Peter Florence founded the Hay Festival in 1988 and has since established and consulted for 18 festivals around the world from Brazil to Bangladesh and in Europe from Belfast to Budapest. He is a Trustee of the Baillie Gifford Prize and the National Library of Wales. He is a jury member of EFFEA (and previously of EFFE), and a Friend of Oxfam. He was awarded a CBE for services to Literature and Charity, and is a "Colombiano de Corazon”. He was educated at Cambridge and the Sorbonne. He lectures on creative industries and cultural regeneration.