Bookworms' banquet comes to Budapest

The UK's Hay Book Festival, described by Bill Clinton as the Woodstock of the mind, is due in Budapest this May.

Guests run the gamut from a Chinese dissident to a Habsburg archduke, with a rock star thrown in for good measure.

The event kicks off on Friday 4 May, with Wild Swans author Jung Chang talking about China and her recent book, an epic biography of Chairman Mao.

That evening, Live Aid legend Bob Geldof will be strutting his stuff on stage, performing songs from his wryly titled new album How to Compose Popular Songs that Sell.

On Saturday, guests will have the chance to meet Georg von Hansburg, whose grandfather Karl was crowned emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Budapest in 1916.

Other intriguing guests include Booker Prize-winning author Ben Okri and Hanif Kureishi, author of acclaimed novel The Buddha of Suburbia.

Venues include the Pecsa Music Hall, the Petofi Museum of Literature and the Central European University.

Check the official site for more details.