Post by ellie on Jun 3, 2019 18:26:48 GMT
I’m just back from the Hay Festival and can not recommend it highly enough. Not only is the Festival itself brilliantly organized, it takes place in an area that is stunningly beautiful.
The Festival itself takes place in a tented village a few minutes walk from the lovely town of Hay on Wye. In the six days I was there I got to hear fascinating talks by:-
Germaine Greer on Sappho - apparently most of what we think we know about her is entirely invented.
Deborah Moggach (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) on her writing and the nightmare of getting the film of her book “Tulip Fever” made. It went from being bought and discarded by Steven Spielberg to being rescued by .......... Harvey Weinstein shortly before his Empire collapsed. So it was abandoned half way through filming. She ended up with several tons of unused tulip bulbs as a souvenir of the disaster. The way she told the story was hilarious but it was a great insight into the hazardous business of getting a movie to the screen.
Tracy Chevalier (Girl with The Pearl Earring) about what inspired that book and about her upcoming novel.
Alison Weir (Historian and Author) about her Biographies and Novels on the wives of Henry VIII.
Ian McKewan ( Atonement, Child In Time, Saturday etc etc etc) about his new novel “Machines Like Me.”
Jo Dunkley - one of the world’s leading Astrophysicists on what we know about the extent and make up of the Universe.
David Lammy MP - a well known UK Politician on “Tribes” - how UK culture is becoming more polarised into groups with opposing world views.
Billy Bragg - a famous UK activist, writer and singer on where the UK goes from the Brexit debacle
And a hilarious Improv show with some UK comedians.
I couldn’t pick a favourite because they were all equally interesting. Do go if you can. Only book early. We had to book our accommodation in early 2018 to get anywhere near the 2019 Festival.
Here’s some pics.
The Festival Village - taken after a late event when the crowds had dispersed enough so that you could see the space!
The cottage we rented
The the view from the cottage.
The Festival itself takes place in a tented village a few minutes walk from the lovely town of Hay on Wye. In the six days I was there I got to hear fascinating talks by:-
Germaine Greer on Sappho - apparently most of what we think we know about her is entirely invented.
Deborah Moggach (The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) on her writing and the nightmare of getting the film of her book “Tulip Fever” made. It went from being bought and discarded by Steven Spielberg to being rescued by .......... Harvey Weinstein shortly before his Empire collapsed. So it was abandoned half way through filming. She ended up with several tons of unused tulip bulbs as a souvenir of the disaster. The way she told the story was hilarious but it was a great insight into the hazardous business of getting a movie to the screen.
Tracy Chevalier (Girl with The Pearl Earring) about what inspired that book and about her upcoming novel.
Alison Weir (Historian and Author) about her Biographies and Novels on the wives of Henry VIII.
Ian McKewan ( Atonement, Child In Time, Saturday etc etc etc) about his new novel “Machines Like Me.”
Jo Dunkley - one of the world’s leading Astrophysicists on what we know about the extent and make up of the Universe.
David Lammy MP - a well known UK Politician on “Tribes” - how UK culture is becoming more polarised into groups with opposing world views.
Billy Bragg - a famous UK activist, writer and singer on where the UK goes from the Brexit debacle
And a hilarious Improv show with some UK comedians.
I couldn’t pick a favourite because they were all equally interesting. Do go if you can. Only book early. We had to book our accommodation in early 2018 to get anywhere near the 2019 Festival.
Here’s some pics.
The Festival Village - taken after a late event when the crowds had dispersed enough so that you could see the space!
The cottage we rented
The the view from the cottage.
