Hay Festival 2014: An exclusive preview

Some months ago, a group of walkers crossed the field where the Hay Festival builds its annual tented site, and discovered something the event’s founders never knew: that the old farm on the hill above it was called Milk Wood. What better place to celebrate the centenary of Dylan Thomas’s birth than under Milk Wood? And Thomas’s will not be the only anniversary commemorated: Max Hastings, Margaret MacMillan and Niall Ferguson will discuss the Great War; Stephen Fry and Judi Dench will speak about Shakespeare.

Altogether, this year’s festival promises a thrilling engagement with the world of ideas, from the fiction of Toni Morrison to the economy as presented by Mervyn King. Nobel Prizewinners John Gurdon and Tim Hunt will unveil revolutions in modern medicine. Jennifer Saunders and Bill Bailey will supply the jokes. Geoff Hurst and Ossie Ardiles will be on hand to prepare us for the World Cup. And Mary Berry? Well, she’s the icing on the cake.

To book tickets to any of these events, and to see the full programme, go to hayfestival.org/boxoffice

THURSDAY MAY 22

The festival kicks off with a day devoted to schools and the environment. The Hay on Earth forum, with talks on sustainable farming, food security and biodiversity, raises questions that will be echoed in the weeks ahead by (among others) Philip Lymbrey’s Farmageddon and Ken Thompson’s Where Do Camels Belong? An eye-opening talk on contamination entitled Dioxin for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner closes the forum.

Ahead of half term and the official start of Hay Fever, the festival opens its doors to schools with an array of events to amuse and inform. Henry Winkler, aka “The Fonz”, now a prolific children’s author, brings his My Way! campaign to Hay, unpacking stubborn dyslexia myths. In his words, “everyone learns their way”. Later, the British Museum’s Thomas Williams brings his ongoing Vikings: Life and Legend exhibition alive with The Tale of King Harald: The Last Viking Adventure.

FRIDAY MAY 23

2.30pm

Michael Rosen

The Hay Library Lecture

Tata Tent

The poet and former children’s laureate, author of beloved classics such as We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, gives the annual Hay Library Lecture.

In association with The Reading Agency

3.45pm

Philip Lymbery

Farmageddon

Elmley Stage

Philip Lymbery exposes the true cost of cheap meat with hair-raising insights into the murky world of intensive factory farming. Fellow food activist Rosie Boycott chairs the talk.

6.15pm

Antonio Carluccio

Pasta

Emley Stage

The restaurateur Antonio Carluccio shares his love for pasta: not simply a starchy dish but a culinary cosmos of its own.

5pm

Mary Berry

Recipe For Life

Tata Tent

Mary Berry, star of The Great British Bake-Off, has suffered her share of adversity. Born with multiple wombs, she endured a painful series of miscarriages and, later, the death of her 19-year-old son in a car crash. She forged a career in cooking after a stint as an oven demonstrator in the Bath electricity board showroom. Mary Berry is in conversation with The Telegraph’s arts editor-in-chief Sarah Crompton.

Brian May and Denis Pellerin

Diableries

Tata Tent

In 1860s France there appeared a set of stereoscopic cards showing 3D visions of hell. Queen guitarist Brian May helps to set these “diableries” in context.

7.45pm

Billy Bragg and Roy Bailey

The Writing on the Wall: For Tony Benn

Wales Stage

In the Radio 2 show The Writing on the Wall, Tony Benn would tell stories while Roy Bailey would play folk guitar. In tribute to the late politician, the activist Billy Bragg joins Roy Bailey to revive the format.

Al Murray talks to James Holland

Watching War Films with My Father

Tata Tent

Comedian Al Murray’s fascination with war began in his childhood, arguing about tanks with his father. He talks to historian James Holland, followed by live stand-up.

SATURDAY MAY 24

11.30am

Peter Snow

When Britain Burned the White House

Tata Tent

The historian discusses a half-forgotten low point in the Anglo-American War of 1812.

1pm

Richard Dawkins talks to Joan Bakewell

An Appetite for Wonder

Tata Tent

The evolutionary biologist and forthright atheist Richard Dawkins talks to Joan Bakewell about a life of study and polemic.

Matthew d’Ancona

In It Together

Telegraph Stage

Telegraph columnist Matthew d’Ancona reveals the inner workings of the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition.

Edmund White talks to Damian Barr

Inside a Pearl: My Years in Paris

Oxfam Moot

Novelist Edmund White moved to Paris in1983, speaking no French. Society soon swept him up as a superbly witty raconteur.

2.30pm

Tony Fadell talks to Stephen Fry

The Podfather

Tata Tent

The Lebanese-American inventor left Apple six years ago, having played a pivotal role in engineering the first iPod and iPhone. He talks Silicon Valley with Stephen Fry.

Tristram Hunt

Ten Cities that Made an Empire

Telegraph Stage

The historian rethinks the British Empire through its cities: Dublin, Delhi, Boston et al.

Cherie Booth and Hilary Heilbron

Rose Heilbron

Wales Stage

Trailblazing barrister Dame Rose Heilbron was (inter alia) the first woman to take silk and sit as a judge. Her daughter discusses this remarkable life with Cherie Booth, QC.

4pm

Jennifer Saunders talks to Francine Stock

Tata Tent

While battling breast cancer, Jennifer Saunders crept back to her Ab Fab days with a self-prescribed dosing of vodka and the Spice Girls, whose musical Viva Forever she penned during her recovery. Indeed, her approach to life has never lost the verve she showed as Edina in Ab Fab, the hit sitcom she bluffed the BBC into commissioning. Aptly, her memoir is entitled Bonkers: My Life in Laughs. She is in conversation with the BBC’s Francine Stock.

Charles Moore talks to Damian Barr

Margaret Thatcher

Telegraph Stage

Former Telegraph editor Charles Moore’s authorised biography of Margaret Thatcher charts her life until the end of the Falklands.

Supported by Mr & Mrs Robin Herbert

7pm

Carrie Fisher talks to William Sieghart

Tata Tent

Princess Leia turned drug addict turned successful memoirist is in conversation with philanthropist William Sieghart.

9:45pm

Mark Rylance and Paul Kingsnorth

The Wake

Wales Stage

Poet Paul Kingsnorth discusses his apocalyptic debut novel with Mark Rylance.

SUNDAY MAY 25

10am

Alan Johnson talks to Sarfraz Manzoor

This Boy

Wales Stage

The former Home Secretary shares his extraordinary life: born into grinding postwar poverty, he worked his way from postman to Labour minister, and nearly made it into Number10.

11.30am

Trevor Fishlock

The Davies Sisters

Wales Stage

Sixty years ago, sisters Gwendolen and Margaret Davies bequeathed to Wales a staggering art collection to rival any in Europe: 260 pieces including Monets, Renoirs and Van Goghs.

1pm

Mervyn King

The British Academy Lecture

Tata Tent

Lord King, formerly governor of the Bank of England, delivers this year’s British Academy Lecture, chaired by economist and British Academy president Nicholas Stern. Lord King announced last summer that he intended to begin his retirement by learning how to dance.

2.30pm

Jeremy Paxman

Great Britain’s Great War

Tata Tent

Jeremy Paxman examines what Britons of the time thought about the First World War.

Sponsored by The Open University, Wales

4pm

Simon Singh

The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets

Telegraph Stage

Simon Singh argues that The Simpsons, “the most successful TV show in history”, is packed with hidden mathematical jokes.

7pm

Simon Schama

The Story of the Jews

Tata Tent

Simon Schama tells the Jews’ story, a 3,000 year epic about a splintered people.

8.30pm

Phyllida Law

Elmley Stage

The Scottish actress and writer discusses life, the stage and her mother’s dementia.

MONDAY MAY 26

10am

Steve Jones

Did God Evolve?

Tata Tent

Distinguished geneticist and Telegraph columnist Steve Jones examines modern religion in the light of evolutionary science.

11.30am

Jung Chang talks to Razia Iqbal

The Dowager Empress Cixi

Tata Tent

Wild Swans author Jung Chang presents a beguiling despot: China’s19th-century Empress Cixi.

2.30pm

Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner

Think Like A Freak

Tata Tent

The authors of the sensationally successful Freakonomics have set out their new aim: to revolutionise our thought processes.

David Owen

The Hidden Persepective: The Military Conversations 1906-1914

Wales Stage

Historian David Owen argues that World War I could have been avoided had British backroom diplomacy been more skilful.

4pm

PJ O'Rourke

The Annual Hamlin Lecture: The Art of Seeing Differently

Tata Tent

American satirist PJ O’Rourke talks about his generation, drawing on his new book, The Baby Boom: How It Got That Way (And It Wasn’t My Fault) (And I’ll Never Do It Again).

Ffion Hague

Lloyd George in1914

Telegraph Stage

Biographer Ffion Hague turns her attention to Lloyd George in a year of crisis.

7pm

Peter Oborne talks to Sarfraz Manzoor

Wounded Tiger

Oxfam Moot

The Telegraph columnist tells the story of cricket in Pakistan, from Partition to today.

TUESDAY MAY 27

10am

Simon Schama, Philippe Sands & Barbara Winton talk to Alan Yentob

Honouring Nicholas Winton

Tata Tent

Sir Nicholas Winton’s Operation Kindertransport rescued more than 600 Jewish children from German-occupied Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II.

2.30pm

Sebastian Faulks

Birdsong

Tata Tent

Sebastian Faulks discusses his 1993 novel, recently adapted for TV and soon for film.

Tom Holland

Herodotus

Telegraph Stage

Translator Tom Holland describes the delights and difficulties of Herodotus’ mammoth text: the original “history”.

4pm

Anthony Giddens

Turbulent and Mighty Continent

Telegraph Stage

Former LSE director Lord Giddens asks what lies ahead for Europe, arguing that its problems are not limited to the frail Euro.

William Dalrymple

The JLF Lecture: Princes and Painters in Mughal Delhi 1707-1857

Tata Tent

The cultural transition from the declining Mughal empire to the British Raj allowed highly experimental art to flourish, the historian explains.

In association with Jaipur Literary Festival

5.30pm

Toni Morrison talks to Peter Florence

Tata Tent

Now in her eighties, Toni Morrison was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama. Although she has long been considered one of America’s greatest living novelists, it was fitting that she should wait until a black president could so honour her. Morrison has ceaselessly campaigned against racism through her novels, unflinching depictions of life in modern America. She is in conversation with Hay’s director.

Roy Strong and Clive Boursnell

The Laskett

Wales Stage

With his wife, historian Roy Strong created The Laskett, the largest private formal gardens yet made in postwar Britain. He is joined by photographer Clive Boursnell.

7pm

Alfred Brendel talks to Clemency Burton-Hill

A Pianist’s A-Z

Tata Tent

Legendary pianist Alfred Brendel talks to Radio 3 presenter Clemency Burton-Hill about his beloved instrument, from A to Z.

8.30pm

Ruby Wax

Sane New World: Taming the Mind

Tata Tent

Comic and mental health activist Ruby Wax presents a manual for saner living, showing how critical thoughts lead to anxiety.

WEDNESDAY MAY 28

10am

Ken Thompson

Where Do Camels Belong?

Oxfam Moot

Having evolved in North America, camels are relative newcomers to the Arab world: a classic example of an “invasive” species. Ken Thompson, plant biologist and a Telegraph gardening writer, asks whether such invaders should be feared.

Jo Bell and Libby Purves talk to Mark Skipworth

The Book that Saved the Canals

Good Energy Stage

Tom Rolt’s book Narrow Boat, published 70 years ago, sparked one of Britain’s great conservation movements and saved the nation’s canals. Jo Bell, “the canal laureate”, looks back with Libby Purves at the great canal restorations and considers the future of Britain’s waterways.

With the Canal and River Trust

11.30am

Robin Hesketh

Cambridge Series: Demystifying Cancer

Wales Stage

Research scientist, author and Cambridge lecturer Dr Robin Hesketh provides a concise and lucid account of medicine’s fight against cancer. His accessible introduction draws on the Human Genome Project’s latest discoveries.

In association with Cambridge University

2.30pm

Diana Henry and Anna Jones talk to Rosie Boycott

The Myth of Healthy Eating: A Modern Way to Eat

Wales Stage

Rosie Boycott, former editor of two national newspapers, now farms a smallholding in Somerset and writes regularly on food’s important role in reducing carbon emissions and improving our health. She is in conversation with Diana Henry, The Sunday Telegraph’s award-winning food writer.

Carol Ann Duffy and Gillian Clarke

The Laureates

Tata Tent

Carol Ann Duffy, Britain’s first female Poet Laureate, is joined by Gillian Clarke, the third National Poet of Wales, for a reading of their works and thoughts on the responsibilities of a national poet.

4pm

Paddy Ashdown

The Cruel Victory: The French Resistance and the Battle for Vercors

Tata Tent

Following his prize-winning account of the intrepid1942 canoe raids against German ships in Bordeaux harbour, Lord Ashdown tackles D-Day’s overlooked tragedy: the Resistance uprising which ended in a massacre on the Vercors massif.

Supported by Mr & Mrs Christopher James

5.30pm

Lynda La Plante talks to Sarah Crompton

Telegraph Stage

With four new books to be published in April and May alone, screenwriter and crime author Lynda La Plante is as industrious as ever. Nor are her efforts confined to novels. As 2016 will mark the 25th anniversary of Prime Suspect, the Bafta award-winning TV show she scripted, La Plante has announced that she will write a prequel entitled Tennison, charting the earlier life of Helen Mirren’s steely DCI. La Plante is in conversation with The Telegraph’s arts editor-in-chief, Sarah Crompton.

David Edgar

The Housman Lecture: The Name and Nature of Poetry

Oxfam Moot

The annual Housman Lecture was established to address what poetry is and why it matters. This year, prolific English playwright David Edgar has chosen to explore the poetry of plays, his illustrations ranging from Shakespeare to Brian Friel via Sheridan and Wilde.

7pm

Jonathan Yeo

Portraits

Wales Stage

The acclaimed British portrait painter, son of former Conservative minister Tim Yeo, discusses a life spent portraying the great and the good, from Kevin Spacey to Grayson Perry.

Philip Ball

Serving the Reich

Elmley Stage

Philip Ball, one of the best writers on the history of science, tells the story of three Nobel-winning physicists who worked for Hitler: Max Planck, discoverer of the concept of energy quanta; quantum theoretician Werner Heisenberg; and Peter Debye, “master of the molecule”.

8.30pm

Nicolas Roeg talks to Francine Stock

The World is Ever Changing

Wales Stage

A true giant of cinema, Nic Roeg started out as a cinematographer working on the sets of François Truffaut and David Lean. His explosive debut, Performance, launched him as a director with an unconventional talent. Now 85, he reflects on a life in film.

9.45pm

Frank Skinner

Live Show

Tata Tent

Stand-up and talk-show host Frank Skinner entertains Hay’s after-dinner crowd with his brand of cerebral yet blokeish comedy.

THURSDAY MAY 29

11.30am

Richard Evans

Cambridge Series: The History of Conspiracy Theories

Tata Tent

Looking at Holocaust denial, modern myths about the Holy Grail and other outlandish theories about great historical events, the eminent Cambridge historian Richard Evans asks why these fantasies remain popular.

In association with Cambridge University

Peter Atkins

Chemistry

Elmley Stage

Oxford chemist Peter Atkins presents chemistry afresh, explaining its central concepts and its unexpected roles in human culture and our material world.

Phoenix Comic cartoonists

The Big Draw

Wales Stage

Challenge cartoon geniuses including Martin Brown, Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve to draw your cartoon ideas. Noisy, frenzied, interactive fun for the family.

1pm

Bear Grylls

Tata Tent

Survivor par excellence Bear Grylls has pushed himself to the limit. He discusses the true grit required to keep sane and alive in nature’s most rugged wildernesses.

Hew Strachan talks to Richard Norton-Taylor

The Direction of War

Telegraph Stage

Historian Hew Strachan talks to defence commentator Richard Norton-Taylor on contemporary military strategies, setting them in a historical perspective and predicting the future face of warfare.

2:30pm

The Telegraph Question Time: The World Cup

Tata Tent

As the World Cup in Brazil approaches, The Telegraph assembles a team of footballing greats to talk about all aspects of the beautiful game. The line-up includes three World Cup winners: Sir Geoff Hurst, whose hat-trick won the final for England in 1966; and Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa of Argentina, winners in Buenos Aires in 1978 and subsequently the first big foreign stars to play in British club football. They’re joined by Telegraph columnist and former England striker Alan Smith to debate the state of the world’s most widely played sport. Have your say – or just come along to cheer. Referee – with yellow cards at the ready – is The Telegraph’s Sarah Crompton.

In association with The National Lottery

4pm

Emile Simpson talks to Richard Norton-Taylor

War from the Ground Up

Telegraph Stage

As an infantry officer in the Royal Gurkha Rifles, Emile Simpson toured Afghanistan three times. His book argues that the liberal powers have begun to confuse military and political activity, blurring peace into war.

5.30pm

Michael Morpurgo and Rae Smith

War Horse

Tata Tent

The author of the 1982 children’s classic about the First World War is joined by Rae Smith, the award-winning designer of the War Horse stage show, which starred a life-sized paper-sided puppet horse.

Graham Robb

The Ancient Paths

Wales Stage

When historian Graham Robb set out to cycle the ancient Via Heraklea in Spain, he was drawn into the lost Europe of the mysterious Celts. He retraces their world.

Chris Tarrant

Dad’s War

Telegraph Stage

The TV quizmaster on a forgotten military hero: his father. Major Basil Tarrant led 16 men through a minefield to attack 60 Nazis.

7pm

Jonathan Miller talks to Revel Guest

Wales Stage

Legendary opera director Jonathan Miller gave up being a doctor for the arts in 1969 – and regrets it to this day. He casts his sardonic eye over 60 years of the London arts cene.

Vicky Pryce, Erwin James & others

Some Truths About Prisons

Oxfam Moot

After eight weeks in prison for accepting Chris Huhne’s speeding points, Vicky Pryce became an outspoken critic of the UK penal system, writing a book on the theme: Prisononomics. Joining her for debate are ex-convict Erwin James and prison governor David Wilson.

8.30pm

Sol Campbell talks to Jasper Rees

Oxfam Moot

Should Sol Campbell have been England captain? The former Tottenham and Arsenal star discusses his memoir.

Marcus Brigstocke

Je M’accuse — I am Marcus

Tata Tent

Marcus Brigstocke used to inhabit the comic persona of wallyish Giles Wemmbley-Hogg. Now he is very much himself, giving a candid account of his drink and drugs days.

FRIDAY MAY 30

10am

Benedict Brogan, Guto Harri and Fiona Phillips

Why Choose Journalism?

Good Energy Stage

A panel starring The Telegraph’s Benedict Brogan argues that young people should still sign up for journalism, and discusses ways they might get a foot in the door.

Supported by News Academy

John Swenson-Wright

Cambridge Series: North Korea, the Perennial Crisis State?

Telegraph Stage

John Swenson-Wright, head of Chatham House’s Asia Programme, gives his assessment of North Korea’s future.

In association with Cambridge University

1pm

Michael Morpurgo talks to Peter Florence

Q&A on refugees

Tata Tent

The former children’s laureate is in conversation with Peter Florence, director and co-founder of the Hay Festival. Their talk will involve a Q&A with Maurice Wren, CEO of the British Refugee Council.

David Crystal

Wordsmiths and Warriors

Telegraph Stage

Linguistic historian David Crystal considers the layers of time captured in the English language, starting with the vocabulary bequeathed by Britain’s invaders.

2.30pm

Margaret MacMillan

The War that Ended Peace: How Europe Abandoned Peace for the First World War

Tata Tent

Canadian historian Margaret MacMillan, warden of St Antony’s College, Oxford, surveys the origins of the Great War with a grand vision that looks back to the1860s.

4pm

Robert Harris

An Officer and a Spy

Tata Tent

Robert Harris has not let any era claim him. After Fatherland, his phenomenally successful debut set in Nazi Germany, he experimented with modern Russia, ancient Rome and the Blair years. In his latest novel, An Officer and A Spy, he has turned to 19th-century France and the Dreyfus affair: the miscarriage of justice in the trial of a Jewish soldier that enraged liberal Europe. Robert Harris, who drew on the case’s newly released secret files, is in conversation with Philippe Sands, author and QC in international law.

Simon Thurley

The Building of England

Wales Stage

Simon Thurley, head of English Heritage, believes architecture and history are indivisible. He unfolds English history through its buildings, great and small.

5.30pm

Anthony Horowitz, Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Phil Rickman talk to SJ Parris

OxCrimes

Tata Tent

Following Oxfam’s earlier Hay commissions OxTales (2009) and OxTravels (2011) comes OxCrimes, a collection of short crime stories. Anthony Horowitz and other contributing authors discuss the project.

Lawrence Freedman

The Desmond Tutu Lecture: Mandela’s Strategy

Telegraph Stage

Sir Lawrence Freedman, war studies expert and a foreign policy advisor to Blair, assesses Nelson Mandela as a strategist.

In association with Kings College London

7pm

Simon Jenkins

England’s 100 Best Views

Telegraph Stage

The National Trust chairman tours England through its views – iconic and little-known – offering erudite observations about the history and geography behind them.

SATURDAY MAY 31

11.30am

Niall Ferguson

The Pity of War: Explaining World War I

Tata Tent

In the Great War’s centenary year, historian Niall Ferguson offers a provocative analysis: that England was entirely to blame.

Irving Finkel

The Ark Before Noah

Telegraph Stage

The story of the ark, and even the two-by-two motif, is far older than the Bible. Irving Finkel, eminent scholar of cuneiform, asks how the Old Testament took up the myth.

Lucy Hughes-Hallett

The Samuel Johnson Prize Lecture:

The Pike: Gabriele d’Annunzio

Wales Stage

Lucy Hughes-Hallett beat off more obvious contenders for the Samuel Johnson Prize with her elegant biography of the deeply unfashionable Gabriele d’Annunzio: poet, fascist, womaniser and demagogue.

1pm

Tom Hollander, James Woods & Jon Canter

Rev

Telegraph Stage

The script-writing team of Rev, the BAFTA-adorned sitcom about an East End vicar, discusses TV, God and the Anglican church.

2.30pm

Tim Hunt talks to Roger Highfield

The Royal Society Lecture

Wales Stage

Biologist Dr Tim Hunt shared a Nobel Prize in 2001 for his groundbreaking discovery of cyclins, the proteins that govern a cell’s development. The research (carried out on sea urchins) led to a crucial leap in understanding cell multiplication and the uncontrolled proliferation that makes up a cancer. He talks to Roger Highfield, Telegraph columnist and former editor of New Scientist, about his life scientific.

In association with The Royal Society

Patrick Bishop talks to Con Coughlin

The Reckoning: Death and Intrigue in the Promised Land

Good Energy Stage

Patrick Bishop elucidates the mysterious death of the terrorist Avraham Stern, founder of the Stern Gang. He talks to the Telegraph’s defence editor, Con Coughlin.

4pm

Bryony Gordon

The Wrong Knickers: A Decade of Chaos

Oxfam Moot

Telegraph columnist Bryony Gordon lives in Clapham with her husband. It wasn’t always so secure: The Wrong Knickers tells how she survived her years as a raucous singleton.

5.30pm

Max Hastings

Catastrophe

Tata Tent

Offering the analysis that every party was “at fault”, distinguished historian Max Hastings navigates the complex affairs of the weeks leading to the First World War.

Lorrie Moore and Joshua Ferris

Bark: Stories / To Rise Again at a Decent Hour

Oxfam Moot

Chaired by Ted Hodgkinson, two American writers of fiction join forces for a reading: the short story writer Lorrie Moore and PEN/Hemingway winnerJoshua Ferris.

7pm

Arianna Huffington

Barclays Business Leadership Series: The Third Metric

Telegraph Stage

Arianna Huffington, founder of the online news journal The Huffington Post is frequently described as “the most upwardly mobile Greek since Icarus”. She has gathered adherents to her Third Metric creed, which values well-being (principally sleep) alongside the first two metrics, money and power.

8:30pm

Julie Burchill talks to Katie Glass

Unbound

Wales Stage

Through Unbound, Julie Burchill has successfully crowd-funded her new project, an account of how she came to militant Zionism as a schoolgirl in the West Country. She shares the funding process’s quirks.

SUNDAY JUNE 1

11.30am

Jenni Agutter, Heidi Thomas & Pippa Harris

Call The Midwife

Tata Tent

Call The Midwife’s executive producer Pippa Harris, writer Heidi Thomas and actress Jenny Agutter join forces to discuss the remarkable success of their drama hit.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talks to Ted Hodgkinson

Americanah

Elmley Stage

Nigerian author and Orange Prize winner Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discusses her latest novel, Americanah, a tale of race and romance that took her five years to write.

1pm

Steve Coogan and Stephen Frears talk to Alan Yentob

Philomena

Tata Tent

Philomena, based on the true story of an Irish lady seeking the son she was forced to give up, won four Oscar nominations. The movie’s leading man Steve Coogan joins director Stephen Frears to discuss the film.

Helen Fielding talks to Peter Florence

Mad About The Boy

Telegraph Stage

The author of Bridget Jones’ Diary discusses her heroine’s latest instalment: as a widow dipping her toe in the dating scene.

5:30pm

Judi Dench talks to Richard Eyre

Tata Tent

A legend of British stage and screen, Dame Judi Dench turns 80 this year, and shows no sign of slowing down; she was Oscar-nominated earlier this year for her role in Philomena. She discusses her extraordinary career with her friend and collaborator, director Richard Eyre.

8.30pm

Bill Bailey

Live Show

Tata Tent

A set from Bill Bailey, the musicial comedian with the most distinctive mane in stand-up.

HAY FEVER: THE HAY FESTIVAL FOR CHILDREN

Volcanoes and dragons, detectives and ghosts are all on the bill at Hay's irrepressible festival for children

SATURDAY MAY 24

10am

Cressida Cowell

How to Train Your Dragon

Tata Tent, 7+ years

Can you identify an arsenic adderwing? The author of The Incomplete Book of Dragons tells you how, and presents the film trailer for How to Train Your Dragon 2

1pm

Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments

Elmley Stage, 12+ years (Young Adult)

The author of the hit series The Mortal Instruments offers a rare interview in advance of the hotly anticipated final instalment, City of Heavenly Fire.

2:30pm

Lauren Child

Clarice Bean and Ruby Redfort

Starlight Stage, 8+ years

The creator of the Charlie and Lola series will give an illustrated talk about her older characters Clarice Bean and Ruby Redfort.

5:30pm

Steven Camden

TAPE

Starlight Stage, 12+ years

Steven Camden, who in his guise as a spoken word artist is known as Polarbear, talks about his Young Adult novel, Tape.

SUNDAY MAY 25

10am

Liz Pichon

Tom Gates

Tata Tent, 9+ years

Liz Pichon brings back her bestselling creation, Tom Gates, in a new adventure: A Tiny Bit Lucky.

11.30am

Jacqueline Wilson

Paws and Whiskers

Tata Tent, 8+ years

Hay favourite Jacqueline Wilson is back, with an anthology of stories about cats and dogs – including a new story of her own.

MONDAY MAY 26

10am

Korky Paul

Winnie’s Pirate Adventure

Wales Stage, 5+ years

Winnie the Witch dons her pirate gear and brings her illustrator Korky Paul for an unpredictable journey.

11.30pm

Rachel Bright

Love Monster

The Cube, 5+ years

Rachel Bright, this year’s Hay Festival illustrator, will share stories with fans of books such as Love Monster.

TUESDAY MAY 27

11.30am

Oliver Jeffers

Wales Stage, 6+ years

The unstoppable creator of the Hueys returns to Hay for some lightning fast sketching.

Chris Riddell

Goth Girl

Starlight Stage, 7+ years

The creator of the award-winning Goth Girl and Ottoline series outlines the tricks of his imaginative trade.

1pm

Francesca Simon

Horrid Henry’s Birthday

Tata Tent, 6+ years

Incredible but true: Horrid Henry is 20 years old – and still spilling ketchup. Come and celebrate with his creator Francesca Simon.

4pm

Meg Rosoff

Starlight Stage, 12+ years

The author of the recently filmed How I Live Now will talk about that novel and others, including Picture Me Gone, her latest.

5.30pm

Marcus Sedgwick

She is Not Invisible

Starlight Stage, 12+ years

The multi-award-winning author talks about his latest novel, the highly acclaimed She is Not Invisible.

WEDNESDAY MAY 28

10am

Robert Winston

Utterly Amazing Science

Tata Tent, 8+ years

The science professor, television presenter and would-be saxophone player unravels mysteries from rockets to volcanoes.

11.30am

Cathy Cassidy

Chocolate Box Girls: Sweet Honey

Telegraph Stage, 8+ years

The much-loved author introduces the latest addition to her Chocolate Box series of award-winning books.

THURSDAY MAY 29

1pm

Martin Brown

Drawing Horrible Histories

Wales Stage, 8+ years

The influential Horrible Histories series has been running since 1993. Martin Brown, the illustrator behind all the books, brings horrible facts to life with his pen.

FRIDAY MAY 30

11.30am

Anthony Horowitz

Tata Tent, 9+ years

The man credited with getting a whole generation of boys to read returns to Hay and presents Russian Roulette, the latest in his series of books starring Alex Rider.

SATURDAY MAY 31

10am

Julia Donaldson

Tata Tent, 6+ years

With the help of her husband Malcolm on guitar, and illustrator Lydia Monk, Julia Donaldson celebrates the Gruffalo’s 15th birthday in stories and song.

SUNDAY JUNE 1

1pm

Judy Blume

Starlight Stage, 13+ years

The legendary author of Forever and Deenie makes a rare trip to the UK. Blume, who was among the very first children’s authors to tackle issues such as racism, divorce and sex, influenced a generation.

FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS

All you need to know to plan your trip to the Hay Festival – plus our tips on what to eat and drink when you get there

Hay is rightly famous for its panoply of superb bookshops, but it is also home to an award-winning deli, a sheep’s-milk ice cream parlour, an independent cinema and a thriving Thursday market. Nearby, visitors can enjoy the majesty of the Brecon Beacons National Park. For further information on planning your visit, go to the Hay Festival website, hayfestival.org

Getting around

Car Parking

Aside from town parking, there are three dedicated festival car parks: Llanigon Road (managed for Macmillan Cancer Research); Brecon Road, B4350 (managed by Cusop Village Hall); and Clyro (overflow parking five minutes from Hay on the A438, only used in extreme wet weather). Parking costs £5 per day (£3 after 6pm) and includes free use of Richard Booth’s Bookshop Bus.

Shuttle Buses

Richard Booth’s Bookshop Bus

A regular shuttle bus service between the festival site and Hay town centre from May 27 to June 6. Day tickets for the shuttle bus are £1 (free with a valid festival parking ticket).

Hay Festival Village Shuttle Bus

There will be bus services running on three routes, linking local villages to the festival site. The buses call at stops including Llanigon, Glasbury, Llowes, Clyro, Clifford, Cusop and Brecon. A day ticket costs £2.

Taxis

Taxi-share scheme is available from:

A2B Taxis

01874 754 007

Julie’s

07899 846 592

A1 Cabs

07910 931 999

Where to stay

Hay is easily accessible on day trips from surrounding areas, but if you are planning to stay, see the festival website for details of the “bedfinder” service, which provides details of available accommodation, including rooms in local homes during the festival period. It costs £10 per booking, plus accommodation costs. Hay–on–Wye Tourist Information Centre (01497 820144; hay-on-wye.co.uk) is very helpful, and there may be vacancies in the wider area available through visitherefordshire.co.uk and breconbeaconstourism.co.uk

Camping

See Wye Meadow Camping (01291 629379; peak-performance-consultancy.com/haycamping) and Blue Bell Tents (07748 184 192; bluebelltents.com). A more glamorous tepee site is run by Pennard Orchard (07826 081 835; pennardorchard.co.uk)

Where to eat and drink

Richard Booth’s Bookshop Café, Hay

Great value for brasserie treats; not bad for books, either 01497 820 322

The Granary, Hay

Wholesome fare 01497 820 790

The Old Black Lion, Hay

Top pub grub 01497 820 841

The River Cafe, Hay

On the banks of the River Wye 01497 847 007

The Blue Boar Inn, Hay

01497 820 884

Shepherds Ice Cream Parlour, Hay

01497 821898

The Felin Fach Griffin, Felin Fach

For high days, holidays and festivals 01874 620 111

The Radnor Arms, Llowes

Hay chef Colin Thomson’s new gastropub 01497 847 460

Mr Pernickety’s comprehensive reviews of Hay restaurants can be downloaded for £2.50 from misterpernickety.com

How to get there

By car

From the M5, follow signs for Hereford, then for Hay. From the M4, follow signs for Abergavenny, then Brecon, then Hay.

By coach

Hereford bus station is served by coaches from London Victoria, London Heathrow, Cirencester, Gloucester, Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham and Worcester.

Call 08705 80 80 80 for details or go to nationalexpress.com

By train

The nearest railway station is Hereford, 20 miles away, served by:

First Great Western

From London Paddington, Reading (rail/air link from London Heathrow) and Oxford.

Arriva Trains Wales

From South West Wales, Swansea, Cardiff, Newport, Cwmbran and Abergavenny.

From Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Wilmslow, Crewe, Shrewsbury, Church Stretton, Craven Arms, Ludlow and Leominster.

From North Wales, Chester, Wrexham and Gobowen (Oswestry).

London Midland Trains

From Birmingham New Street, Bromsgrove, Worcester Foregate Street, Great Malvern and Ledbury.

For all railway enquiries, call 08457 48 49 50 or go to nationalrail.co.uk

Festival bus link

A festival bus service linking Hay-on-Wye/the festival site with trains andcoaches at Hereford’s train and bus stations runs up to 12 times a day from May 27 to June 6. Bus tickets are available as an “add-on” when booking rail tickets to Hereford; just ask for a “Hay Festival” bus ticket at the same time. Adult tickets are £5 single, £9 return; children’s £2 single, £3 return.

There is also a regular scheduled bus service between Hereford and Brecon, via Hay.

THE PERFECT GIFT:

A TICKET TO THE HAY FESTIVAL 2014