The Other Bennet Sister actors Ella Bruccoleri and Lucy Briers; award-winning novelist Ali Smith; and journalist Caitlin Moran will speak at Hay Festival in Wales next month, 21–31 May 2026, in a trio of surprise events just added to the programme.
Tickets to the new events are on sale now to Hay Festival Members at hayfestival.org/hay-on-wye. General booking opens at noon Friday 24 April.
Stars of the BBC’s hit historical drama The Other Bennet Sister – Ella Bruccoleri (Mary Bennet) and Lucy Briers (Mrs Hill) – join writer Sarah Quintrell and Bad Wolf producer Jane Tranter to discuss their fresh take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice on Tuesday 26 May at 5.30pm.
Journalist Caitlin Moran shares her passion for reading in a My Life in Books session – a new strand of events at Hay Festival 2026 that sees famous faces offer a peak at their bookshelves – in conversation with Laurence Mozafari from the British Society of Magazine Editors on Monday 25 May at 2.30pm.
Award-winning novelist Ali Smith discusses her latest novel, Glyph – a playful and inventive story which questions the boundary between imagination and reality, skilfully blending the fiction of childhood ghosts with the facts of real-life wars – in conversation with artist and filmmaker Sarah Wood on Saturday 30 May at 5.30pm.
This trio of new events joins an already star-studded Festival programme that includes appearances from actor Emma Thompson; activists Malala Yousafzai, Gisèle Pelicot, and Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe; authors Ian McEwan, Maggie O'Farrell, and Fredrik Backman; comedians Dawn French, Michael McIntyre and Sara Pascoe; adventurer Bear Grylls; artist Charlie Mackesy; chefs Mary Berry and Prue Leith; psychologist Philippa Perry; and many more.
Hay Festival Global CEO Julie Finch said:
“Surprise! This fresh trio of Hay Festival 2026 events brings together actors, writers and journalists at the forefront of storytelling to celebrate the central role of books in our culture – from BBC’s fresh adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, The Other Bennet Sister to award-winning novelist Ali Smith’s genre-bending works.
“Stories have a unique power to bring us together and this year’s Festival offers something for everyone. However you enjoy your entertainment – in print, on screen, or brought to life on stage – we’ve got you covered with the greatest contemporary writers, performers and creatives gathered all in one place. See you there!”
The full programme of events can be viewed online now at hayfestival.org.