Emma Thompson Honoured at Hay Festival
Actress and writer Emma Thompson has received this year's Hay Festival Medal for Drama. The award was presented at the Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye, where Thompson engaged in a conversation with author Elizabeth Day about the novels that have influenced her life.
Julie Finch, chief executive of the Hay Festival, commended Thompson's "intelligence, absolute wit, humour and fearless" storytelling. Finch noted that Thompson's career has offered audiences "real insight into humanity" through her contributions to both screen and literature.
Reflections on Childhood and Literature
During the event, Thompson reflected on her childhood, feminism, and the books that have shaped her perspective. She revealed that the first novel to inspire her was Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mr Todd, despite its darker themes.
"The reason it was one of my favourites is because it was the longest,"
she explained. Thompson described how she and her siblings would intentionally select longer bedtime stories to extend the time their father spent reading aloud, praising his voice as "honeyed." She credited these experiences with fostering her enduring passion for language and storytelling.
Thompson expressed admiration for Potter's writing style, highlighting that it neither "talked down" nor "patronised" children.
"Children are the sacred audience. You must do your very best work for them because they're absorbing so much,"
she said.
Upbringing and Intellectual Curiosity
Reflecting on her upbringing, Thompson stated she felt "very, very lucky" to have parents who never patronised her and encouraged her intellectual curiosity from an early age.
Dame Emma noted that her love of reading extended into adulthood, with authors such as Jane Austen and fantasy writers influencing her imagination and worldview.
"Books devoured me, they ate me,"
she said.
"I couldn't stop reading them. I was addicted to story."
However, she acknowledged that many female characters she encountered in literature left her feeling conflicted about her own identity.
"I didn't fit any of the patterns of any of the characters I was reading in my favourite books,"
she said.
"It was a conflicted time because I thought I'm not like those women so where do I go to find something that fits with what I feel about life and the appetites I have."
Perspectives on Victorian Literature and Women's Writing
Discussing Victorian literature, Thompson described many women writers as "still women in disguise," referring to the societal restrictions and limited educational opportunities women faced during that era.
"I wonder how women were able to survive the constant beating down on them of people saying they shouldn't be writing,"
she reflected.
Dame Emma expressed gratitude for growing up surrounded by books and intellectual discussion but noted that historically, many women were denied similar opportunities.
"Women still didn't have access to books, which we need to develop our minds,"
she said.
She emphasized the importance of access to the arts and education, stating that they enable individuals to form informed opinions on a wide range of topics, including law, childcare, relationships, and social behaviour.
Influential Works and Academic Insights
Dame Emma identified the book that most profoundly changed her life as Madwoman in the Attic, which she read while a student at the University of Cambridge.
"I had no idea there was a different way to interpret the world."
She explained that the book revealed the "disguises" many Victorian women novelists were compelled to adopt to have their voices heard.
Thompson added that much of women's writing and experiences have historically been overlooked because acknowledging them would have challenged prevailing social norms.
Reaction to Award and Previous Recipient
Upon receiving the award, Dame Emma appeared both surprised and grateful, describing the honour as "beautiful" and stating she "shall wear it to bed."
Last year, the award was presented to Ruth Jones, co-creator of Gavin and Stacey, for her novel By Your Side.
