Gisèle Pelicot and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe among Hay Festival 2026 speakers

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Emma LoffhagenMarch 9, 2026 at 02:55 PM

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The Hay Festival 2026, a popular UK literary event, will take place from May 21-31 in Hay-on-Wye, Powys. The festival will feature over 500 events with a wide range of speakers including writers, political figures, historians, musicians, and comedians. Headline names include Emma Thompson, Malala Yousafzai, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Ian McEwan, Nicola Sturgeon, Dawn French, and many others. The program includes themed panels, genre-specific events, conversations on adaptation, and events for young readers. A new series, "My Life in Books," will feature public figures discussing their favorite reads with writers and broadcasters. The festival aims to spotlight the UK’s National Year of Reading.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Ian McEwan 40% Sajid Javid 40% Nicola Sturgeon 50% Powys 50% David Miliband 50% Emma Thompson ×260% Malala Yousafzai 60% Hay-on-Wye 60% United Kingdom 70% Gisèle Pelicot 70% Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe 80% Hay Festival ×290%

Keywords

hay festival 100% literary festival 80% writers 70% books 60% speakers 60% gender equality 50% political figures 50% national year of reading 40% comedy 40%

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Positive

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The Guardian - World News

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90%

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hay festival literary festival writers books speakers gender equality political figures national year of reading comedy

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