2007 at Hay

Neil Gaiman is a real one-off. As a comic book writer he created the acclaimed Sandman series for DC Comics, as well as groundbreaking series like 'Black Orchid', 'The Eternals' and 'Death: The High Cost of Living'.

He's also an award winning short story writer and has written the novels 'American Gods', 'Anansi's Boys' and 'Good Omens' (with Terry Pratchett) as well as children's books 'Coraline' and 'The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish'. He writes journalism, poetry, drama and has recently completed the screenplay for the movie "Beowulf" starring Ray Winstone and Angelina Jolie. His illustrated adult fairytale, 'Stardust', hit movie screens in the Autumn 2007, starring Robert de Niro, Michelle Pfieffer and Ricky Gervais amongst others.

On Saturday June 2nd 2007 he appeared at the Hay Literature festival to preview that film, and then he joined Julian Carey in the BBC Radio Wales caravan to talk about his work and future projects.

On Saturday evening, Phil talked to Gruff Rhys, front man of the Super Furry Animals. Gruff performed some of the songs from his solo album Candylion, and spoke to Phil about the process of song writing. Gruff's set features a big 3-D cardboad telly, featuring the face of a 70s influenced cut-out lion....

Phil spoke to Peter Ho Davies about his new novel, The Welsh Girl, set mainly in north Wales towards the end of the Second World War - although Wales is very far from where Peter lives now.....

Crime Queen Ruth Rendell was at Hay to talk about her latest book The Water's Lovely. Still complex and tightly plotted, but Phil sees a development from her earlier novels...

On Monday 28th May 2007 the shortlist for the Wales Book of the Year was announced. On the shortlist were Lloyd Jones with his novel Mr.Cassini, Christine Evans with a book of poetry, Growth Rings, and Jim Perrin with The Climbing Essays.

Hear their interviews now.....

Lloyd Jones - Mr Cassini

Lloyd Jones explains how a life or death experience of his own contributed to a personal mythological journey.

Christine Evans - Growth Rings

Christine Evans reads her poem 'Not Much Like R.S.Thomas' and explains how she still strives to write poetry examining different aspects of life after a note of advice from R.S.Thomas.

Jim Perrin - The Climbing Essays

Jim Perrin reveals how his love for rock climbing was first inspired as a child by a scruffy local newspaper columnist who befriended him.

A.A. Gill - Festival Culture

Newspaper columnist and critic A.A.Gill was at Hay to talk about his book Previous Convictions. Here he discusses today's festival culture and compares two of the biggest, Glastonbury and Hay.

Gwyn Thomas - Blaenau Ffestiniog

Gwyn Thomas reads his poem 'The Great Oakeley Quarry Tip' and talks about the close community in Blaenau Ffestiniog. He also discusses whether the town looks best during rain or shine.

Sioned Davies - The Mabinogion

Sioned Davies, Chair of Welsh at Cardiff University, gives us an insight into her own agenda when working on her new translation of The Mabinogion.

Steve Jones - Coral

Geneticist Steve Jones talks about a family connection to Dylan Thomas and describes how his fascination with biology started by seeing his grandmother's coral brooch.

Thursday 31st May

John Mortimer explains why murderers are such good clients, whilst Kathy Lette suggests that most women regularly think about killing their husbands!

Peter Falk - Just One More Thing

Columbo's Peter Falk reveals why he was rejected by the CIA, and talks about some of the fun he's had with his glass eye.

Friday 1st June

Roger Lovegrove - Silent Fields

Naturalist Roger Lovegrove's book deals with the systematic destruction of Britain's wildlife - a subject he researched by examining hundreds of old parish records. The book's success has surprised him.

Barbara Erskine - Daughters of Fire
and
Sandra Howard - Glass Houses

Barbara is author of the best selling Lady Of Hay. Her latest book is set in the iron age and deals with one of the period's most charasmatic women, Cartimandua. Meanwhile Sandra Howard's first novel also deals with a powerful woman, this time a government minister.