Hay Festival Wales will be broadcast live into schools UK-wide on Thursday, May 23 (KS 2) and Friday, May 24 (KS 3 and 4), widening access to the festival’s Programme for Schools, funded by the Welsh Government and Hay Festival Foundation.

Twelve sessions will be streamed for free each day to schools unable to attend in person with appearances from children’s favourites Michael Rosen, Kate DiCamillo, Cressida Cowell, Chris Bradford, Abi Elphinstone, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Candy Gourlay and Chitra Soundar; stars of YA fiction Sarah Crossan, Holly Bourne, Alex Wheatle, Marcus Sedgwick, Yaba Badoe and Caroline Lawrence; comedians David Baddiel, Mae Martin and Harry Hill; Paralympian and TV presenter Ade Adepitan; master cartoonist Gary Northfield; scientist Steve Mould; and historian and broadcaster Amy Lamé.

Mixing storytelling, live performances, and workshops, the two specially curated days are funded by the Welsh Government and Hay Festival Foundation, and free for state schools to attend in person. Last year 5,360 pupils participated on site, while 5,200 streamed live online.

Teachers can view the full streaming schedule, download teaching resources and sign up for the free live streams at hayfestival.org/livestream.

Aine Venables, Hay Festival Education Manager, said: “Opening up inspiring opportunities for young people is a core part of our mission here and around the world. Our 2019 Programme for Schools celebrates the vital role literature plays in inspiring the next generation of world-changers with a stellar line-up of speakers offering a diverse range of events for pupils in Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. We’re delighted to be expanding this opportunity online to allow even more young people opportunity to engage in the magic of Hay Festival. Livestreaming allows us to reach even wider and create a Hay Festival celebration in classrooms across the UK.”

Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams AM said: “The Welsh Government is a proud supporter of the Hay Festival Programme for Schools. The line-up of speakers this year, as every year, is truly exceptional and offers our learners a breathtaking array of inspirational, thought-provoking and captivating sessions.

“When I visited last year’s Key Stage 2 Day I was struck not only by how much learners had enjoyed the sessions but how much they had learnt; these sessions really do challenge the way you see the world and reveal many new and dazzling horizons.

“Of course, the best thing about this is that every single school in Wales can enjoy and benefit from the programme, even if they can’t attend in person, thanks to the live-streaming service. I encourage all schools to make the most of these fantastic and invaluable opportunities.”

Alongside this year’s Programme for Schools, Hay Festival has recently launched a new public engagement campaign: #BooksToInspire. Championing the importance of reading for pleasure, and spotlighting the critical role books play in a young person’s development, the campaign seeks to create reading lists that will inspire the next generation. The reading lists – one for primary schools, another for secondary schools – will comprise 32 books each, to mark the festival’s 32nd year, drawn from public nominations at hayfestival.org/books-to-inspire with prizes to be won.

Hay Festival’s Programme for Schools and #BooksToInspire are part of the festival’s wider education work and commitment to young people that also includes Hay Compass, Hay Academy, Hay Levels, free tickets for students in tertiary education, Hay Festival Scribblers Tour, a student exchange with Bradford Literary Festival, a day for adoptive families run with The Family Place, and the Beacons Project, a free writing residency for 16-18-year-olds.

The full programme for the festival’s 32nd edition in Wales (23 May - 2 June 2019) is out now, with appearances from over 600 speakers across 11 days. Award-winning writers gather to launch new work, while global policy makers, pioneers and innovators seek solutions to the biggest issues of our time, from the rise of populism to the climate crisis. A vibrant schedule of late-night music, comedy and entertainment appeals to all ages, while HAYDAYS and #HAYYA programmes encourage younger readers to get creative with talks and workshops featuring Judith Kerr, Malorie Blackman, Matt Haig, Michelle Paver, Jacqueline Wilson, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Juno Dawson, Muhammad Khan, and more.