Archive for May, 2008
The Guardian Hay Festival
This is just an amazing event set in green fields on the outskirts of Hay-on-Wye the most beautiful border town between England & Wales. This Year’s line up included: Alan Bennett, John Irving and former US President Jimmy Carter, Cherie Booth, the wife of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Jamie Oliver, M&S boss Stuart Rose and former head of the Army General Sir Mike Jackson, petrol head Jeremy Clarkson, Jools Holland and his orchestra, Alex Valentine,
The festival has grown in size and stature since an invitation was extended to “a few like-minded friends” to gather for a weekend of literary relaxation in 1988.
Since then it has attracted some of the world’s leading writers, politicians and musicians. In 2001, ex-US President Bill Clinton famously called it “the Woodstock of the mind”.
The full line-up for this year’s event included a range of musical events and a film festival.
As well as ex-President Carter’s talk, other politicians including a trio from the Labour Party - former deputy PM John Prescott, Lord Hattersley and Lord Levy.
John Irving, author of The World According to Garp, The Cider House Rules and Setting Free. Ffion Hague, wife of Conservative Party shadow foreign secretary William Hague, discussed ex-Liberal Prime Minister David Lloyd George and the women in his life.
Others in this year’s programme included author Will Self, playwright, director and scriptwriter Stephen Poliakoff, Salman Rushdie and author and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg.
US author and journalist Carl Bernstein, who along with Bob Woodward helped break the Watergate scandal story and ended the Nixon US administration in 1974 also featured.
From the world of comedy, Jimmy Carr, Marcus Brigstock, Omid Djalili and Rory McGrath.
Other famous faces included Charlie Higson and chess champion Garry Kasparov.
The Welsh festival now has satellite events in Segovia in Spain and Cartagena in Colombia.
Hay Festival