M. G. Leonard at Hay Festival 2026
I really enjoyed the Hay Festival this year. It has always been one of my favourite literary festivals. I usually bring my family with me to it. There are so many great events for young people, and things to do in the surrounding countryside.
This year I had the honour of hosting two events, one with the lovely lexicographer, Susie Dent, and the other with bestselling author Juno Dawson. These talks were a lot of fun because I got to indulge my inner fan girl and have all my questions answered. I even got to teach Susie Dent something - that a woodlouse is a crustacean - which felt amazing because she took me to school with her wisdom about words.
The main reason I was there, was to deliver my Time Keys talk, taking a marquee full of readers back to Ancient Rome and into the Colosseum for fun and games to celebrate the third book in the time travelling series - The Impossible Gladiator. I was glad that my event was at 11am, because the festival took place during the first heatwave of the year. By the time I was on stage it was already unbearably hot. You can see me slowly melting in the pictures!
I want to thank everyone in the two hour signing queue for their patience and good temper. It was a trying temperature, but there were lots of smiles, and it was wonderful to meet so many eager readers.
I ended the weekend taking a swim in the river Wye to cool down.
