In a snapshot from Hay, we ask a group of visitors for their festival highlights and literary guilty pleasures
1 Anne Johnson, “wrong side of 70”, retired radiographer, “near Hay”
Hay highlight: Jenny Uglow. Literary guilty pleasure: Alan Bennett.
2 Margaret Schofield, “wrong side of 70”, retired radiographer, Kenilworth
Hay highlight: Andrew Rawnsley. Literary guilty pleasure: Betty MacDonald’s Onions in the Stew.
3 Lisa Powell, 32, teacher, Cardiff
Hay highlight: Quentin Blake. Literary guilty pleasure: The Kite Runner.
4 Claire and Richard Brelsford, both 30, both in banking, Coventry
Hay highlight: “Thomas Buergenthal, the Hague judge and Holocaust survivor who described himself as a ‘perennial optimist’.” Literary guilty pleasure: Marian Keyes (Claire), Dan Brown (Richard).
5 Shalini Nilaweera, 32, solicitor, London
Hay highlight: “Amanda Galsworthy talking to Jon Snow.” Literary guilty pleasure: Heat magazine.
6 Alex Jones, 32, works for a thinktank, London
Hay highlight: “Kazuo Ishiguro on the way footballers speak.” Literary guilty pleasure: Heat magazine as well.
7 Victoria Taylor, 41, solicitor
Hay highlight: “Seeing a square I knitted last year in a blanket shown in the festival food hall.” Literary guilty pleasure: David Nicholls’ One Day.
8 Clare Hooker, 25, ad executive
Hay highlight: “Sitting in the sunshine, reading.” Literary guilty pleasure: Zadie Smith, On Beauty.
9 Martin Rees, 67, astronomer royal, Cambridge
Hay highlight: Rory Stewart. “Eloquent and made important comments that should be listened to by all parties.” Literary guilty pleasure: Trade magazines.
10 Jenissa Tanna, 31, psychiatrist, London
Hay highlight: “Nadine Gordimer was very thought provoking.” Literary guilty pleasure: Chick lit.
11 Sarah Jonas, 34, London
Hay highlight: “I’m looking forward to Obama’s America.” Literary guilty pleasure: Janet Evanovich’s New Jersey
12 Lowri Hafcooke, 31, film reviewer, Cardiff
Hay highlight: “I was in the audience for Roddy Doyle then bumped into him in the pub and shook his hand.” Literary guilty pleasure: “Heavy metal biographies.”
13 Aled Jones, 39, accountant
Hay highlight: “Meeting friends; Steve Jones, the geneticist.”
Literary guilty pleasure: “Reading the Daily Mail comments online.”
14 Eirlys Jones, 41, recruitment consultant
Hay highlight: Grayson Perry. Literary guilty pleasure: “Reading Chekhov in Russian”
15 Elen Dupuy, 40, restaurateur
Hay highlight: John Gower. Literary guilty pleasure: “Reading my daughter’s magazines, Hello! and OK!”
16 Alex, 70, retired, mid-Wales
Hay highlight: “I’ve been to the Sky politics show this morning, which wasn’t bad.” Literary guilty pleasure: “I don’t feel guilty about reading anything – I’m reading the Cromwell book and AN Wilson.”