The Hay Festival Winter Weekend 2011

Bend your mind with the inspiring Johnny Ball as he has you puzzling over his Radio 2 show Ball of Confusion; listen to 2011 Man Booker Prize shortlisted writer Carol Birch talk to Peter Florence about her epic novel set in the nineteenth century; hear BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera explore the world of the British Secret Service; and Adam Hart-Davis on measuring time and time travel in The Book of Time.

Peer through the cracks in history and listen to the echoes of lost realms with Norman Davies in his Vanished Kingdoms, while David Crystal presents a unique history of the English language, via the rude, the obscure and the downright surprising, and prize-winning writer Horatio Clare introduces The Prince’s Pen, his striking contribution to Seren Book’s New Stories of the Mabinogion series…enter a world of suicide bombers and surveillance.

Join Francine Stock, presenter of Radio 4’s Film Programme, on a personal journey through a glorious century of cinema, and enjoy a screening of the recently released film of Owen Sheers’ wartime novel Resistance, set in the nearby Black Mountains, with a chance to put questions to him after the showing.

Aggie MacKenzie (Aggie’s Family Cookbook and How Clean Is Your House) and Judith Wills (The Food Bible) chat with Country Living’s Kitty Corrigan about those Christmas challenges…from achieving the perfect roast to inspiring ideas for your leftovers.

There’s a host of entertainment for children of all ages too. After its huge success at the Hay Festival in May, Easy Peasy Cookery School is back: come and cook delicious Christmas gingerbread and yummy pear crumble muffins. Get crafting in time for Christmas, make finger-print robins and glittering garlands, and there’s face painting too!

Sea Legs Puppet Theatre presents the enchanting Peter & The Wolf, perfect for families and children. Then fall under the icy spell of the Snow Queen – join Skye Meredith for a spellbinding storytelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s beautiful story. For older children, Make a Book in a Day lets them explore the writing and crafting of short stories with Horatio Clare, before Paul Thomas of BWA Design steps in to get hands-on with formatting and style.

There will be great evening entertainment from John Finnemore and Gypsy Hill. Don’t miss John’s sketch show – a regular on The Now Show, he presents an hour of laughs from his new Radio 4 gig. The Gypsy Hill five-piece band will have you dancing the night away with their authentic blend of Balkan Gypsy Swing.

The Hay Winter Weekend is the perfect opportunity to unwind and get into the Christmas spirit – come to Hay-on-Wye for a great family weekend.