The award-winning actor and screenwriter Emma Thompson has today been awarded the Medal for Drama at Hay Festival in Wales.
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.
Hay Festival 2026 event tickets are available online at hayfestival.com
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 runs its 39th spring edition in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, with more than 600 events over 11 days, 21 – 31 May 2026.
Launching the best new fiction and non-fiction books, while sharing insights around global issues, the programme sees more than 600 artists, policymakers, pioneers and innovators take part from around the world.
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 recent 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 also offers 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.
Discover the full programme online at hayfestival.org/hay-on-wye. Tickets are on sale now at hayfestival.org/hay-on-wye.