Isn’t it fun! Aren’t we all have the greatest time, seeing loads of interesting events and buying lots, and lots, and lots of books!  If, like me, your answer is a resounding YES! then you will already be heading back over to the Hay Festival website to buy more tickets – we’ve got days and days still to enjoy!
CLICK HERE for tickets.

Hay Writers’ Live! took place on Saturday 24th May at 7pm. A huge thank you to everyone who came along and supported us, it was greatly appreciated. Many pieces in our varied programme were especially created for our Hay Festival event, some were prize winning pieces, others were examples of work composed at our twice-monthly meetings, or excerpts from in-progress novels.

It was a sold out event with a wonderfully attentive audience, many took the time to express their delight with positive feedback at the end. We are so glad you enjoyed our all our offerings and we hope to see you again in the future.

Hay Writers’ Circle is extremely grateful to the Hay Festival for it’s continued, unwavering support of our writing group and the amazing opportunity it gives us to share our writings with the festival crowd. We would like to extend a special “thank you” to Chris, Nia, Adrian, Stephen and all the behind the scenes team for your hard work, professionalism and diligence. You continue to be an amazing credit to this beloved festival. Thank you.

The Hay Writers Live! event was also recorded and is available to listen to again via Hay Festival Anytime subscription. Access audio & film from your favourite Hay Festival writers and thinkers for an amazing £20 per year.

CLICK HERE for Hay Writers Live! 2025 audio and enjoy our readings once again.

Stepping Out With An ‘E’, by Martine Smith

At the Hay Writers Live! event in 2024, Martine Smith read, Stepping Out With An ‘E’. It was so popular that Martine has agreed to share it here. We are very grateful and sincerely hope you enjoy this wonderful piece.

SOME THOUGHTS FROM MARTINE

Over the years people have asked me why I sometimes dress as a woman. My grandson who lives in Paris, a very cosmopolitan and lively City, asked me that question. I replied

 “We all have a genetic structure that is unique. Some people have high testosterone levels and are mainly men but not always; others have hormones and will be women but not always. Nature in all its wonders deals out different substances and growth patterns to every human being.”

I did not carry on talking about this to Vincent who accepted my explanation that my genes are somewhere in between male and female and so for the last few decades I have flitted between the two genders. Last year HWC invited me to read “Stepping out with an E,” a brief account of my nurture as a child explaining partly my decision to be Martine not Martin sometimes.

Stepping Out with an ‘E’

It’s 1949.

A four-year old fatherless boy peers through a rain spattered window pane in his grandmother’s house which is also his home.

He waves his mother goodbye. As well as working in the week to provide for her “booty” (that’s her name for him) she works on a Saturday afternoon and evening. She needs the money.

In the week he will sit with his grandmother. He will hear her stories.

 Later, he has his comics Beano,Tiger and Eagle and the Saturday morning visit to the Gaiety cinema, he dreams.

He takes his first life time risk. He explores unknown territory. Parkland and the lanes near his home. Around the corner of one lane a group of boys play. They are his age but go to a different school. He is a stranger on his own in their district. The herd instinct kicks in.  They chase. The boy runs. The gang are well into the chase shouting and screaming. Their prey is nearly in reach.

Around a bend in the lane the boy stops and turns. He screams and stares at the gang. They stop in their tracks.

The boy is accepted into their territory. Several years of happiness ensue for the boy with his friends.

A life lesson. Confront your demons. Do not run. 

Mother marries. Aged six he is introduced to the husband. The boy shouts excitedly with a toy car in his hand. The husband clips the boy around the ear. No hug, no cuddle.

The boy develops a shield of mental protection which helps to mask the pain from boys at school jeering because his ears stick out or that one day he shat his pants in the playground. The shield overcomes torments and places him in a kinder place.

Another life lesson. Men are not nice. Women are kind.

He wants to know who his real father is or was. His growing sensitivity tells him the question might upset his mother’s relationship with her husband so he never asks and his mother never says. 

On visits to the husband’s parent’s house the little boy waits in the car parked outside. He is not accepted. The boy senses uneasiness and a lack of love from these people.

Years go by. Relationships soften but never really develop into love.

Grandmother, Mother, Stepfather’s parents and finally Stepfather depart this mortal world.

Now, no more shield, no suppressions.

Be who you are.

Natures creation nurtured by human experiences.

A child of the universe.

E for Explore. E for Enlightenment.

Martin steps out with an E and finds Martine.

They are on a journey of discovery stepping out with an E.

I started writing in my sixties but have always been a curious person and decided that it was daft not to find out what it is like to be a woman. Well yes, dear reader, you are correct, I have never menstruated nor borne children, but I do feel feminine and enjoy chatting and socialising as Martine. I have discovered the pleasure of smiles and compliments from ladies on the train or in Tescos or restaurants about my clothes, my hair and sometimes even males will want to talk. I consider myself blessed to have so many friends to socialise with and the HWC membership is special with such a variety of talented lovely people..

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