WHAT'S YOUR MAP? LIVE at Hay Festival
On Wednesday 27 May, we are recording a special live episode for the award winning podcast, WHAT’S YOUR MAP? at the prestigious Hay Festival. Join host Jerry Brotton and three brilliant guests as they take to the Discovery Stage at 8:30pm to explore their chosen maps and tell their stories! This event will be streamed live.
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The Sunderland Collection is truly honoured to have been invited by Hay Festival to collaborate on this exciting live event as part of their exciting programme which brings together diverse voices from the worlds of art, literature, science, politics, music and comedy to listen, talk, debate and create.
David Olusoga OBE
©David Olusoga
The first guest Jerry will be speaking to is eminent historian, author, presenter and Professor of Public History at University of Manchester David Olusoga OBE.
They will discuss his chosen map: an early sea chart of the British Isles and western coast of Europe from Diogo Homem’s remarkable 1558 ‘Queen Mary Atlas’, which is held in the collections of the British Library.
Together, we will learn about how people in the sixteenth century saw the world and why such a grand manuscript atlas like this would have been created.
The Atlas takes its name from Queen Mary I (reigned 1553–1558) and it is said to have been commissioned as a gift for her husband King Philip II of Spain (reigned 1556–1598). It was completed after Mary’s death in 1558, so was instead presented to her sister Queen Elizabeth I (reigned 1558–1603) who subsequently defaced it. Tune in to find out why!
Map of the British Isles and Western Europe from the Queen Mary Atlas by Diogo Homem (1558) © From the British Library Collection [Add 5415 A ff 9v-10]
Emma Jane Unsworth
©Emma Jane Unsworth
Up next, Jerry will be speaking to best-selling author and BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Emma Jane Unsworth. Emma’s second novel Adults (2020) was an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Her latest novel Slags (2025), a critically acclaimed success, is a frank and heartfelt exploration of sisterhood and a trip around Scotland in a campervan.
Emma will take us on a journey to the breath-taking landscape of the Scottish Highlands, using a road map of Scotland as her guide. She will be linking these scenic routes to the riotous road trip at the heart of her book Slags. We will also learn about Emma’s personal connection to the country as she shares her family heritage and ancestral ties to the area as part of the Mackay Clan.
Modern road map of Scotland ©Scotland Info
Tim Marshall
©Tim Marshall
Jerry will then be joined by journalist, author, and broadcaster, specialising in foreign affairs and international diplomacy. Tim is an authority on foreign affairs with more than 30 years of reporting experience. He was former Diplomatic Editor at Sky News, and prior to that worked for the BBC and LBC/IRN radio.
Tune in for a deep dive into Astropolitics with final guest Tim who joins Jerry to discuss a map from his fascinating 2023 book The Future of Geography.
Together, they will explore the placement and orbits of satellites and the geopolitical implications of the upcoming Moon landings.
Map of satellite orbits ©Tim Marshall, courtesy of Elliott & Thompson. From ‘The Future of Geography’ (2023)
About Hay Festival
The Hay Festival - officially the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts - is an internationally renowned annual cultural event that takes place in Hay-on-Wye, Wales. Established in 1988, it brings together leading writers, scientists, politicians, and artists from around the world for 10 days of readings, debates, comedy, music and creativity. Visit www.hayfestival.com to find out more about this legendary festival and explore its exciting programme.
The Sunderland Collection would like to extend its sincere thanks to our special podcast guests and the Hay Festival, in particular to Programme Director Helen Bagnall, Producer Emma Jones and the Technical Team Nia Thomson and Lewis Jones for their assistance, support, and coordinating such a brilliant even
This live podcast episode with special guests David Olusoga, Emma Jane Unsworth and Tim Marshall will be released on Oculi Mundi following the Hay Festival event, and will available to watch our YouTube channel.
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