Rachel Parris in conversation with Sarah Churchwell

In the 250th anniversary year of Jane Austen’s birth, there is no sign of our love for one of the nation’s most celebrated authors diminishing.

Rounding off a year of celebrations and discussions at Hay Festivals about Austen, join Rachel Parris in conversation with academic Sarah Churchwell about the enduring legacy of the Pride and Prejudice scribe, and offer up a new understanding of her work and why it continues to speak to us.

Comedian Parris’ Introducing Mrs Collins is a fictional look at Pride and Prejudice’s Charlotte Lucas, who in Austen’s original pursued stability in a marriage to Mr Collins. In Parris’ book, a spark is lit in Charlotte when an unexpected visitor turns up at her Kent home. Parris is a founding member of the critically acclaimed touring improv comedy group Austentatious, and co-hosts the podcast How Was It For You with her husband Marcus Brigstocke.