There is an inherent belief that The Hay Festival, is The festival for literature, especially in the UK.
With a twenty year history, one would expect a well oiled machine upon first attending; a clear demonstration that this is the standard by which all literary festivals are judged.
Will this barometer claim find a home on the shelf of historical non-fiction, or fantasy?
Let us start by pitching our tent in the field of ‘Hey! That was amazing!’ Those moments that leave an indelible impression. At least ten, and any festival deserves an annual attendance.
THE HEY!
1. Covered Walkways
There are a number of interconnecting walkways between each of the venues which are covered from above, sheltering you from the elements. An excellent feature of the site. On my last day there, it unfortunately rained very hard, and yet even though we are effectively in a field of tents, I did not need an umbrella to go between each venue, and remained dry throughout.
2. Pembertons
The official bookstore. It keeps a well stocked supply of all the books authors are promoting at the festival. Bear in mind they are at full price. So bring a credit card if you plan on buying lots of hardbacks. This is also the venue where all the authors do their book signings, making it a focal point of the site. There is a noticeboard outside the store which is updated after every talk to indicate which desk each author will be signing at. A display of the authors books are set-up on desks prior to their signing, so you can, and are encouraged to buy from Pembertons themselves. However, you are of course allowed to bring your own books for signing. Apart from the talks, this is the only place on site where you will be able to interact with the authors.
3. Chairpeople
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the entire festival, because each Chair Person has thoroughly done their research and ask a range of questions that make the talks utterly absorbing. So much so that by the time the Q&A comes around, it would be hard for any audience member to ask a better question than those posed by the Chair. I was fortunate to attend events hosted by: Kathryn Gray, Nik Gowing, David Aaronovitch, John Mitchinson, Stephanie Merritt, and Lisa Dwan. All of whom were superb. So be sure to book tickets for any event Chaired by these individuals.
4. Range Of Topics
From gardening, science, philosophy, and art classes, to live comedy and music, you could easily enjoy the festival without having any interest in fiction. In fact I met several people who had never read a novel, and were attending for the variety of other events that the festival offers. There literally is an option for every taste, and more importantly, every age. For example, Hay Fever is completely dedicated towards entertaining the children of those who attend, with a wide array of activities.
5. Authors
With an extensive selection of authors from predominantly the literary fiction genre, I was thrilled to finally meet some I have admired for years: Linda Grant, and Polly Samson, who were both compelling in their talks and extremely gracious at their signings. I also discovered new authors who I had yet to read such as Mohsin Hamid, Sarah Winman, and Téa Obreht. The latter of which was unknowingly just four days away from winning the Orange Prize For Fiction. At their signings, both Sarah and Téa took time to engage with their readers. There were no airs and graces at all. Just two people who wanted to hear about your own passion for books, and even asked for recommended reads. If you ever get a chance to attend a talk by any of these five authors, make sure that you do.
6. Whisky
Free shots of single malt whisky were continually on offer from staff carrying trays throughout the walkways. We are not talking full shots here, just a tickle to warm the throat. In the evenings when the temperature dropped considerably, it was a welcome relief to able to take a shot on your way to your next talk. In hotter weather, perhaps another drink would be more appropriate, but the idea to offer drinks in this way was a lovely gesture.
7. Richard Booth’s Bookshop Bus
An endless stream of shuttle buses run between the festival site and the town centre. A £1 ticket allows you to travel on any of these during one day, and there is always one outside the main gates. This accessibility allows you to nip into town for a wander or something to eat, and be back later for your next talk. They are still turning up after 11pm to pick people up, so you will never be stuck for a ride home, should you be lucky enough to be staying in Hay-on-Wye.
8. Bedfinder Service
The festival now offers an accommodation service for all those attending. For an administration fee of £10 the festival will source somewhere for you to stay during your visit. They do not just limit themselves to B&B’s, or Hotels, they also check with local residents who are interested in renting a bedroom, or their entire property. You will need to allow around ten days for them to respond with options. But when you are booking at the last minute, this is the only way you will find accommodation within twenty miles of the festival site.
However, all of this only tells half of the story…
THE WHY?
1. Why Is There No Mention Of The Phone Signal Issue?
A word of warning: there is no O2 signal anywhere in Hay-on-Wye. Not a single bar. Vodafone is not much better. All locals informed me that Orange is the only network that works properly in Hay. Yet there is no indication of this anywhere on The Hay Festival website. For three days I had no signal, and a huge portion of people I met were venting their frustration at this issue as well. I have been to the far reaches of the globe and have always got a phone signal. But I had to go to a place within my own shores not to get one. People were having to arrange pre-meet times because there were unable to send a single text message. We certainly do not expect the festival to install a mast, just to show some common courtesy and inform us in advance. Attendees could use Orange sim cards to eradicate the problem. The festival could even garner sponsorship from Orange since it is the only signal within twenty miles. If they were really smart, they could rent out Orange pay as you go phones. But not to tell those attending of the signal issue, was simply unforgiveable.
2. Why Do So Many Events Run Late?
Ignore the time slots in the programme guide. They are merely a rough guide as to when you will start waiting in line. My first event was due to take place at 5.30pm. At 6pm we were still standing outside and none of the Stewards informed us as to why. With so many events crammed together, this causes a ripple of chaos throughout the day. With only a thirty minute window between each talk (when the book signings occurred) you are constantly faced with the dilemma of: (a) Stay for the duration of your current talk and subsequent signing, and miss the first 20-30 minutes of your next talk; (b) Leave your current talk when it finishes and go straight to your next and miss the book signing altogether; (c) Or miss segments of each to ensure you are able to be present at them all. On my first day, all three events were late starting and I was unable to stay for the duration for fear of missing the next. Like many I poured over the programme and carefully picked events that did not clash but this was soon made redundant, through no fault of my own. I was brought up to respect that 11.30 means 11.30, not 12.15. It gave the impression that some of the events were being run by a budget airline.
3. Why Experiment With Untested Audio?
My first talk was one I was very much looking forward to: Eduardo Sacheri author of ‘The Secret In Their Eyes.’ On our way in, thirty minutes late (see above) we were handed a pair of headphones and an audio box with a twelve channel dial and many other buttons. I knew we were in Wales but I had not been expecting a Welsh translation of the talk. Nevertheless, Philippe Sands, the Chair, took to the stage with the author and informed us that Eduardo did not speak any English. Furthermore, Philippe said he did not speak any Spanish. We all laughed, because we thought he was joking. He was not. A Translator was off stage in a sound booth and would translate the talk simutenously on channel two. But we had to press a red button and wait for that light, and then adjust the volume. However, after a run through, it was clear channel two was dead. We were asked to ‘try channel three’ and sure enough there was the Translator. However, she was translating both the English into Spanish for Eduardo, and the Spanish into English for Philippe…on the same channel. The more technical savy quickly learned to switch between channel two and three so as not to mix the two. But many were not, and threw their boxes on the floor. Things did not improve.
They decided to show two clips from the Oscar-winning adaption of the book, and I immediately frowned, because surely that was going to interfere with the audio channel? Sure enough, when the clips ended, so did the clarity of the translation. Eduardo continually went bright red as he struggled to listen to the extremely faint crackling audio of the Translator. We were practically squirming in our own seats at the embarrassment the festival were putting him through. They had flown him out from Argentina and had made the bizzare decision to stage his talk as if we were at the UN. If you are used to sitting on the United Nations Security Council, you would be comfortable with the set-up. Nobody in the audience was. The elderly lady next to me, said she heard all the questions in Spanish, and all the answers in English, because she had obviously not been told to switch channels to avoid all of the Translator.
By the end we were running extremely late, resulting in an image I will never forget: when Philipe asked for questions from the floor, one hundred people simutaneously stood up and left. Not because we did not want to engage with the author, but because we were already so late for our next talk, and how on earth did they plan to do the questions in two different languages? Watching a hundred people walk out on him, will no doubt send the wrong message to Eduardo, which is a shame because we had all been so looking forward to seeing him. This was my first ever event at The Hay Festival.
4. Why Is The Rearranging Of Locations So Disorganised?
One aspect of The Hay Festival that quickly becomes apparent to all, is that if the event you are attending is actually in the location listed, you are lucky. Often events are shifted to new locations due to ticket sales. This relocation is put on a noticeboard at the main entrance. However, it is not announced in any other way, or made clear to attendees on their way to an event. It also fluctuates throughout the day. So your next event could very well change location while you are in your current talk, without your knowing. Instead of putting a noticeboard outside every location, they only put one at the main gate. It costs nothing to put one outside each tent so you can see any location changes as you leave your current talk. It is a common courtesy that the organisers seem to have no interest in extending to its attendeees.
5. Why Is The Communication Between The Stewards Non Existent?
On several occassions when waiting in line because the event is running late, people would ask the Steward the reason for the delay. Every single time we were told ‘we don’t know they don’t tell us.’ They were referring to those inside the tents getting things ready. At one point an irate gentleman behind me said ‘well why don’t you go and ask?’ The Steward walked off and never came back.
6. Why Is The Cusine So Poor?
Cusine is perhaps too nice a word to apply here. The food will not make you ill by any means, but it is very pricey and short on flavour. I ordered lamb shanks and chips at around £14. She gave me five chips. I of course pointed this out to her. She told me that was my quota. I didn’t realise we were at War. I must have missed the food rations annoucement at the gate. It is almost as if they want you to leave site and eat somewhere else. My advice is always make sure that you do.
7. Why Is The Sky Shuttle Bus Frighteningly Chaotic?
On paper it sounded wonderful. Three shuttle buses that would operate every hour from the main gate to the surrounding villages. All for the small fee of a £2 donation to the Sky Rainforest Rescue. Sky Shuttle 1, Sky Shuttle 2, and Sky Shuttle 3 go to different villages so only one will be applicable to you if you are staying in one of these locations. They are not for Hay-on-Wye town centre. Only for the villages that you would not otherwise be able to get to. But there is something they do not mention: the last bus of the day. Between 11pm and 11.20 the last three buses appear. Each of them have 16 seats. Let me say that again, 16 seats. So what happens at 11pm is complete chaos. It reminded me of the lifeboat line from Titantic ‘There are not enough for everyone onboard.” Often with everything running late, a hoard of people suddenly arrive at once and it is survival of the fittest to make that last bus. On my first evening, an elderly couple waited in the bus shelter in a classic stance of English reserve. I myself waited behind them. But when I saw the bus and the people rushing out of the festival I darted for the bus. I was one of the lucky ones that made it inside. The couple remained at the shelter expecting the bus to come over to the stop. When it didn’t, they came over and asked to come onboard. They were informed by the staff that it was full and they would have to ‘make other arrangements.’ They argued they had been waiting for twenty minutes where the sign told them to. Sky had no interest in their argument. It was disconcerting to watch elderly generations victimised in this way, and clearly frightened by the mayhem. For without speed, and aggressive elbows, you simply have no chance of making the last shuttle bus. So if you are attending The Hay Festival, do not wait in the shelter. As soon as you see the bus arrive in the layby make a run for it.
8. Why Are There No Networking Events For Writers?
I have been to, and taught at similar events in the US, and there are always networking events for writers to attend. In some cases these are networking parties in the evening, in others they are over lunch. It is always one of the highlights of other events. Non-existant at The Hay Festival. If you are are a writer there is no real benefit of attending. The Hay Festival is almost exclusively geared towards the reader.
9. Why Is There No Storage Facility?
You will sometimes encounter suitcases being lugged around at The Hay Festival. Either from those who have just arrived, or from those who have just checked out, and are attending a few events before leaving. One would assume there would be a simple storage facility on site for those few hours. But no. People are left to struggle with luggage inside the venues, applying an additional level of stress to them before they leave the festival. Security of such a storage facility will always be a big concern, but there must be a suitable solution to this issue.
10. Why Is The Friends Desk Such A Secret?
With most tickets only costing £5, I had bought a few extra ones before arriving, and then decided on the day which event to go to. I asked the assistant at the box office what I should do with the ticket I didn’t need. He informed me they do not issue refunds, and to ‘just throw it away.’ Frowning, I turned to leave and ran into someone I had met the day before, who told me about the Friends Desk. The idea behind it is that you put any unwanted tickets on there, and pick up any you need. There is no fee, just a desk full of tickets. I placed mine into the pile, and managed to find a ticket for a sold out event the next day. It is not an exchange service either. You can literally go there anytime and look for tickets you might need, and get them for free. This desk is twenty yards from the box office counter, in the same room. I met six people in a row who knew nothing about the Friends Desk, and they were all annoyed they had not been told by the staff. Such a unique and excellent service, and yet it is chinese whispers as to its location or purpose.
11. Why Is There No Innovation?
We live in a digital age. One where the very nature of the book publishing ecosystem is changing daily with Apps, eBooks, and Interactive Storytelling. Unfortunately, this is all but ignored by The Hay Festival. Across the board, they believe that the author and the book are invariably enough. It is no longer the case. A view shared even by authors themselves, such as Claire McGowan. Readers, by their very nature, want to be entertained. They crave events where the organisers, perhaps in conjunction with the author’s publicist have been inventive on how they convey the information of the talk. Visual Aids; Book scenes acted out on stage; Quizzes on the books in question; Book trailers, Musical spots, different lighting, are just some of the many suggestions I heard from readers discussing between themselves. It is certainly not a case of all the talks needing to be interactive, or alternatively simply being interviews. Merely a case of mixing up for the audience who could very well attend eight back-to-back talks. At the very least there should be a reflection of how much the digital technology is changing the industry with a series of events and discussions. The Hay Festival is by no means alone in this lack of innovation, but that does not make it inexcusable on their part. When a reader leaves an event they should be buzzing from the way that book has been presented to them. The whole point of the talk is to make readers spread the word about the literature in question. Some US festivals are beginning to wake up to this, with: Webcam questions; Video diaries of the book in gestation; and Trailers. Yet, for all its wealth of events The Hay Festival is strangely ignorant of the digital revolution where some of its authors were initially discovered.
SUMMARY
A festival will always have glitches. But when the same ones recur, you have to question how a festival is being run. If you are going to cram more events in than any other book festival, and then subsequently advertise this, the absolute minimum requirement is that the events start on time. However, there is an unfortunate disregard for punctuality. This reflects badly on both readers and authors. The latter of which are sitting in their events watching a flood of people arrive late, and another group leave early. While the readers themselves are frequently late due to fluctuating start times, and a change of venues at the last minute. It is almost as if the organisers have taken on too much, and then do not have the resources to cope when the schedule spirals out of control.
Thirty-five minutes after one event was due to start, and we were still standing outside, a stressed couple rushed towards our line. The lady, who was upset, complained to the Steward for constantly being given the runaround. The Steward refused to respond. Either he was used to the complaints, or he had no interest in being helpful. Two American families I met said they would never come back because of how they had been treated. To watch readers get this angry, and others break down in tears, means something is fundamentally wrong with how the festival is being run. One couple, who had been to the festival seven years in a row, said that this was the first year that had unsettled them. So perhaps it was a one-off. A blip maybe. Others were not so sure. Many blamed the current newspaper sponsors. I do not think that was a fair judgement, because they are not responsible for the running of the festival. But one wonders who is, because the extent of disorganisation was staggering.
Authors and Journalists will have an altogether contrasting experience. They are isolated in their own green rooms and on-site VIP restaurant. So the only time readers are allowed a glimpse of them, is during their event or book signing. This elitist attitude of ‘them and us’ enforced by the organisers, is absent at most other book festivals.
However, by giving journalists their own media centre, in the belief that their publicity is enough, is extremely niave in the 21st century literary world. Readers today, are now tweeters and bloggers, so they actively spread the word about which festivals to attend and avoid; in the same way their word of mouth increases book sales, especially those appearing at the festival itself. They rely on the views of other readers, not journalists, whose access to green rooms and VIP areas inevitably influences their viewpoint. For a festival promoting books which communicate to readers, Hay seems to have little interest in communicating to those readers themselves. Just because they are in a field, it does not mean they should be treated like cattle. The Hay Festival needs to rectify this, and understand that the readers are the publicity.
I actually met several local residents who all said that The Hay Festival is no longer even the best festival in Hay itself, that How The Light Gets In, beats it hands down. To hear this repeatedly was disheartening. The Hay Festival should be the benchmark: the place where others go to learn how innovative and organised a festival can be.
Consequently, the barometer claim fits comfortably on the fantasy shelf. Although I would still recommend you attend The Hay Festival. To allow for a stress free experience just plan your visit accordingly. Avoid the optimistic temptation to book several events back-to-back, because it will cause you more problems than your blood pressure can handle.
So be flexible, be patient, and most of all, do not worry about being late. Hay will make sure that you are.