Hay Festival announces Conics And Graphic Novels Day lineup

By John Freeman on March 17, 2026

The full programme for this year’s Hay Festival (Thursday 21st – Sunday 31st May 2026) is out now and includes appearances by several comic creators, including Laura Ellen Anderson, Neill Cameron, Gemma Correll, Luke Pearson, The Rickard Sisters, Myfanwy Tristram and the BEANO’s Craig Graham and Mike Stirling.

Some events lined up are part of a special “Genre Day” at the prestigious Festival, aiming to delve into a world of your favourite interests: Crime on Tuesday 26th May, Comics & Graphic Novels on 27th May, Art on 28th May, and Romantasy Fantasy on 29th May.

The Comics & Graphic Novels Day includes a free Graphic Novel Reading Room, offering Festival visitors opportunity to read graphic novels and comics for adults and kids. Hundreds of titles will be provided for you to browse and read, and you can finish whole books in one sitting.

Join the Festival for a showcase of leading talent – whatever you fancy. The full programme is out now – become a Member for priority ticket access.

Hay Festival 2026: Comic and Graphic Novels Related Events

Hay Festival announces Conics And Graphic Novels Day lineup 2026

Luke Pearson: Hilda and Twig: Hide from the Rain | Monday 25 May 2026, 1.00pm – Meadow Stage | In partnership with The Reading Agency | More Information, Tickets

Meet Hilda and Twig! Hilda is everyone’s favourite blue-haired heroine, and her best friend, deer-fox Twig, is the perfect companion as they explore the wilderness together. Come and develop your design skills with their Emmy and BAFTA award-winning creator Luke Pearson, who’ll show how to draw your favourite characters.

This is a brilliant and fun introduction to comics, and after sketching up a storm, you’ll get the chance to ask Luke your burning Hilda questions. Netflix have made a critically-acclaimed animated series based on the books, Hilda, and the mischievous duo continue their adventures in Hilda and Twig: Wake the Ice Man.

Ian Williams: Comics as Medicine | Wednesday 27th May 2026, 10.00am – Exchange Marquee | More Information, Tickets

What can a comic book tell you about your health? Cartoonist and GP Dr Ian Williams shares how he found his voice through coining a new genre of ‘Graphic Medicine’, in this illustrated talk exploring the growing intersection of comics, autobiography, illness and healthcare.

William’s The Bad Doctor series of graphic novels draws upon his own struggles with OCD. His new book The Sick Doctor, inspired by his experience of cancer treatment, is out later this year.

Neill Cameron and Friends: Starring in the Phoenix Comic Show |Wednesday 27th May 2026, 10.00am – Discovery Stage | More Information, Tickets

Come armed with pencils and paper as cartoonist Neill Cameron leads the spectacular Phoenix Comic Book Draw-Off. Expect hilarity and lots of fun in this interactive show that’s perfect for the whole family. Neill Cameron, the creator of the bestselling Donut Squad series, will be joined on stage by Thiago de Moraes and Laura Ellen Anderson from the world of The Phoenix comic for a show-down worthy of any comic book battle.

And if you’re inspired to create your own comic book, visit the on-site Phoenix Comic Books take-over with appearances from Bunny Vs Monkey and Donut Squad, as well as Phoenix Comic Club drop-in sessions so you can learn how to draw your own characters across the Phoenix Comic Books.

to be sharing a stage with Rickard Sisters at Hay Festival on May 27th, where we’ll be chatting with one another about the power of graphic novels and #comics to make change.

We’re on the Meadow stage at 11:30 that day – part of a really welcome strand of comics events.

Sophy Henn: I Want Everything! Wednesday 27th May 2026, 10.00am – Spring Stage | More Information, Tickets

Join award-winning picture book author/illustrator Sophy Henn for a double storytime following the exploits of a ghostly pair of friends. Sophy will read I Hate Everything!, her irresistible tale about finding the positives when your day seems completely rubbish, as well as the new sequel I Want Everything!

This celebration of the things in life that really matter is guaranteed to turn your frown upside down. Then Sophy will help you to draw some ghosts, and make your very own pet one to take home!

Sophy is creator of the much-loved Bad Nana fiction series, the Pom Pom series and the Ted board book series. She was World Book Day Illustrator in 2015 and 2016.

Sophie & Scarlett Rickard and Myfanwy Tristram | Placards & Panels: Graphic Novels as Protest | Wednesday 27th May 2026, 11.30am – Meadow Stage | In association with SelfMadeHero | More Information, Tickets

Understanding the need for and art of protest has never been more important, as across the world people stand up against injustice. Graphic novelists Scarlett and Sophie Rickard and Myfanwy Tristram discuss writing about protest, the link between art and activism, and why the comic book is the perfect medium to discuss raising our voices against injustice.

This Slavery by the Rickards is adapted from a novel by radical author Ethel Carnie Holdsworth, who was the first working-class woman to have a novel published in Britain. It tells the story of sisters Rachel and Hester Martin, one of whom agitates for reform, while the other submits to the slavery of a patriarchal marriage. For Noisy Valley, Tristram visited the Rhondda Valley in South Wales, inviting people to recount their memories of the times they’d refused to take things lying down.

Becky Barnicoat talks to Emma-Jane Unsworth: Cry When the Baby Cries | Wednesday 27th May 2026, 1.00pm – Exchange Marquee | More Information, Tickets

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent or just love cartoon strips, you’ll find much to entertain in this frank discussion and live cartoon drawing about early parenthood. Writer and cartoonist Becky Barnicoat talks while she draws as she introduces her graphic novel memoir Cry When the Baby Cries. In conversation with novelist Emma-Jane Unsworth, she explores everything from the anatomy of the hospital bag to the tyranny of gentle parenting. It’s an antidote to parenting books and a very human take on the messiness of new motherhood. Barnicoat has drawn for the New Yorker, the Guardian and more, and has illustrated books including Holding the Baby by Nell Frizzell.

Beano Boomics with Craig Graham and Mike Stirling: Join the Mischief Squad | Wednesday 27th May 2026, 2.30pm – Meadow Stage | More Information, Tickets

Dennis the Menace has a special birthday wish – he wants to break the rules of reading! Beano’s Directors of Mischief and Mayhem, Craig Graham and Mike Stirling, help him in this jokey session, revealing their top-secret tips for creating the laugh-out-loud stories and comic strips in Beano, where Dennis has starred since 1951. They’ll also reveal insider info on how they’ve reinvented reading with their smash-hit latest Beano Boomic The Day We Got Lost in Time.

Join their Mischief Squad, as you help co-create the funniest Dennis the Menace comic strip of all time. This is the cheekiest, funniest, most creative show ever!

Wren James: The Victors | Wednesday 27th May 2026, 2.30pm – Spring Stage | More Information, Tickets

Wren James introduces their debut graphic novel, a funny and uplifting take on the ‘chosen one’ trope. In The Victors, Wren explores what happens after the chosen one has saved the world. In this interactive session they’ll discuss the process of creating an illustrated novel in collaboration with the artist, and give a crash course in visual storytelling, from comic book scripts to their work in a TV writer’s room on Netflix’s Heartstopper.

Wren James is the award-winning author of many YA novels, including The Loneliest Girl in the Universe (previously published as Lauren James).

Gemma Correll – Anxietyland: And Other Adventures in Mental Health | Wednesday 27th May 2026, 5.30pm – Creative Hub | More Information, Tickets

Cartoonist, writer and long-time-anxious-person Gemma Correll takes us on a relatable and riotous journey through her struggles with anxiety, and introduces her graphic novel Anxietyland. Take a trip to a theme park like no other, where rides include the Hormonal Rollercoaster, the Overcaffeinated Teacups and the Train of Overthinking.

Correll discusses her struggles with anxiety, her search for relief and the realisation that it is possible to feel ok again. Correll is an award-winning cartoonist, writer and illustrator whose work has featured in the New York Times, Elle and more.

Graphic Novel Reading Room | Wednesday 27th May 2026, 10am – 8.30pm – Bookshop Garden (next to Shepherds Ice Cream) | In partnership with the Graphic Novel Reading Room | Free – drop in | More Information

Read graphic novels and comics for adults and kids. Come and visit the Graphic Novel Reading Room to discover a wide range of genres including non-fiction, graphic medicine, travelogue, journalism, memoirs and many more. Hundreds of titles will be provided for you to browse and read, and you can finish whole books in one sitting.

This oasis of visual storytelling will be open throughout the day for you to drop in. It’s located in the Bookshop Garden – look out for the blue and white striped marquee next door to Shepherds Ice Cream.

Aoife Dooley: Squid Squad | Thursday 28th May 2026, 11.30am – Spring Stage | More Information, Tickets

Enjoy undersea antics with Aoife Dooley as she presents her hilarious, zany and action-packed graphic novel Squid Squad. Spongebob Squarepants meets Bunny Versus Monkey in this cartoon chronicle of ocean mayhem. Join naughty best friends Ollie the vampire squid and Zing the toxin-squirting sea bunny as they cause chaos in the deep sea with the rest of their wacky crew, from the stinky Blob to the crafty Hypno-snail and the mysterious Snakey Unicorn Thing…

Aoife Dooley is an award-winning Irish illustrator and graphic designer who shares how an autism diagnosis helped her to truly understand herself. Squid Squad is a celebration of imagination, friendship and being completely unique.

Olaf Falafel: The Far-Out Five: Snot Jelly Island | Friday 29th May 2026, 10am – Spring Stage | More Information, Tickets

Don’t miss some far-out fun with Olaf Falafel! Join the award-winning comedian, author and illustrator for a fun, interactive session inspired by his new graphic novel The Far-Out Five: Snot Jelly Island. Olaf will be telling jokes, sharing tips on creating funny comics and guiding you through drawing one of his wonderfully weird characters. Warning: this event will contain art, farts and bum-faced woodlice!

Jim Smith: My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary 5: The Phantom Pooper | Friday 29th May 2026, 2.30pm – Exchange Marquee| More Information, Tickets

Author and illustrator Jim Smith brings friendship, fun and toilet jokes galore to this event launching the fifth instalment in his graphic novel series My Big Fat Smelly Poo Diary.

Join best friends Pedro, Olga and Ozzy – otherwise known as the Poopies – on a series of fun adventure stories, and help them solve mysteries of the most unexpected kind… such as the case of the unflushed poos.

In between author/illustrating, Jim Smith is a kids’ book spellchecker, and also designs cards and gifts under the name Waldo Pancake. As well as spellchecking, Jim offers a free smellchecking service with every book – these ones stink.

Hay-on-Wye, or simply Hay, is a market town and community in Powys, Wales. With over twenty bookshops, it is often described as a “town of books”; it is both the National Book Town of Wales and has been site of the annual Hay Festival since 1987.

Launched in 1987, Hay Festival is a charity providing global festivals of stories, ideas, and new possibilities.

Based in the booktown of Hay-on-Wye, Wales, Hay Festival Global is the antidote to polarisation. The organisers bring together diverse voices to listen, talk, debate and create, tackling some of the biggest political, social and environmental challenges of our time.

Through one-of-a-kind festivals, in unique locations around the world – plus forums, digital platforms and learning programmes – Hay Festival Global celebrates and inspires different views, perspectives, and points of view.

• Hay Festival Thursday 21st – Sunday 31st May 2026, Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales | The full programme is out now – become a Member for priority ticket access | Browse this year’s programme

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.