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Gruffalo joins Julia Donaldson on Hay Festival stage

Chris Athanasiou Julia Donaldson on stage with the GruffaloChris Athanasiou
The Gruffalo joined creator Julia Donaldson on stage

Children's author Julia Donaldson has been presented with a poetry medal to mark 20 years since the publication of The Gruffalo.

The iconic character was brought to life on stage during the opening weekend of the 10-day annual Hay Festival in Powys.

Julia Donaldson first published The Gruffalo in 1999, with the characters drawn by Axel Scheffler.

The festival also includes appearances by Stephen Fry and Ian McEwan.

Characters from The Gruffalo joined Julia Donaldson on stage, where the author performed songs and read stories.

Other children's book characters appearing over the weekend include Elmer the elephant, who is celebrating 30 years since being published in English with giant Elmer sculptures around the field.