Hay Castle in Hay-on-Wye will once again welcome economists, bestselling authors, and keen audiences from March 20-22 for the third edition of The Weekend of Mistakes.

After selling out its previous two editions, the event promises a packed programme of talks, debates, and discussions exploring financial, economic, and social history.

Themed around “Default: the history, art and ethics of not paying back what you owe,” this year’s event will examine the lessons of debt at every level, from personal crises to global finance. Sessions cover a wide range of topics, including the mafia’s influence on 1960s queer nightlife, the economics of football, Hollywood investment in lower-league UK clubs, Gen Z pensions, rising water bills, Trumponomics, and the links between debt and mental health.

Confirmed speakers include Felix Salmon, host of Slate Money; Merryn Somerset Webb, Bloomberg editor-at-large; Professor Dame Alison Wolf DBE; Mona Siddiqui OBE, King’s College London; Paul Cartledge, author of Thebes and Democracy; Anja Shortland, author of We Know You Can Pay a Million; and Lawrence Newport, campaigner and co-founder of Looking for Growth.

The Weekend of Mistakes is designed to encourage interaction between speakers and attendees. Participants can take part in breakfast discussions, book signings, networking sessions, and more, set against the castle backdrop.

Tom True, Director, Hay Castle Trust, said: ”We can’t wait for Hay Castle to be alive again with discussions around past mistakes, follies and manias, and the lessons they hold for the way we live now. Pre-eminent economists, thinkers and authors will join together in this magical place to present a unique, challenging and entertaining weekend.”

Russell Napier, Keeper, The Library of Mistakes, said: ‘A Glastonbury for financial historians – there was just a little mud, and the only drug was caffeine, but minds expanded all the same!’

Ticketing information is available at: www.weekendofmistakes.org