their favourite authors. Among these was the creator of The Worst Witch, Jill Murphy, who entertained a rapt audience with a whistle-stop tour of her life and the revelation that stapling paper for her first book as an alternative to stapling her mother's curtains together may have been one of the most pivotal moments in a hugely successful career.