James Corden and Ruth Jones to discuss their forthcoming book When Gavin met Stacey and Everything in Between: A Story of Love and Friendship at Hay Festival 2025
Gavin and Stacey creators James Corden and Ruth Jones will discuss their anticipated new book and share the backstage story of their award-winning show at Hay Festival 2025 this spring.
In an exclusive event on Friday 23 May, the pair will talk to Hay Festival Global Chair Jay Hunt about Gavin and Stacey’s origins, its meteoric rise, and that epic Christmas special, while also sharing insights into their 25-year friendship and working relationship.
Tickets are on sale now at hayfestival.org/hay-on-wye.
Ruth is also at the Festival to discuss her new novel, By Your Side, a story about finding joy in the most unlikely connections, and the importance of holding on to friendship, love and community – especially when life gets messy.
Together James and Ruth have written When Gavin met Stacey and Everything in Between: A Story of Love and Friendship, out in October this year with Bantam Books.
Hay Festival Global CEO Julie Finch said:
“We are delighted to welcome James Corden and Ruth Jones together on the Hay Festival 2025 programme for a joyful discussion about friendship, creativity, and perseverance. After dominating the TV schedule with the Gavin and Stacey Christmas special, it feels like the perfect moment to hear them on the art of screenwriting, storytelling in collaboration, and Wales’ cultural impact. Join us!”
Hay Festival runs its 38th spring edition in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, with more than 600 events over 11 days, 22 May–1 June 2025.
Launching the best new fiction and non-fiction books, while sharing insights around the biggest global issues, the programme sees more than 600 artists, policymakers, pioneers and innovators take part from around the world.
Events offer something for all, beginning with the free Schools Programme, 22–23 May, and including a vibrant strand for families throughout.
Special projects and new initiatives in the programme include:
• The Platform spotlights young creative talent
• Hay Festival Green proposes innovative solutions to the climate crisis
• The new MUBI Cinema showcases storytelling on screen
• The News Review engages with the day’s top stories
• Hay Festival Sports Day returns on Wednesday 28 May
South to North Conversations explores issues facing the Global South
• Debut Discoveries showcases new writing talent
• Matters of Taste demos spotlight great food writers and local produce
• Creative Industry Insights sessions engage budding young creatives
Nights at the Festival are given over to great music, comedy and entertainment, while a host of free pop-up activities and performances will amaze audiences between sessions.
Events take place across eight stages in the free-to-enter Festival site – which offers a range of spaces for audiences to explore and enjoy, including the Bookshop, Wild Garden, Make & Take Tent, a host of exhibitors and market stalls, cafés and restaurants, and the Family Garden where young readers can kick-start their creative journeys – plus immersive performances all week at St Mary’s Church.
Collaborations with Arts Council England, Black British Book Festival, Pen to Print, Living Knowledge Network, Reaching Wider, and Inclusive Books for Children make this one of the most accessible Festival editions yet. And the Festival continues online with a selection of sessions streamed live throughout the 2025 event, continuing the Festival’s commitment to digital accessibility.
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Sessions in Spanish and English can be rediscovered anywhere in the world on Hay Festival Anytime, a subscription service offering the world’s greatest writers on film and audio for £20/€20 per year.
