Sunday 24 May
After the exhausting journey to Wales, we set up our homes for the three days we were going to spend in the astonishing town of Hay-on-Wye. Once we had finished bashing sticks into the ground with wooden hammers so that our tents would stay up, we set off to the Hay Festival site. I found my way to the Wales stage for my first event – Helen Skelton. She talked about her adventures including her polar expedition and her journey down the Amazon, the journey that inspired her book. After this, she talked about how she got to where she is now and the inspiration for her book. As soon as the event was over, I rushed to the festival bookshop to buy her book, Amy Wild: Amazon Summer, and to get it signed. Talking to Helen in person was an amazing experience. She was extremely kind and welcoming, even though I was at the back of the everlasting line of excited but nervous readers.
Once I had got my book signed it was time to go to my next event. This was Melinda Salisbury and Catherine Doyle. At the beginning of the event both authors talked about their dreams of becoming writers. Melinda told the audience that she wanted to, but never dreamed of, becoming an author. This was because she thought that you had to be from a rich family to become a writer but she lived in a council house. They then read from their books and talked about how they came up with the ideas for their stories. After the event had finished I ran to the bookshop to get Melinda Salisbury’s book, The Sin Eaters Daughter, signed. Luckily I managed to get to the front of the line so I didn’t have to wait too long before talking to the horn-wearing Melinda Salisbury.
When we got back to the campsite we ate a warming chili con carne before drinking hot chocolate and going to bed.
Monday 25 May
I woke up this morning to find out that my blow-up mat had deflated. I decided that I would blow it up so that I could wander into the astonishing town of Hay-on-Wye. Above the roads bunting hung, advertising the Hay Festival. The first shop we went to was Richard Booths bookshop. Booths have an unimaginable amount of books in it. They tower above you and lurk behind you. There is nowhere that you can look that won’t be riddled with books! After a lot of deliberation I ended up buying Vendetta by Catherine Doyle and This Is Not A Love Story by Keren David. After this we went to a variety of book shops including a vintage map shop. It was more interesting than it sounds!
We then headed back to the festival site for lunch. After a generous and delicious slice of pepperoni pizza as well as an ice cream I went to my first event of the day. This was Malorie Blackman, Louise O’Neill, James Dawson and Non Pratt. They talked about YA books and in particular love in YA books. One of the things that they mentioned was that teens today seem to deal with breakups much better than teens 20-30 years ago. After the event I went to get Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill, Hollow Pike by James Dawson and Dangerous Reality by Malorie Blackman signed. They were all extremely friendly.
My second (and last) event of the day was about public shaming. Jon Ronson talked about people being publically shamed on the internet and how the victims of this humiliation felt.
Once we got back to the campsite we ate hot dogs while the sun set and my cousin and I played card games before going to bed.
Tuesday 26 May
I woke up this morning and got ready for my last day at this amazing festival for the year. My aunt and godmother, my uncle, my cousin, his friend and I packed our bags and took down the tents. I then set off for my first event of the day: John Boyne. John Boyne is famous for writing The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, as well as other children’s books including Stay Where You Are And Then Leave. He talked about his struggle to find out how to write a children’s book and where he got his inspiration from. I then went to get his book Stay Where You Are And Then Leave signed. When I asked him if he had always wanted to become an author he responded, without hesitation, that he had always, always wanted to.
My next event was Malorie Blackman. She talked about her time as the Children’s Laureate. She also talked about what she was going to do after she stopped being the Children’s Laureate. She said that she was going to relax for a couple of weeks before doing a lot more writing.
My last event at the festival was Emily Gravett, Chris Haughton and Yasmeen Ismail. They talked about picture books they are working on at the moment as well as where they work. They also did some live drawing; this was where they drew and it was projected onto the screen. At the end of the event the drawings were placed at the front and I went to see them.
We got diner from the bust food hall and headed home, only getting back at 11pm!
What I Thought Of It
When I booked the events I wasn’t sure how good they would be, and I also didn’t think that it would be very sunny! But when I went I was proven wrong. All of the events where extremely fantastic (and it was sunny!). I didn’t have a single moment when I was bored, even in between events. The atmosphere is amazing and as you sit down on the grass and read, waiting for your next event, you feel so calm and relaxed. Simply being there you stop worrying about everything and you can’t help but smile and enjoy it.
Whatever you are into, there is always an event for you. If you aren’t sure if you should go to an event or not: go for it! More often than not, you’ll love it. I think that this book festival is for all readers and I would recommend it to anyone, whatever you like and whatever your passions are. I would definitely go again. After a couple of years, you can’t imagine not going again.
