Now entering its eighth year, the Hay Festival Forum in Dallas has evolved into a dynamic literary event that transcends its roots at the Wild Detectives bookstore in Oak Cliff.
Contemporary social and political matters impacting Latin America, the developing world, and the United States are central themes at this three-day festival, featuring over two dozen events.
New this year are four writing workshops, expanding the forum’s offerings, which span multiple venues, including the Texas Theatre, Oak Cliff Cultural Center, and North Oak Cliff Branch Library, with many events available for free.
Javier García del Moral, co-founder of Wild Detectives, emphasizes the festival’s mission: to unite individuals from diverse backgrounds to engage in discussions about their work, societal connections, and unfolding events in their cities and worldwide.
The Dallas Hay Festival, the only American extension of Wales’ renowned Hay Festival of Literature and Arts, showcases an impressive variety of authors and thinkers in dialogue.
While half of the sessions are led by Latin American authors, participants hail from various countries such as Malta, India, Morocco, Jamaica, and the UK, with a total of 25 international contributors.
Music is a significant element of the festival, highlighted by an energetic late-night dance party called AfroPerreo, described as a joyful celebration of resistance and rhythm.
Additionally, Mexican rapper Bocafloja is set to engage in conversation with UTD history professor Paula Cuéllar, focusing on how hip-hop, poetry, and storytelling confront colonial legacies.
Punk rock drummers Brendan Canty from Fugazi and Hugo Burnham from Gang of Four will discuss percussion as a protest tool and music as a means of cultural disruption in another interactive session.
Manuel “Pantro Puto” Sánchez Viamonte, from the band El Mato a Un Policia Motorizado, will present a U.S. edition of Festiclip, a collection of music videos highlighting the Argentine indie-rock scene.
Unlike previous years, the festival does not feature a specific overarching theme. García del Moral explains that organizing such a festival can feel paradoxical.
While having a single theme might simplify planning and guest invitations, they opted to focus on pressing societal issues and those conveying urgent stories and insights.
Though no formal theme exists, an implied focus emerges on addressing struggles worldwide, particularly the dynamics between the powerful and those embroiled in political conflicts.
This year’s lineup often approaches topics through research-based perspectives, with writers responding to real-world events and utilizing innovative mediums.
Opening the festival will be Maltese American graphic journalist Joe Sacco, who will converse with Guardian columnist Arwa Mahdawi about the capacity of comics to portray uncomfortable truths. Sacco’s work, set in war zones and refugee camps, draws parallels with renowned graphic novelists like Art Spiegelman.
Scholarly discussions will also feature Indian activist Suraj Yengde exploring the caste system’s role in systemic power and social control, extending the conversation to a global perspective.
The forum will also include insights from National Book Award winner and UCLA anthropologist Jason De León, who spent several years embedded with migrant-smuggling ‘coyotes’ in Central America and Mexico.
Jamaican American poet and playwright Claudia Rankine will confront issues of race and highlight the challenge of acknowledging persistent everyday racism as a foundation of society.
Regarding the importance of independent bookstores amidst digital monopolies, Spanish author Jorge Carrión will share insights from his latest work, Against Amazon.
The festival aims to examine patriarchy and the feminist response to it, featuring discussions led by science journalist Angela Saini and contributors to the feminist anthology Tsunami: Women’s Voices from Mexico.
Saini will delve into how long-standing concepts of race, gender, and hierarchy have been influenced by science, politics, and culture.
Meanwhile, Azahua, Gabriela Jauregui, and Sara Uribe will explore a diverse array of women’s experiences concerning gender violence, power, and liberation.
A highlight of the festival is Dominican American Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Díaz, celebrated for works like The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and This Is How You Lose Her.
Díaz will discuss the implications of belonging in a world defined by migration and diaspora.
García del Moral notes that the festival signifies Dallas’s readiness to engage with challenging ideas and its citizens’ willingness to share and explore various perspectives together.
Details about the festival’s schedule indicate events occurring from October 17 to 19 at various venues, with many sessions offered for free upon registration, while ticketed events are priced at $10 each.
Festival passes range from $50 to $95, and attendees can make reservations and acquire tickets through the Wild Detectives website and the Hay Festival’s official page.
Arts Access, an initiative supporting arts journalism, is powered by The Dallas Morning News and KERA.
image source from：keranews
