Dallas, September 27, 2025
News Summary
The Hay Festival Forum Dallas will take place in the Bishop Arts District, featuring a bilingual program of conversations, readings, and performances by diverse writers and thinkers. Coordinated by Javier Garcia del Moral, the festival aims to reconnect people through cultural exchange amidst modern distractions. Notable guests include Claudia Rankine, Junot DÃaz, and others. Despite challenges like funding restrictions and safety concerns, the festival emphasizes the importance of community engagement and cultural expression.
Dallas — The Hay Festival Forum Dallas will take place from October 17 to October 19, 2025, in venues across the Bishop Arts District. The festival will present a bilingual program of conversations, readings and performances featuring a wide range of writers, thinkers and performers. The event is coordinated by Javier Garcia del Moral, and tickets for the events can be booked online through hayfestival.org/dallas.
What is happening and when
The Hay Festival Forum Dallas will take place from October 17 to October 19, 2025, in venues across the Bishop Arts District. The bilingual program will include inspiring conversations, readings, and performances from a diverse range of writers and thinkers. Tickets for the events can be booked online through hayfestival.org/dallas.
Who is involved
Javier Garcia del Moral is the coordinator of the festival. Featured guests will include poet Claudia Rankine, novelists Junot DÃaz, Marc Haber, and Laila Lalami, among others. Anthropologist Jason de Leon, essayist Marina Azahua, and science writer Angela Saini are also among the speakers. The festival is supported by The Wild Detectives bookshop, co-run by Del Moral in Dallas.
Purpose and themes
The festival seeks to reconnect people in an age where digital culture has diminished face-to-face interactions and physical gatherings. Del Moral emphasizes the importance of presence, listening, and curiosity that festivals promote. The festival aims to host what Del Moral describes as “inquietud,” the restless desire to know more and make connections across disciplines.
Community and experience
Attendance and movement between sessions are part of the intended experience; attendees are seen drifting between venues, engaging actively with the festival theme and community. Festivals allow for spontaneous encounters and unexpected conversations that can enrich perspectives. The festival intends to foster a community of attention and listening, counterbalancing modern distractions.
Operational context and challenges
Del Moral recognizes the challenges faced this year, such as funding restrictions and administrative hurdles that complicate cultural expression. Some invited guests are hesitating to travel to the U.S. due to concerns about safety, reflecting broader societal fears surrounding arrests and deportations. Organizers report that these constraints complicate planning and participation but that the effort to hold the festival amid these challenges reinforces its importance as a site for cultural exchange and dialogue.
Why the festival matters
Organizers present the festival as a place to rehearse modes of public life and cultural exchange: participation in such events is a rehearsal for the kind of society attendees hope to build, emphasizing the power of collective cultural expressions. Del Moral encourages attendees to support festivals as gestures of trust in the vital role of conversation and community amidst turmoil. The festival celebrates culture through shared experiences, laughter, and engagement with ideas that matter.
Practical information
Venues will be located across the Bishop Arts District. The Wild Detectives bookshop is a local partner in the event. Tickets for the events can be booked online through hayfestival.org/dallas.
Background and context
Hay Festival Forum Dallas is presented as part of a long-standing international program of literary and cultural festivals that seek to bring writers and audiences together. In this edition, organizers describe a bilingual program and a deliberately local footprint in the Bishop Arts District to encourage in-person interactions and cross-disciplinary exchange.
FAQ
When and where will the festival take place?
The Hay Festival Forum Dallas will take place from October 17 to October 19, 2025, in venues across the Bishop Arts District.
Who is coordinating the festival?
Javier Garcia del Moral is the coordinator of the festival.
What will the program include?
The bilingual program will include inspiring conversations, readings, and performances from a diverse range of writers and thinkers.
Who are some featured guests?
Featured guests will include poet Claudia Rankine, novelists Junot DÃaz, Marc Haber, and Laila Lalami, among others.
Are there other notable speakers?
Anthropologist Jason de Leon, essayist Marina Azahua, and science writer Angela Saini are also among the speakers.
How can I buy tickets?
Tickets for the events can be booked online through hayfestival.org/dallas.
What is the festival trying to achieve culturally?
The festival seeks to reconnect people in an age where digital culture has diminished face-to-face interactions and physical gatherings.
What challenges is the festival facing this year?
Del Moral recognizes the challenges faced this year, such as funding restrictions and administrative hurdles that complicate cultural expression.
Are there travel or safety concerns for invited guests?
Some invited guests are hesitating to travel to the U.S. due to concerns about safety, reflecting broader societal fears surrounding arrests and deportations.
Who supports the festival locally?
The festival is supported by The Wild Detectives bookshop, co-run by Del Moral in Dallas.
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event | Hay Festival Forum Dallas |
| Dates | October 17 to October 19, 2025 |
| Location | Venues across the Bishop Arts District |
| Coordinator | Javier Garcia del Moral |
| Program | Bilingual conversations, readings, and performances |
| Featured Guests | Claudia Rankine; Junot DÃaz; Marc Haber; Laila Lalami; Jason de Leon; Marina Azahua; Angela Saini |
| Local Support | The Wild Detectives bookshop |
| Tickets | Tickets for the events can be booked online through hayfestival.org/dallas |
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