Hay Festival Tales, The Tabernacle

A taster event for the famous Hay literary festival is happening in London.

Hay-on-Wye, the ancient town just within the border of Wales, hosts one of the most prestigious book festivals of its kind, and this year has more than 120 satellite literary events worldwide that bring together readers and writers to share creative ideas. Past guests have included Marlon James and Jeanette Winterson, Toni Morrison and Kazuo Ishiguro, in fact just about anyone who's anyone in world literature. This year, the festival turns 30.

Join in the celebrations at a one-off event in Notting Hill's Tabernacle, where literary household names will be sharing their favourite festival stories, and talking about the crucial importance of live storytelling. Speakers include:

Comic novelist Howard Jacobson, who won the 2010 Man Booker Prize for The Finkler Question, covering themes of contemporary Jewish life, love and loss.

Helena Kennedy: barrister, broadcaster and Labour peer, creator of books and documentaries on justice, and frequent rebel against the Labour party whip.

Cressida Cowell, author of adored children's book series How to Train Your Dragon, set in a village inhabited by Vikings who have learnt to co-exist with (and ride) dragons.

Author and New Statesman editor Tahmima Anam, known for her extensive research and writing on the Bangladesh war of independence.

Sarfraz Manzoor, broadcaster, journalist and cultural commentator, and maker of documentaries on the lives of Asian people in Britain for Channel 4 and the BBC.

Hannah Rothschild, author, philanthropist and creator of documentaries and books about her 'jazz baroness' great-aunt, Pannonica 'Nica' de Koenigswarter.

Lawyer and Guardian contributor Philippe Sands, whose books on international law expose legal and human rights violations worldwide.

Proceeds from the event go to the Hay Festival Foundation, which undertakes education and literary work worldwide.