The Latest Breaking News from Hay Festival

Hear from up-and-coming stars of the literary world before they rocket up the bestseller lists, and make sure you don’t miss some of the eclectic treats on Hay Festival’s vast programme, writes Jessie Thompson

Judi Dench talking Shakespeare, conversations with bestsellers Marian Keyes and David Nicholls, and a deep dive into the day’s news with Independent journalists and leading thinkers – this year’s Hay Festival programme is fit to burst with unmissable events. Jessie Thompson picks the highlights

With a programme rammed-full of performances, panels and talks, we pick some of this year’s best events

Butler is among several writers refusing to appear at the literary festival over sponsor Baillie Gifford’s alleged involvement in ‘technology and arms in Israel’

This year’s festival promises to be a ‘civic platform’, with a new series of daily news analysis, a debate about the Israel-Gaza war and an appeal to the younger generation

This week I step down from the Hay Festival, where for the past decade or so I’ve been a trustee, vice-president and chairman (or, alternatively, chief cook and bottle washer). I’ll be staying on in an advisory (and probably quite annoying) capacity, but operationally I’m done. Ten years is long…

The UK literary festival unveils 29 taster events next year and plans to focus on ‘global themes and the impact of issues on the world’

The pop star invited the Shuggie Bain novelist along for a live recording of her podcast At Your Service

The pair discussed the power of literature, representation and five years of #Merky Books

The pair discuss grief, the process of writing, and what awaits after death

The artist took part in a candid conversation with the Standard’s incoming editor-in-chief Dylan Jones at the literature festival