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.”

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