The award-winning actor and screenwriter Emma Thompson was awarded the Medal for Drama at Hay Festival last Friday.

Thompson is the second recipient of a Hay Festival Medal for 2026, following Malala Yousafzai who was awarded the Medal for Education the previous Friday.

Awarded annually since Britain’s Olympic year in 2012, Hay Festival Medals draw inspiration from the original Olympic medal given for poetry. With Athena as muse, silversmith Christopher Hamilton crafts the owl-themed medal locally.

Emma Thompson was at the Festival for an exclusive conversation with Elizabeth Day as part of Hay Festival’s My Life in Books’ series, revealing the books that have shaped her life.

Made a dame in 2018 by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to drama, Thompson is best-known for her performances in The Remains of the Day; Howards End; In the Name of the Father; Sense and Sensibility (1995) as well as more recent and equally praised Love Actually and Saving Mr Banks. She is the only person ever to win Oscars for both acting and writing.

Hay Festival CEO Julie Finch said: “Hay Festival is a place where great storytelling is celebrated in all its forms. It’s an honour to celebrate Emma Thompson’s extraordinary contributions with our Medal for Drama. On stage and screen, she is a force of nature, drawing audiences into complex worlds with nuance and empathy.

“Off stage, she has been a tireless advocate for the creative industries and for the central role the arts can play in all our lives. We are hugely grateful for her work and her continued generosity with her talents.”

Previous Medal for Drama recipients include Judi Dench (2024); David Harewood (2022); Emerald Fennell (2021); Daniel Morden (2017) and Miranda Hart (2013).

Hay Festival ran its 39th spring edition in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, with more than 600 events over 11 days.