 The 2009 festival included writers Carol Ann Duffy, David Simon, Stephen Fry, David Nicholls, Jenny Valentine and Melvyn Bragg, scientists Martin Rees and Sabine Bahn, economists Anthony Giddens, Nicholas Stern, Howard Davies and Danny Quah, comedians Dylan Moran, Dara Ó Briain and Sandi Toksvig, and general speakers David Frost, Desmond Tutu, Rowan Williams and Rhodri Morgan.Some of the biggest NGOs and bestselling authors signed a letter condemning abuse of free speech in Abu Dhabi as the 2020 Hay Festival commenced in Abu Dhabi in February.Authors who signed the letter included the likes of Stephen Fry, Noam Chomsky, Jung Chang to Bernardine Evaristo and NGOs such as Amnesty International and PEN International, condemned the abuse of free speech in the United Arab Emirates which led to the arrest and abuse of human rights advocate Ahmed Mansoor, who is currently held in solitary confinement to serve a 10-year prison time.