Hay Festival 2017 – #Hay30
Happy Anniversary Hay Festival. After thirty extraordinary years we are still feeling the positive literary vibe. This year, during those precious ten days spanning the change from May to June the sun shone, the clouds for the most part, stayed away and crowds of enquiring minds came, enjoyed, joined-in and departed; all promising to return again soon. Folks lapped the locality in shuttle buses, spoke to their favourite authors, discovered new voices and stuffed far too many excellent books into cases for the long journey home.
Our Hay Writers event on the second Saturday of the festival was no less welcoming or enthralling. Thirteen writers, fuelled entirely on coffee took to the stage at 9am in front of a sell-out crowd (we even had to ask for a few more chairs!). Prose, fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry flowed.
After a brief introduction by our Chair, Ange Grunsell, Jan Newton kicked off the readings with the atmospheric prologue from her recently published detective crime drama, Remember No More. The performance concluding with a very apt, non-fiction piece on the habits of a bibliophile by Juliet Foster. In between poetry, short stories (both humorous and startling) found willing ears. There was definitely something for everyone and this sentiment was echoed by the numerous applauses from the crowd.
This year, more than any other, the Hay Festival seemed more colourful, more vibrant and more joyful than ever. Keeping so many people happy and interested year after year is no mean accomplishment.
A huge and special thank you to Peter Florence and the whole Hay Festival team for another brilliant festival. Your continued efforts in supporting and promoting writers, artists and ideas is greatly appreciated.
THE HAY WRITERS 