I thought 'attending' the Hay Festival talks this week might be a mistake and, sure enough, I've got another long list of books I want to read!
Yes, there are the latest books by novelists I'd had my eye on, but there were also some fascinating presentations about our world today.
The future of work, journalism, healthcare, artificial intelligence, politics; these themes and many more were addressed by some engaging and inspiring speakers. (I was particularly taken by Daniel Susskind talking about 'A World Without Work'.)
I doubt I would have sought out these sessions in the normal run of things. The fact that the Hay Festival responded to our current situation by taking their programme online gave me, and thousands of people all over the world, the opportunity to hear some enlightening and stimulating talks, and be introduced to new and exciting thinkers.
There were a few particularly memorable presentations - do look up Polly Samson talking about her novel 'A Theatre for Dreamers', with music from her husband David Gilmour and a poetry reading from her son Charlie Gilmour, all in a make-believe Greek taverna - it's wonderful, a real tonic!
All the talks can be accessed via Hay Player for a one off cost of £10. I urge you to sign up if you haven't done so. I don't think you'll regret it - I'm still buzzing!