A WORLD OF
DIFFERENT
WRITING.
Bringing writers and readers together while the work is still being made.
Hay Festival LIVE extends the conversation beyond the stage. Watch writers develop books and ideas in real time, hear the thinking behind the page, and join through live comments.
The map at the edge of the story
Every place begins as somebody else's version of it.
The writer's problem is deciding what to keep, what to question, and what must be seen again from another angle.
Perhaps that is where a different kind of story begins
Inside the
Writing Room.
See the conversation before it reaches the stage.
Watch a draft develop in real time. Writers can share their screen, speak while they work if they choose, and respond to readers through live comments.
Take readers
beyond the
finished page.
Build a continuing relationship around the work itself.
Create a channel, share selected writing sessions, speak through your thinking when you want to, and let readers follow the journey from first draft to finished work.
Don't just meet
the writer.
Follow the work.
Hay already brings writers and readers into conversation. Now that relationship can continue between events.
Discover voices before publication, watch ideas change, ask questions through live comments and receive alerts when writers you follow go live.
From blank page
to global audience.
The conversation
doesn't have to
end when the
event does.
Hay Festival Global already brings diverse voices together through festivals, forums, digital platforms and learning programmes around the world. Hay Festival LIVE adds another layer: access to writers and ideas while they are still being created.
From bringing writers and readers together, to bringing readers into the creative process itself.
A WORLD
OF
DIFFERENT...
Sensible
questions.
What happens during a live writing session?
You watch the writer’s shared screen as the work develops in real time. Depending on the session, the writer may also talk through their thinking and respond to live comments.
Do writers have to speak while they write?
No. Voice is optional. Some writers may talk throughout a session, some only occasionally, and others may simply let you watch the words appear on the page.
Can I follow a writer and know when they go live?
Yes. Follow writers you’re interested in and receive go-live alerts so you can join their next session.
Are all writing rooms free?
Not necessarily. Writers can offer free or paid channels, so some sessions may be open to everyone while others are available to subscribers.
Can readers comment while a writer is working?
Yes, when comments are enabled. Writers remain in control of how and when they interact, allowing the writing itself to stay at the centre of the session.
What kinds of work can I watch being created?
Novels, non-fiction, essays, journalism, poetry, speeches and other work in progress can all have a place in a Hay Festival LIVE writing room.
Amira: That last sentence changes the whole direction.
Tom: Are you going to keep the opening?