Tours and Fees

Festivals in Wales

Literary festivals are hugely important to both publishers and their authors. They offer the opportunity to build profiles, increase sales and participate in some crucial networking. For those with a passion for literature – and particularly those seeking to become professional creative writers themselves – they are an absolute must. Festivals are the place to be to enjoy the very best in live word, provocative opinion and debate from the literary heavyweights and future stars in a relaxed, upbeat environment. Wales is fortunate to be home to many festivals in the literary calendar: Hay, Baylit, the Dylan Thomas Festival, the Tŷ Newydd Festival, the Laugharne Weekend and the Wales Beyond the Border biennial Storytelling festival. If you’re seeking culture and a sense of community you need look no further.

Hay Festival

From its modest beginnings back in 1988, the Hay Festival has grown to become one of the most renowned and popular literary festivals in Europe - and arguably the world. Set amidst the beautiful countryside of Hay on Wye, the festival takes place annually during the last week of May and first weekend of June.

Thousands of visitors make the pilgrimage every year to Hay to hear the literary greats declaim and discuss their work in an atmosphere characterised by laid-back conviviality. Attend the Hay Festival and expect to catch the likes of Zadie Smith, Salman Rushdie, Germaine Greer, Tom Paulin and Hanif Kureishi. They’ve all shared their work and their thoughts on literature and culture here.

While the Festival maintains a strong international, outward looking perspective, with authors from all over the world making appearances, there is some accent on Welsh Literature at the festival. The Wales Book of the Year shortlist is announced at the Hay Festival, and each year, authors, publishers and the Welsh literary culture as a whole are promoted at the Literature in Wales stand. Many key writers from Wales are festival favourites, such as Gwyneth Lewis and Owen Sheers.

Alongside the ticketed readings and debates, there are many free events, and a number of those are especially tailored for those with children. Visitors can also enjoy live music and comedy. The popularity of the festival, and the calibre of its participants, means that events sell out very quickly so be sure to book early to avoid disappointment. To find out more details about the Hay Festival and to subscribe to the Hay Festival mailing list click here. The Academi is a sponsor of the Hay Festival.

Academi Baylit Festival

The week-long Academi Baylit Festival – which began life as a one day event over a decade ago – takes place annually in October and has established itself as one of the highlights of the Welsh literary calendar. A wide variety of events, incorporating readings, talks and workshops, take place in venues in and around Cardiff Bay, including the Millennium Centre and the Norwegian Church, as well as bookshops, bars and cafes. The tone is informal and friendly, and audiences are enthusiastic and engaged.

Progressive and outward-looking but maintaining a distinctly Welsh flavour, Baylit continues to regularly attract Wales’s most esteemed poets and fictioneers, such as Gillian Clarke, Gwyneth Lewis, Sheenagh Pugh, Malcolm Pryce and Tessa Hadley, as well as big names from throughout the UK such as Fay Weldon, Will Self and Andrew Motion. In 2008, Baylit turned the spotlight on the Shock of the New, celebrating some of the best new talent to emerge in recent years and providing further testimony of Wales’s remarkable literary renaissance.

The Academi website publishes a downloadable brochure of events in late August. You can can also subscribe to the Academi e-newsletter. Baylit events are very reasonably priced and many events sell out. Be sure to book your tickets early.

The Dylan Thomas Festival

The annual Dylan Thomas Festival takes place over two weeks in October and November in celebration of the life and work of Wales’s most famous son. The festival offers an eclectic series of literary talks and readings, as well as the chance to enjoy Film, Theatre and Art at the Dylan Thomas Centre and other venues across the city. Louis de Bernieres, Menna Elfyn, Paul Henry, Russell T Davies, Peter Greenaway, Matthew Sweeney, Carol Ann Duffy, Nigel Jenkins, Owen Sheers and Pascale Petit have all made recent appearances. The festival also includes the award of the biennial Dylan Thomas Prize [www.dylanthomasprize.com] to the best writer under 30 in the world working in the genres of poetry, fiction, screen and scriptwriting and radio plays.

For further details on the Dylan Thomas Festival and events taking place at the Dylan Thomas Centre throughout the year click here.

Tŷ Newydd Festival

The biennial Tŷ Newydd festival is funded by Academi, Wales’s National Writers Centre. Tŷ Newydd has consistently attracted some of the UK’s leading names to lead its writing courses, and its reputation for excellence is reflected in the many distinguished poets, novelists, journalists and politicians who have participated in the centre’s intimate and friendly festival which takes place over a long weekend in April.

Held at venues across the Llanystumdwy area, events and activities range from readings and discussions to literary walks and dinners, and the programme caters for younger visitors, too. Gililan Clarke, Carol Ann Duffy, Jim Perrin, Robert MacFarlane, Robert Minhinnick and Gwyneth Lewis all made appearances at the 2007 festival.

The next festival takes place in 2009. For further information on the Tŷ Newydd Festival, as well as courses on offer at the festival, click here.

The Laugharne Weekend

The annual Laugharne weekend takes place in April and offers a great chance to catch some of the best names in venues in Laugharne - arguably Wales’s most famous village, and certainly one of its most picturesque.

The weekend was established in 2007 but, despite its early days, it has attracted the likes of Lionel Shriver, Niall Griffiths, Byron Rogers, Roger McGough and the inimitable Keith Allen, as well as rave reviews from authors, the public and the press alike. The festival also includes opportunities to enjoy quality live music in intimate and relaxed settings.

Tickets for events are reasonably priced and for those seeking to get the best value for money, there are full weekend passes available. Click here to go to the Laugharne Weekend Festival website. The Laugharne Weekend is supported by Academi.

Beyond the Border Wales

Beyond the Border is Wales’s premier Storytelling Festival and has established an international reputation for high quality events. The festival offers the chance to hear the finest storytellers and musicians from around the world in the attractive grounds of St Donats Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan over a weekend in July. Beyond the Border is a biennial festival. The next festival takes place in 2010. Click here to find out more about Beyond the Border Storytelling Festival and other events organised by Beyond the Border. The Beyond the Border Festival is supported by Academi.