The Guardian's Michael White analyses the big political debates, science correspondent Ian Sample looks at the environment and science events, and children's books editor Julia Eccleshare tells us about Hay Fever, the kids' section of the festival.
Plus we speak to festival director Peter Florence about his final preparations, and to comic writer and local Hay resident Jasper Fforde about whether he plans to make a last minute escape from the town before the literati descend.
And if you can't make it to the festival we'll be bringing you a daily podcast (or Haycast if you will) from Guardian's House of Hay on the festival site. We'll be bringing together some of the biggest names at the festival to discuss and maybe argue with each other..
So you'll hear Naomi Klein, Christopher Hitchens and George Monbiot together during the first weekend and later in the week Monty Python's Terry Jones will rub shoulders with the special advisor to the government Jonathan Powell and human rights lawyer Philippe Sands.
There will also be themed programmes looking at Welsh writing, poetry and children's literature and specially recorded music sessions with artists like Seckou Keita and Seth Lakeman, and comedy sketches with Marcus Brigstock and Mark Watson
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