Thursday, May 31, 2007

Festival season

I've always wanted to go to the annual book festival at Hay-on-Wye. I'm pretty sure we did once manage a flying visit to the town whilst on holiday in that part of the world with a group of friends, but it wasn't quite the same as going at festival time.

Then I read this report on the Fictionbitch blog and now I am less sure about the festival. Like so many other events I fear it may be losing its character through diversification and commercialisation. But I still need to get there myself to find out!

Years ago, we did spend part of a day at the Edinburgh book festival, where we attended a debate on female crime fiction between Antonia Fraser and Sara Paretsky, an author whose books I really enjoyed. I haven't read any of Paretsky's books lately, but this week I spotted the news that she has a book of essays just out, which sounds as if it could be fascinating as she is definitely a writer with strong feminist and political convictions.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'd never been to Hay before this week - but I found it a little bland and disappointing.

See - http://www.cathykeir.co.uk/blog/hay-ho/

Perhaps I left it too late to get around to going there?

Stay at home dad said...

It's been like this for the last 5 years at least... gradully moving out of town, less local involvement, more corporate. But in fact I found it better this year as it is now better organized in relation to its new profile.

Cathy said...

It is fascinating to read so many different views. I hope I get to o one day (though it may not be until we have managed to kick the kids out of the nest!)