Hay Festival launches Eurovision Book Contest

As the Eurovision Song Contest prepares to land in Liverpool in May, Hay Festival is partnering with the event by asking readers to submit their favourite work of fiction from any of the 37 countries competing.

All genres and languages are welcome, but suggestions are limited to anything published in the years since the song contest began in 1956. Everyone who nominates a book will be entered into a prize draw to win a bundle of some of the selected titles, plus a free subscription to the Festival’s Hay Player archive of digital content.

A final selection of one book from each country will be chosen by an expert panel on the eve of Hay Festival in Wales, which runs from 25th May to 4th June. During the festival, a special event on Friday 2nd June at 8.30pm will invite audiences to discuss the selection with a panel, while digital content shared throughout will showcase the books and be amplified by festival partners globally.

Hay Festival c.e.o Julie Finch said: “Sharing stories across borders has never felt more important. Alongside our ongoing partnership with Ukraine’s largest book Festival, Lviv BookForum, this collaboration with the Eurovision Song Contest aims to celebrate the role of great literature in forging understanding and empathy globally. We are so looking forward to reading the titles that our international audience recommends and to showcasing them at our Festival in Wales this spring.”

Martin Österdahl, executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, added: “The Eurovision Song Contest has always had storytelling and showcasing the best talent from across Europe and beyond at its core. We’re excited to partner with the Hay Festival which shares our own goal of creating connections through culture. As we prepare to be United By Music in Liverpool in May we look forward to seeing Europe coming together to celebrate diversity through its rich literary heritage as well.”

A selection of early-bird events for Hay Festival 2023 are on sale now.