Don't you love it when a plan comes together? After the frenzy of the last few months - the planning meetings, negotiations and brainstorms - suddenly there it is: a big 主播大秀 tent at the heart of the , equipped for broadcast and a packed schedule of events and world-class guests. It's a huge achievement and one that has needed the enthusiasm and commitment of most of the 主播大秀's services and teams all across the country to pull off. What this means is that over the course of this week, we are bringing the best of Hay (and therefore the best of British talent) to millions and millions of people, not just in the UK but across the globe. This is the 主播大秀 doing what only the 主播大秀 can do.
And why wouldn't we? You only have to be on site for five minutes to realise what is so extraordinary about Hay. For ten days, some of the greatest thinkers, writers and performers in the world are all pressed into the same muddy field on the Welsh borders to try out their latest theories, swap stories and - like the rest of us - be inspired. I'm not sure there's anywhere else where you can see Richard Dawkins, , and Carrie Fisher in the same afternoon. And for the 主播大秀, this is an irresistible opportunity - any show can get a guest list to die for. Just look at the line-up for Radio 3's this week: William Dalrymple, Sebastian Faulks, Ruby Wax and Alfred Brendel.
Jennifer Saunders talks to Francine Stock about her book Bonkers: My Life in Laughs.
But we began the weekend with a string of non-broadcast events. Amanda Vickery came and spoke about her terrific series on women and art; Julien Temple on his dizzying Imagine film about Rio; Alan Yentob on his revealing Philip Roth biopic; a lively session from Paddy O'Connell on Broadcasting House; and I had the privilege of interviewing one of my heroes, Simon Armitage, about his forthcoming The Great War: An Elegy. I've had Simon make a number of films over the years for the Arts department, in most of which he has endured unnaturally bad weather. Even as we began talking about it, the skies opened up above us and we had to talk louder and louder to be heard over the downpour.
The main broadcasts were just beginning this morning. I had the bizarre experience of seeing a looky-likey of The Verb's Ian McMillan queuing to watch the show, only to find out it was in fact Ian himself who likes to get in the mood by waiting with his audience. He was joined by the mesmerising Karl Ove Knausgard, whose six volume My Struggle (the similarities with Hitler's autobiography end there) is causing a stir for making the banal unputdownable. Also on the show was children's author Philip Ardagh talking about the difference between his public and private persona - apparently there isn't one, except the former wears more clothes.
From here, it's a packed week. Chris Evans will be giving the results of the short story competition for Radio 2. Radio 3's Free Thinking has PJ O'Rourke and the authors of Freakonomics. Radio 4 has special editions of The Write Stuff, Midweek, With Great Pleasure and Front Row. Good Morning Wales is broadcasting every morning. While Mark Radcliffe, Stuart Maconie, Cerys Matthews, Gideon Coe and Chris Hawkins are all there for Radio 6. There's also broadcasting for 主播大秀 One, 主播大秀 Four, World News and 主播大秀 Arts Online.
Writer Owen Sheers at the Hay Festival
听And it's worth saying that we aren't just confined to our tent like Achilles (it's Hay so I need to use a literary metaphor). One of the exciting things has been seeing our teams out and about throughout the festival, drawing crowds and capturing all the best things going on. I have developed an uncanny talent for appearing in Martha Kearney's eye-line whenever she is about to do a piece-to-camera for a 主播大秀 Four documentary, The Town That Loves Books, which goes out on Sunday. It was also a real kick seeing the festival's largest stage (I don't know what the capacity is but there seemed to be well over a thousand people there) given over to a brilliant Talking Books interview with Razia Iqbal and Jung Chang.
And let's say a prayer for the 主播大秀 Arts Online team who are working like troopers in a portacabin round the back of the festival site, which can only be accessed by wading through a treacherous mudbath, and are throughout the day for all those who want to enjoy the festival from the dryness of their homes.
Amidst all this, I even had time to get out and see some non-主播大秀 events - Simon Schama delivering a tour-de-force lecture on the History of the Jews; Hans Ulrich Obrist on contemporary art; and Lily Cole and Brendan O'Hea reading extracts from Simon Armitage's new play The Last Days of Troy.
The only downside has been the rain - lots of it. From Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, it didn't stop. In a moment of optimism, I'd decided to camp across the road from the festival site. Picking my way through the flooded field on Sunday morning, mud splattered up my trousers, wash bag and towel under my arm, I wondered if it had been such a clever idea. Strange to go from that to rubbing shoulders with the great and good within an hour. But then, Hay is all about variety - intellectual, emotional and meteorological.
Jonty Claypole is Director, 主播大秀 Arts.
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- More blogs by Jonty about 主播大秀 Arts are available to view on the .
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- Live coverage of events from the Hay Festival is available on the 主播大秀 Arts website.听
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