Today saw the start of the Hay Literary Festival at Hay-on-Wye which runs from 21st – 31st May.
Attendance is already up on last year for the first afternoon of the Festival with the organisers expecting around 100,000 visitors for the duration of the Festival compared with the 80,000 attendees last year.
The Hay Festival has been running for 22 years and is hosted in the picturesque town of Hay-on-Wye on the border of Herefordshire at the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
Hay-on-Wye is affectionately known as the “Town of Books” and it’s easy to see why with over 30 bookshops tucked away in the town.
This year sees appearances from distinguished celebrities such as Sophie Dahl, Alan Bennett and Stephen Fry amongst many others. However, perhaps most notable, is the first public appearance of the new poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy.
With the primary focus being books, it is worth remembering how important reading glasses are to those that needs them. Therefore it is always worth carrying a spare pair of travel reading glasses for emergencies.
For more information visit the Hay Festival website, or download the Hay Festival Programme 2009.
