TikTok revealed as digital media partner for Hay Festival

TikTok will be Hay Festival’s digital media partner this year, reflecting the appeal of BookTok for the reading community. 

The social media firm will sponsor a trio of separate panels at the festival, including "An Introduction to #BookTok" where panellists including BookTok creators Tolusuniverse and journalist and TikTok creator Monika Plaha will discuss how the platform’s community shares its passion for books with millions and is reshaping the publishing world in the process.

Throughout the festival there will be a specially created programme on Hay Festival’s official TikTok account, which will feature exclusive content and behind the scenes access to the festival. 

The strategic partnership will see TikTok support Hay Festival as it looks to reach more diverse audiences. A press statement for Hay said TikTok provides “endless” opportunities for upcoming and established authors as “discoverability and creativity” are “hard-wired into the platform”. The news comes a week after HarperVoyager announced it was launching publishing’s first TikTok creator house in Hay-on-Wye.  

TikTok will also be bringing new faces who are driving the BookTok trend to Hay Festival. Popular BookTok creators behind the accounts @abbysbooks, @zai_rambles and @emilymiahreads will attend the 11-day event to discuss the best new fiction and non-fiction on official Hay Festival panels and report on the festival experience through exclusive in-app content. 

The BookTok hashtag on TikTok is fuelled by users who have a passion for literature. Creators produce content that celebrates and elevates authors and popular books in-app, with popular formats including book reviews, book hauls and poetry reading. BookTok has grown considerably over the past 12 months, reaching more than 53 billion views in app, as well as consistently driving off-platform sales, especially for little-known authors and genres.

Christopher Bone, Hay Festival communications director, said: “As Hay Festival’s spring edition returns in-person for the first time in three years, we’re delighted to work with TikTok in bringing the world’s greatest writers, thinkers, innovators and performers to the widest possible audience while offering festival fans a fun look behind the scenes. This spring, the conversations that take place in our green field in Wales will reach further than ever before.” 

James Stafford, head of partnerships and community, UK added: “Being able to bring the #BookTok community to the iconic Hay Festival is an honour, as joy of reading and writing is shared with an even bigger global community.” 

Hay Festival will take place from 26th May until 5th June. Tickets are on sale now at hayfestival.org/wales or by phoning 01497 822 629.