About
The 2026 T. S. Eliot Lecture will be delivered by Zadie Smith. The evening will be introduced by Abbey Theatre Artistic Director Caitríona McLaughlin, followed by a reading of T S Eliot’s Preludes by Marty Rea. After the lecture, Zadie Smith will be in conversation with the writer Sheila Heti….
The 2026 T. S. Eliot Lecture will be delivered by Zadie Smith.
The evening will be introduced by Abbey Theatre Artistic Director Caitríona McLaughlin, followed by a reading of T S Eliot’s Preludes by Marty Rea. After the lecture, Zadie Smith will be in conversation with the writer Sheila Heti.
The title of this year’s lecture is Radical Intimacy: On Sally Rooney.
Presented at the Abbey Theatre since 2016 and inspired by Eliot’s legacy and impact on modern literature, previous speakers include Paul Muldoon, Samantha Power, Steven Pinker, Sean Scully, Edna O’Brien, Es Devlin, Sally Rooney, Jeanette Winterson, Ralph Fiennes and Colm Tóibín.