Learned Society of Wales Award for humanities and creative arts

Cardiff historian awarded prestigious Dillwyn Medal

Historian Dr Rebecca Thomas has been awarded the Learned Society of Wales's Dillwyn Medal for her contribution to the humanities and creative arts.

The Dillwyn Medals celebrate the contribution of early career researchers working in, or with a connection to Wales.

The annual awards are designed to fulfil the Society’s strategic objective of publicly celebrating Welsh scholarship in the sciences, arts and humanities, with recipients further raising the profile of early career research in Wales and the UK at specially curated public lectures and short articles.

The last 12 months has been incredibly productive for the medieval historian.  Appointed the first Welsh language writer in residence of Bannau Brycheiniog (previously known as the Brecon Beacons National Park), 2023 has seen the publication of her latest historical novel for young adults Y Castell ar y Dŵr (The Castle on the Water) and the award of The Francis Jones Prize for Welsh History. Her first academic title History and Identity in Early Medieval Wales was published by Boydell and Brewer in April 2022.

Dr Thomas received the specially struck commemorative Dillwyn Award medal as part of her prize at the Learned Society of Wales event at the Senedd on 26 October 2023.

Supported by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), the three Dillwyn Medal awards recognise outstanding contributions that cover Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine, Humanities and Creative Arts, Social Sciences, Education and Business.