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Gisèle Pelicot is set to be one of the prominent speakers at this year’s Hay Festival, marking her first public appearance in Wales. Known internationally for her courageous decision to waive her anonymity during a highly publicized rape trial in France, Pelicot has emerged as a powerful feminist voice. Her memoir, *Hymn to Life: Shame Has to Change Sides*, recounts the traumatic events she endured after being drugged unconscious and assaulted by numerous men recruited online by her then-husband, Dominique Pelicot.
The trial, which concluded in 2024, saw 46 men convicted of rape, with additional convictions for attempted rape and sexual assault. Dominique Pelicot received the maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. Gisèle Pelicot’s bravery in facing public scrutiny garnered widespread support, both within France and internationally. She emphasized the need to shift societal shame away from victims and onto perpetrators, a message that resonated with many, including groups of women who gathered outside the courtroom daily demanding justice.
Alongside Pelicot, the Hay Festival will feature other notable figures such as Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Pakistani education activist, who will discuss her memoir *Finding My Way*. British-Iranian author Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe will also participate, sharing insights from her upcoming book *A Yard of Sky*, which chronicles her six-year imprisonment in Iran with the assistance of her husband Richard Ratcliffe. Other contributors include Emma Thompson, Ruth Jones, Ashley Walters, and Maggie O’Farrell.
The festival, held annually in Hay-on-Wye, Powys, attracts around 150,000 visitors each spring and is currently celebrating its 39th edition. Spanning 11 days from May 21 to May 31, this year’s event will host over 500 diverse programs. Sir Stephen Fry, the festival president, describes it as a “carnival of ideas,” while former US President Bill Clinton famously dubbed it the “Woodstock of the mind.” The Hay Festival continues to be a vibrant gathering for arts, literature, and meaningful conversation
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