First, it was the allegations that one of Hay Festival's employees was sexually assaulted when she went to Abu Dhabi to organise a Hay Festival there (Hay Festival organises literary festivals round the world now). Caitlin MacNamara said that the Minister for Tolerance, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan assaulted her, and Caroline Michel, the Festival chairwoman, has said that the Festival will not return to Abu Dhabi while the Sheikh remains as Minister for Tolerance.
Then Peter Florence, director and co-founder of the Festival, was accused of bullying, and has been suspended pending the outcome of grievance procedures.
Tania Hudson has been appointed as interim chief executive, alongside the international director, Cristina Fuentes La Roche.
Meanwhile, the Winter Festival is going ahead, but online, like the main Festival this year. It will be taking place over the weekend of November 26th to 29th. As is now traditional, the Turning On of the Christmas Lights will happen on Friday 27th November, with a special Festival guest to flip the switch. There will be carol singing, and Christmas tales recorded in and around Hay's bookshops.
The Christmas lights are being put up around town now.
Normally, a marquee is set up on the Memorial car park for the annual Food Festival, and it is used for the stalls of community groups on that evening. That may not happen this year, though I don't know for sure.
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