Dr Rebecca Thomas is an expert on medieval Wales. She has published widely on aspects of the political and cultural history of the period, including her monograph History and Identity in Early Medieval Wales (Boydell, 2022), which won the Francis Jones Prize for Welsh History (2022).

She also writes creatively, and has published two historical novels with Gwasg Carreg Gwalch (Dan Gysgod y Frenhines; Y Castell ar y Dŵr). Her essay ‘Cribo’r Dragon’s Back’ won the O’r Pedwar Gwynt 2021 Essay Prize, and in 2022 she was appointed writer in residence for Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.

“I am delighted and honoured to receive this medal, and I am grateful to the Learned Society of Wales and to those who have supported my development as a researcher, lecturer, and author over recent years.

“It is a special privilege to be able to spend my time researching and writing the history of medieval Wales and sharing that research with others is one of the highlights of my job. I hope that my work will draw attention to the importance of the subject and inspire others to learn more about Wales’s medieval past.”

Dr Rebecca Thomas