Trio of surprise events added to Hay Festival programme

A trio of surprise new events featuring actors from The Other Bennet Sister, as well as writers and journalists have been added to the Hay Festival’s 2026 programme.

First up, on Monday 25 May at 2.30pm, Journalist Caitlin Moran will share her passion for reading in a My Life in Books session.

My Life in Books is 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 Tuesday 26 May at 5.30pm, stars of the BBC’s hit historical drama The Other Bennet Sister, Ella Bruccoleri (Mary Bennet) and Lucy Briers (Mrs Hill) will take the stage.

The actors will join writer Sarah Quintrell and Bad Wolf producer Jane Tranter to discuss their fresh take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Finally, award-winning novelist Ali Smith will discuss her latest novel, Glyph, with artist and filmmaker Sarah Wood on Saturday 30 May at 5.30pm.

A playful and inventive story which questions the boundary between imagination and reality, Glyph skillfully blends the fiction of childhood ghosts with the facts of real-life wars.

This trio of new events joins an already star-studded Festival programme that includes 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!”

Tickets to the new events are on sale now to Hay Festival Members. General booking opens at noon Friday 24 April.

Hay Festival runs its 39th spring edition in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, with more than 500 events over 11 days from 21 to 31 May 2026.

Launching the best new fiction and non-fiction books, while sharing insights around global issues, the programme includes more than 700 artists, policymakers, pioneers and innovators take part from around the world.

The festival begins with the free Programme for Schools from 21 to 22 May, and includes a vibrant strand for families throughout.

A series of new initiatives and fresh programming strands feature across the programme:

• My Life in Books events see celebrities open their personal libraries
• Heard at Hay Festival panels spark thought-provoking debates
• America 250 conversations reflect on the changing face of a nation
• The Pleasure List campaign celebrates the joys of reading
• New genre days spotlight bestselling fiction
• Barrel of Laughs sessions spotlight funny people with new books
• Book to Screen events showcase adaptations in The MUBI Cinema
• Debut Discoveries series spotlights new writing talent
• The Platform elevates new creatives
• Matters of Taste demos take food from page to stage
• Creative Industry Insights sessions engage budding young creatives
• South to North Conversations explore international perspectives

Alongside the best new fiction and non-fiction, our changing world is drawn into focus with commentary from leading politicians, economists, historians and scientists, while journalists and commentators will reflect on the UK’s May local elections.

Nights at the Festival are given over to great music, comedy and entertainment with a renewed focus on innovative, immersive event experiences, while a host of free pop-up activities and performances will delight audiences between sessions.

Free to enter, the Festival’s Dairy Meadows site in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park will also offer a range of spaces for audiences to explore and enjoy between events, including the Bookshop, BBC Marquee, Wild Garden, Make & Take Hub, a host of exhibitors and market stalls, cafés, and the Family Garden.

The full programme of events can be viewed online now on the festival’s site.