For those of you who have never been, Hay-on-Wye is a small town just over the Welsh border which boasts 30 bookshops, and once a year is home to a world-famous literary festival.
For ten days every May-June, Hay becomes a hive of activity, bursting with author talks, signings, comedy shows, music, art, workshops, and celebrities.
This year there was an amazing line-up of children's authors, including Michael Morpurgo, David Almond, Jacqueline Wilson, Robert Muchamore, Lauren St. John, Julia Donaldson, Hilary McKay, Geraldine McCaughrean, Caroline Lawrence, Judith Kerr, Alex Scarrow, Andy Stanton and Eoin Colfer to name but a few!
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| David Almond reading from My Name is Mina |
My family and I went along to the festival and enjoyed a fun-packed 9 days. Highlights were the Gruesome and Gory Movie FX workshop where passers-by were horrified to see the children coming out with black eyes, hideous wounds and even severed fingers; the wonderful David Almond talking about the book group's Oct/Nov 2010 read,
My Name is Mina; soaking up the sunshine and atmosphere while eating a delicious sheep's milk ice-cream, and for me, meeting my all-time favourite author of Young Adult fiction, Patrick Ness.
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| Movie FX workshop - realistic isn't it?! |
The festival is so great it even attracts royalty - Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall arrived in her helicopter to read a story to some children!
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| Camilla's helicopter! |
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| Michael Morpurgo and Camilla at Hay |
Hay Festival has something for every book-lover; check it out next year. See you there, I can't wait!
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