Royal Society of Literature explained
| Royal Society of Literature |
| Abbreviation: | RSL |
| Type: | Learned society |
| Headquarters: | Somerset House, London, England, United Kingdom |
| Leader Title: | President |
| Leader Title2: | Patron |
| Leader Name2: | Queen Camilla |
The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820 by King George IV to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 600 Fellows, elected from among the best writers in any genre currently at work. Additionally, Honorary Fellows are chosen from those who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of literature, including publishers, agents, librarians, booksellers or producers. The society is a cultural tenant at London's Somerset House.
History
The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) was founded in 1820, with the patronage of George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent",[1] and its first president was Thomas Burgess, Bishop of St David's (who was later translated as Bishop of Salisbury). As of 2018, the RSL's patron is Queen Camilla, who took over in the role from Elizabeth II.[2] [3]
At the heart of the RSL is its Fellowship, "which encompasses the most distinguished writers working today", with the RSL Council responsible for its direction and management, being drawn from the Fellowship. As an independent charity, the RSL receives no regular public or government funding, relying on the support of its Members, Patrons, Fellows and friends to continue its work. The RSL has about 600 Fellows, elected from among the best writers in any genre currently at work. Additionally, Honorary Fellows are chosen from those who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of literature, including publishers, agents, librarians, booksellers or producers, or who have rendered special service to the RSL.[4] Paid membership is open to all and offers a variety of benefits.[5] [6]
The society publishes an annual magazine, The Royal Society of Literature Review,[7] and administers a number of literary prizes and awards, including the RSL Ondaatje Prize, the RSL Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction, the RSL Encore Award for best second novel of the year and the V. S. Pritchett Memorial Prize for short stories.
In 2000, the RSL published a volume that provides a description and history of the society, written by one of its fellows, Isabel Quigly.[8]
In 2020, the RSL celebrated its 200th anniversary with the announcement of RSL 200, "a five-year festival launched with a series of major new initiatives and 60 new appointments championing the great diversity of writing and writers in the UK".[9] Initiatives included RSL Open (electing new Fellows from communities, backgrounds and experiences currently under-represented in UK literary culture), RSL International Writers (recognising the contribution of writers across the globe to literature in English)[9] and Sky Arts RSL Writers Awards.[10]
In 2021, the RSL launched "Literature Matters: Reading Together", a project aiming to make recreational reading accessible to young people across the UK.[11]
Fellowship
The society maintains its current level of about 600 Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature: generally 14 new fellows are elected annually, who are accorded the privilege of using the post-nominal letters FRSL.
Past and present fellows include Samuel Taylor Coleridge, J. R. R. Tolkien, W. B. Yeats, Rudyard Kipling, Thomas Hardy, George Bernard Shaw, Arthur Koestler, Chinua Achebe, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Robert Ardrey, Sybille Bedford, Muriel Spark, P. J. Kavanagh, Hilary Mantel, and Sir Roger Scruton. Present Fellows include Margaret Atwood, Bernardine Evaristo, David Hare, Kazuo Ishiguro, Andrew Motion, Paul Muldoon, Zadie Smith, Nadeem Aslam, Sarah Waters, Geoffrey Ashe, J. K. Rowling, and Nick Cave.[12] A newly created fellow inscribes his or her name on the society's official roll using either Byron's pen, T. S. Eliot's fountain pen, which replaced Dickens's quill in 2013,[13] or (as of 2018) George Eliot's pen,[14] with pens belonging to Jean Rhys and Andrea Levy being additional choices from 2020.[15] [16]
From time to time, the RSL confers the honour and title of Companion of Literature to writers of particular note. Additionally, the RSL can bestow its award of the Benson Medal for lifetime service in the field of literature.
Membership
The RSL runs a membership programme offering a variety of events to members and the general public. Membership of the RSL is open to all.[17]
The RSL also runs an outreach programme, currently for young people and those in prison.
Awards and prizes
The RSL administers two annual prizes, two awards, and two honours. Through its prize programmes, the RSL supports new and established contemporary writers.
- The RSL Christopher Bland Prize — £10,000 for debut prose writers aged 50 or over.
- The Encore Awards — £10,000 for best second novel of the year. The RSL took over the administration of this award in 2016.
- The RSL Giles St Aubyn Awards for Non-Fiction – annual awards, currently one of £10,000 and one of £5,000 and one of £2,500, to authors engaged on their first commissioned works of non-fiction (replaced the Jerwood Award in 2017).
- The RSL Ondaatje Prize – an annual award of £10,000 for a distinguished work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry, evoking the spirit of a place.
- The V. S. Pritchett Memorial Prize – an annual prize of £1,000 for the best unpublished short story of the year.
- The Benson Medal – awarded to those who have done sustained and outstanding service to literature.
- Companion of Literature – the highest honour that the Society can bestow upon a writer.
Council and presidents
The Council of the Royal Society of Literature is central to the election of new fellows, and directs the RSL's activities through its monthly meetings. Council members serve for a fixed term of four years, with new members being elected by Council when members retire.[18]
- Patron
Queen Camilla
- President
Bernardine Evaristo
- Presidents Emeriti
Sir Michael Holroyd Colin Thubron Marina Warner
- Chair of Council
Daljit Nagra
- Vice-Chair of Council
Irenosen Okojie
- Vice-Presidents
Lisa Appignanesi Simon Armitage Mary Beard Anne Chisholm Maureen Duffy
Maggie Gee Victoria Glendinning Jackie Kay Blake Morrison
Grace Nichols
Philip Pullman Elif Shafak
Kamila Shamsie
Colm Tóibín
Claire Tomalin
- Council
Colin Chisholm, Hon. Treasurer
Imtiaz Dharker
Louise Doughty
Inua Ellams
Tessa Hadley
Catherine Johnson
Helen Mort
Daljit Nagra Susheila Nasta Irenosen Okojie Michèle Roberts
Roger Robinson
Ruth Scurr
Boyd TonkinList of presidents
Fellows
The Royal Society of Literature comprises more than 600 Fellows, who are entitled to use the post-nominal letters FRSL.
New fellows of the Royal Society of Literature are elected by its current fellows. To be nominated for fellowship, a writer must have published two works of literary merit, and nominations must be seconded by an RSL fellow. All nominations are presented to members of the Council of the Royal Society of Literature, who vote biannually to elect new fellows. Nominated candidates who have not been successful are reconsidered at every election for three years from the year in which they were proposed. Newly elected fellows are introduced at the Society's AGM and summer party. While the President reads a citation for each, they are invited to sign their names in the roll book which dates back to 1820, using either T. S. Eliot's fountain pen or Byron's pen. In 2013, Charles Dickens' quill was retired and replaced with Eliot's fountain pen,[13] and in 2018 George Eliot's pen was offered as a choice, the first time in the RSL's history that a pen that belonged to a woman writer was an option.
In 2018, the RSL honoured the achievements of Britain's younger writers through the initiative "40 Under 40", which saw the election of 40 new fellows aged under 40.[19]
In 2020, pens belonging to Andrea Levy and Jean Rhys were added to the choices offered to fellows for signing the RSL roll book.[20]
The RSL's 2022–23 Open initiative aimed to recognise writers from backgrounds currently underrepresented in UK literary culture by electing 60 fellows over a two-year period from communities, backgrounds and experiences currently under-represented in UK literary culture, through drawing on a broad range of writers from "different parts of the UK, from different communities, different demographics", as Bernardine Evaristo noted.[21] [22]
Current fellows
The current list of approximately 600 fellows:! Fellow !! Year of
election| Hassan Abdulrazzak | 2024 |
|
| 2008 |
| Leila Aboulela | 2023 |
|
| 2020 |
| 1984 |
| Donald Adamson | 1983 |
| 1984 |
| Sulaiman Addonia | 2022 |
| Diran Adebayo | 2006 |
| John Agard | 2007 |
|
| 2022 |
| Bola Agbaje | 2018 |
| Patience Agbabi | 2017 |
| Hanan al-Shaykh | 2019 |
|
| 2021 |
| Monica Ali | 2019 |
| Yasmin Alibhai-Brown | 2022 |
| Keith Alldritt | 1978 |
| 2019 |
| 2011 |
|
| 1996 |
| Karin Altenberg | 2023 |
| Moniza Alvi | 2023 |
| Mark Amory | 1996 |
| Tahmima Anam | 2017 |
| Anthony Anaxagorou | 2023 |
|
| 2020 |
|
| 2022 |
|
| 2023 |
| Carole Angier | 2002 |
| Romalyn Ante | 2023 |
| 2020 |
| Kwame Anthony Appiah | 2017 |
| Lisa Appignanesi, Vice-President | 2015 |
| Anne Applebaum | 2021 |
| Michael Arditti | 2022 |
|
| 2024 |
| Chloe Aridjis | 2020 |
| Simon Armitage, Vice-President | 2004 |
| Claire Armitstead | 2022 |
| 2005 |
| 1994 |
| Mona Arshi | 2022 |
| Michael Asher | 1996 |
| 1999 |
| Zawe Ashton | 2021 |
| Jenn Ashworth | 2018 |
| Nadeem Aslam | 2010 |
|
| 2019 |
|
| 2024 |
| Polly Atkin | 2022 |
| 2010 |
| 2010 |
| Tash Aw | 2023 |
| 1991 |
|
| 2019 |
| David Baddiel | 2019 |
| Paul Bailey | 1999 |
|
| 2019 |
|
| 2023 |
| Sarah Bakewell | 2012 |
| John Banville | 2007 |
| 1971 |
| Juliet Barker | 2001 |
| 1995 |
| Damian Barr | 2020 |
| Sebastian Barry | 2009 |
| Susan Bassnett | 2007 |
|
| 2024 |
| 2004 |
| 2018 |
| Martin Bax | 2002 |
| Sally Bayley | 2021 |
| Dame Mary Beard, Vice-President | 2019 |
| 2006 |
| Sir Antony Beevor | 1999 |
|
| 2019 |
| Rosalind Belben | 1999 |
| Jay Bernard | 2018 |
| Emily Berry | 2018 |
|
| 2023 |
| Homi Bhabha | 2021 |
|
| 2019 |
|
| 2000 |
| Dea Birkett | 2000 |
| Julia Blackburn | 2002 |
| Terence Blacker | 2017 |
| 2009 |
| 2013 |
| Rachael Boast | 2022 |
|
| 2018 |
| 2019 |
| Malika Booker | 2022 |
|
| 2020 |
| 1982 |
| Susie Boyt | 2022 |
| Tony Bradman | 2024 |
| 1971 |
| Carys Bray | 2023 |
| Piers Brendon | 2010 |
| Howard Brenton | 2017 |
| 2015 |
| 1999 |
|
| 2021 |
|
| 2020 |
| Alan Brownjohn | 1999 |
| James Buchan | 2001 |
| Rowan Hisayo Buchanan | 2023 |
| Moira Buffini | 2014 |
| Melvin Burgess | 2022 |
| Anna Burns | 2021 |
| 1999 |
| 2017 |
| Jez Butterworth | 2019 |
| A. S. Byatt (Dame Antonia Byatt) | 1983 |
| 2001 |
| Lucy Caldwell | 2018 |
| 1999 |
| Vahni Capildeo | 2019 |
| 1982 |
| 1989 |
| Ciaran Carson | 2014 |
| Jan Carson | 2023 |
| Miranda Carter | 2011 |
| Helen Castor | 2017 |
| 1998 |
| Nick Cave | 2022 |
| Hugh Cecil | 1997 |
| Aidan Chambers | 2009 |
| 2002 |
| 2019 |
| Amit Chaudhuri | 2009 |
| Tracy Chevalier | 2008 |
| Kayo Chingonyi | 2022 |
| Anne Chisholm, Vice-President | 1989 |
| Rupert Christiansen | 1997 |
| 2010 |
| Susannah Clapp | 2013 |
| Gillian Clarke | 2000 |
| John Clay | 1998 |
|
| 2024 |
| 2019 |
| Jonathan Coe | 2012 |
| Michaela Coel | 2022 |
| Joseph Coelho | 2023 |
| J. M. Coetzee | 1988 |
| Josh Cohen | 2023 |
| Richard Cohen | 2017 |
|
| 2021 |
| Linda Colley (Lady Cannadine) | 2004 |
|
| 2024 |
| Sophie Collins | 2018 |
| Cressida Connolly | 2020 |
| Tony Connor | 1972 |
| P. J. Conrad | 1974 |
| Peter Conradi | 2010 |
| David Constantine | 2007 |
|
| 2021 |
| Artemis Cooper (Lady Beevor) | 2016 |
| Susan Cooper | 2020 |
| 1992 |
| John Cornwell | 1985 |
| Frank Cottrell Boyce | 2012 |
| 2021 |
| Jim Crace | 1999 |
| 2021 |
| Jacqueline Crooks | 2024 |
| Kevin Crossley-Holland | 1998 |
| Patricia Cumper | 2023 |
|
| 2023 |
| Tony Curtis | 2000 |
| Rachel Cusk | 2012 |
| Emma Dabiri | 2023 |
| David Dabydeen | 2000 |
| Fred D'Aguiar | 2022 |
| 1995 |
| 2003 |
| Andrew Davies | 1996 |
| Carys Davies | 2022 |
| 2013 |
| 1999 |
| Russell T. Davies | 2022 |
| Stevie Davies | 1998 |
| Dick Davis | 1981 |
| 1997 |
| Jill Dawson | 2020 |
| Elizabeth Day | 2024 |
| April De Angelis | 2020 |
| Louis de Bernières | 2006 |
| Margreta de Grazia | 2021 |
| Alain de Botton | 2011 |
|
| 2017 |
| Ferdinand Dennis | 2022 |
| 2021 |
| Kit de Waal | 2022 |
| Anita Desai | 1978 |
| Imtiaz Dharker | 2010 |
| 1986 |
| Maura Dooley | 2006 |
| Tishani Doshi | 2023 |
|
| 2021 |
| Robert Douglas-Fairhurst[23] | 2015 |
| Roddy Doyle | 2003 |
| 1973 |
| Jane Draycott | 2020 |
| 1999 |
| Maureen Duffy, Vice-President | 1985 |
| Sasha Dugdale | 2020 |
| Ian Duhig | 2006 |
| Sarah Dunant | 2024 |
| 1981 |
| Jane Dunn | 1999 |
| Nell Dunn | 2004 |
| Geoff Dyer | 2005 |
| Will Eaves | 2021 |
| Reni Eddo-Lodge | 2021 |
| David Edgar | 1985 |
| Helen Edmundson | 2015 |
| Yvvette Edwards | 2020 |
| Max Egremont (Lord Egremont) | 2001 |
| Menna Elfyn | 2015 |
| Inua Ellams | 2018 |
| Anne Enright | 2010 |
| Wendy Erskine | 2023 |
| Diana Evans | 2020 |
| Martina Evans | 2024 |
| Sir Richard Evans | 1999 |
| 2004 |
| 2011 |
| Jenni Fagan | 2023 |
| Ruth Fainlight | 2007 |
| Duncan Fallowell | 2015 |
| Kit Fan | 2022 |
| Paul Farley | 2012 |
| 1994 |
| Lara Feigel | 2018 |
| 1983 |
| 2009 |
| 2007 |
| William Fiennes | 2009 |
| Orlando Figes | 2003 |
| 2003 |
| Tibor Fischer | 2003 |
| Leontia Flynn | 2022 |
| Richard Ford | 2012 |
| 2012 |
| 2009 |
| 1992 |
| Adam Foulds | 2009 |
| Linda France | 2024 |
| Gavin Francis | 2023 |
|
| 2019 |
| Peter Frankopan | 2020 |
| 2003 |
| Robert Fraser | 2007 |
| 1969 |
| Maureen Freely | 2012 |
| Annie Freud | 2024 |
| Esther Freud | 2019 |
| Stephen Fry | 2019 |
| 1986 |
| John Fuller | 1980 |
| Neil Gaiman | 2018 |
| Patrick Gale | 2021 |
| Janice Galloway | 2023 |
| 2005 |
|
| 2004 |
| Philip Gardner | 1986 |
| Rosie Garland | 2023 |
| 2011 |
| 2005 |
| Jamila Gavin | 2015 |
|
| 2020 |
| Gabriel Gbadamosi | 2024 |
| Maggie Gee, Vice-President | 1994 |
|
| 2024 |
| Adèle Geras | 2013 |
| Amitav Ghosh | 2009 |
| Peter Gill | 2019 |
| 1990 |
| 2016 |
| Lesley Glaister | 1994 |
| Victoria Glendinning, Vice-President | 1982 |
| Julian Gloag | 1970 |
| Salena Godden | 2020 |
|
| 2020 |
|
| 2023 |
| Vesna Goldsworthy | 2021 |
|
| 2020 |
| Priyamvada Gopal | 2024 |
| Edmund Gordon | 2018 |
| Lyndall Gordon | 2002 |
| 1997 |
| 2018 |
| Colin Grant | 2020 |
| Linda Grant | 2013 |
|
| 2021 |
| 2006 |
| Peter Green | 1956 |
| Lavinia Greenlaw | 2004 |
| 2022 |
| Germaine Greer | 2016 |
| John Gribbin | 1999 |
|
| 2023 |
| Niall Griffiths | 2022 |
| Vona Groarke | 2024 |
| Guy Gunaratne | 2024 |
| Romesh Gunesekera | 2004 |
| Kirsty Gunn | 2020 |
| Xiaolu Guo | 2022 |
| Sunetra Gupta | 2024 |
| Tanika Gupta | |
| Abdulrazak Gurnah | 2006 |
| Jen Hadfield | 2021 |
| Tessa Hadley | 2009 |
| 1986 |
| William Hague (Lord Hague) | 2009 |
| 2020 |
| Sarah Hall | 2016 |
| John Halperin | 1985 |
| James Hamilton-Paterson | 2023 |
| 1976 |
|
| 2024 |
| Sophie Hannah | 2024 |
| Sir David Hare | 1985 |
| Kiran Millwood Hargrave | 2023 |
| Claire Harman | 2006 |
| Richard Harries (Lord Harries of Pentregarth) | 1996 |
| Alexandra Harris | 2013 |
| Joanne Harris | 2022 |
| Robert Harris | 1996 |
| Tony Harrison | 1984 |
| David Harsent | 1999 |
| Rosalind Harvey | 2018 |
| 1996 |
| Lady Selina Hastings | 1994 |
| Roy Hattersley (Lord Hattersley) | 2003 |
| Daisy Hay | 2018 |
| 1973 |
| John Hemming CG | 2013 |
| Philip Hensher | 1998 |
| W. N. Herbert | 2015 |
| Mick Herron | 2024 |
|
| 2023 |
| Rachel Hewitt | 2018 |
| Seán Hewitt | 2023 |
| Ella Hickson | 2018 |
| Rosemary Hill | 2010 |
| Tobias Hill | 2011 |
| Bevis Hillier | 1997 |
| Tim Hilton | 1993 |
| Afua Hirsch | 2024 |
| Victoria Hislop | 2024 |
| Henry Hitchings | 2015 |
| Peter Hobbs | 2014 |
| Eva Hoffman | 2007 |
| Michael Hofmann | 2023 |
|
| 2020 |
| Tom Holland | 2016 |
| Alan Hollinghurst | 1995 |
|
| 2019 |
| 1975 |
| Sir Michael Holroyd President Emeritus | 1968 |
| Jeremy Hooker | 2021 |
| Christopher Hope | 1990 |
| Nick Hornby | 1996 |
|
| 2021 |
| Sarah Howe | 2018 |
| Kerry Hudson | 2020 |
| 2006 |
|
| 2023 |
| Lucy Hughes-Hallett | 2010 |
| Roland Huntford | 2001 |
| Aamer Hussein | 2004 |
| Angela Huth | 1978 |
|
| 2019 |
| 2019 |
| Khadijah Ibrahiim | 2024 |
| Robert Icke | 2018 |
| Robert Irwin | 2001 |
| 1989 |
| Howard Jacobson | 2012 |
| Maya Jaggi | 2023 |
| 2009 |
| Deborah Jay | 2005 |
| Alan Jenkins | 2002 |
| 2003 |
| Liz Jensen | 2005 |
| Catherine Johnson | 2019 |
| Linton Kwesi Johnson | 2013 |
|
| 2008 |
| Jennifer Johnston | 2009 |
| Cynan Jones | 2019 |
| 2011 |
| Anjali Joseph | 2024 |
| Anthony Joseph | 2023 |
| 1997 |
| Alan Judd | 1990 |
| 2013 |
| Meena Kandasamy | 2022 |
| Bhanu Kapil | 2022 |
| Joanna Kavenna | 2024 |
| Jackie Kay, Vice-President | 2002 |
| 1992 |
| Laurence Kelly | 2003 |
| Peter Kemp[24] | 2015 |
| 1973 |
| A. L. Kennedy | 1999 |
| 1978 |
| Hannah Khalil | 2022 |
| Mimi Khalvati | 2009 |
| Andrew Kidd | 2023 |
| Thomas Kilroy | 1972 |
| Lucy Kirkwood | 2018 |
| Matthew Kneale | 2003 |
| Zaffar Kunial | 2022 |
| 2014 |
| 2008 |
| 2014 |
| David Kynaston | 2010 |
| Olivia Laing | 2019 |
| Nick Laird | 2013 |
| John Lanchester | 2002 |
| Robin Lane Fox | 1974 |
| Lee Langley | 1996 |
| James Lasdun | 2009 |
| Bryony Lavery | 2002 |
| Patrice Lawrence | 2023 |
| Mark Lawson | 2015 |
| Zachary Leader | 2007 |
| 1992 |
| Brendan Lehane | 1999 |
| 2008 |
| Rebecca Lenkiewicz | 2017 |
| Deborah Levy | 2017 |
| Paul Levy | 1980 |
| Gwyneth Lewis | 1999 |
| 2021 |
| Joanne Limburg | 2022 |
| Toby Litt | 2023 |
| 1985 |
| Samuel Lock | 2001 |
| 1976 |
| 1988 |
|
| 2021 |
| Hannah Lowe | 2022 |
| Edward Lucie-Smith | 1964 |
| Andrew Lycett | 2010 |
| Richard Mabey | 2011 |
| 2014 |
| Karen McCarthy Woolf | 2022 |
| Geraldine McCaughrean | 2009 |
| 2016 |
| 1970 |
| Ian McEwan CBE | 1983 |
| Robert Macfarlane | 2011 |
| Roy McFarlane | 2023 |
| Darren McGarvey | 2023 |
| Lisa McGee | 2022 |
| 2004 |
| Patrick McGrath | 2002 |
| Patrick McGuinness | 2019 |
| Jamie McKendrick | 2014 |
| Andrew McMillan | 2020 |
| Ian McMillan | 2022 |
|
| 2024 |
| Ben Macintyre | 2014 |
| Shena Mackay | 1999 |
| Rory MacLean | 2007 |
| 2021 |
| 2003 |
| Tessa McWatt | 2021 |
| Candia McWilliam | 1994 |
| Sabrina Mahfouz | 2018 |
|
| 2024 |
| 1997 |
| Nesrine Malik | 2023 |
| David Malouf | 2008 |
| Norman Manea | 2011 |
| 2010 |
| Philip Mansel | 2010 |
| Sarah Ladipo Manyika | 2023 |
| Patrick Marber | 2002 |
| Patrick Marnham | 1988 |
| Justin Marozzi | 2021 |
|
| 2023 |
| Philip Marsden | 1996 |
| Rosalind Marshall | 1974 |
| Adam Mars-Jones | 2007 |
| Yann Martel | 2014 |
| Francesca Martinez | 2022 |
| 1982 |
| Hisham Matar | 2013 |
| 1998 |
| Glyn Maxwell | 1999 |
|
| 2020 |
| Jonathan Meades | 2019 |
| James Meek | 2020 |
| Gita Mehta | 2021 |
| Pauline Melville | 2018 |
| Edward Mendelson | 2003 |
| Jeffrey Meyers | 1983 |
| China Miéville | 2015 |
| Andrew Miller | 2012 |
| Kei Miller | 2018 |
| 1983 |
| Pankaj Mishra | 2008 |
| 2009 |
| David Mitchell | 2013 |
| 1985 |
| 1999 |
| Nadifa Mohamed | 2018 |
| Ray Monk | 2015 |
| 1993 |
| David Morley | 2018 |
| 2004 |
| Sinéad Morrissey | 2019 |
| Blake Morrison, Vice-President | 1988 |
| Helen Mort | 2018 |
| Sarah Moss | 2019 |
| 2020 |
| Sir Andrew Motion | 1984 |
| 1991 |
| Fiona Mozley | 2022 |
| Paul Muldoon | 1981 |
|
| 2023 |
| Raman Mundair | 2022 |
| 2002 |
| 1968 |
| Benjamin Myers | 2023 |
| Daljit Nagra | 2017 |
| Beverley Naidoo | 2023 |
| Suniti Namjoshi | 2023 |
| 2019 |
| Patrick Ness | 2023 |
| Charles Nicholl | 2005 |
| Grace Nichols, Vice-President | 2007 |
| Virginia Nicholson | 2019 |
| 1999 |
| Adam Nicolson (Lord Carnock) | 2005 |
| 2021 |
| Gerard Noel | 1999 |
| Barney Norris | 2018 |
| Okechukwu Nzelu | 2024 |
| 2011 |
| Sean O'Brien | 2007 |
| Bernard O'Donoghue | 1999 |
| Maggie O'Farrell | 2021 |
| Andrew O'Hagan | 2010 |
| Redmond O'Hanlon | 1993 |
| Kaite O'Reilly | 2023 |
| 2018 |
| 1997 |
| Musa Okwonga | 2022 |
| 2019 |
| 2003 |
| 2012 |
| Chibundu Onuzo | 2018 |
| Susie Orbach | 2019 |
|
| 2022 |
|
| 2020 |
| Helen Oyeyemi | 2012 |
| Ruth Padel | 1998 |
|
| 2019 |
| 2020 |
| Peter Parker | 1997 |
| Nii Ayikwei Parkes | 2024 |
| Sandeep Parmar | 2020 |
| Vinay Patel | 2018 |
| 2004 |
|
| 2023 |
| Brian Patten | 2003 |
| Glenn Patterson | 2023 |
|
| 2022 |
| Laline Paull | 2023 |
| Tim Pears | 2012 |
| Sarah Perry | 2018 |
| Pascale Petit | 2018 |
|
| 2021 |
| Adam Phillips | 2012 |
| Caryl Phillips | 2000 |
| 2000 |
| Winsome Pinnock | 2020 |
| David Plante | 2002 |
| Clare Pollard | 2024 |
| Jacob Polley | 2024 |
| 1985 |
| Peter Pomerantsev | 2021 |
| Max Porter | 2020 |
| Lucy Prebble | 2018 |
|
| 2017 |
|
| 2019 |
| (Baron) David Profumo | 1995 |
|
| 2021 |
| David Pryce-Jones | 1980 |
| Kate Pullinger | 2024 |
| Philip Pullman, Vice-President | 2001 |
| Craig Raine | 1984 |
| Nina Raine | 2019 |
| Ross Raisin | 2018 |
| 2016 |
| Nicholas Rankin | 2009 |
| Frederic Raphael | 1964 |
| Sigrid Rausing | 2020 |
| Piers Paul Read | 1972 |
| Anne Redmon | 1980 |
| Deryn Rees-Jones | 2024 |
| Christopher Reid | 1999 |
|
| 2024 |
| 1970 |
| Jane Ridley | 2007 |
| 1999 |
| Denise Riley | 2019 |
| Gwendoline Riley | 2018 |
| William Rivière | 2000 |
| Graham Robb | 1999 |
| 2001 |
| Michèle Roberts | 1999 |
|
| 2023 |
| Robin Robertson | 2010 |
| Roger Robinson | 2020 |
|
| 2021 |
| Monique Roffey | 2022 |
| Jane Rogers | 1994 |
| Stephen Romer | 2011 |
| Jacqueline Rose | 2022 |
| Michael Rosen | 2006 |
| Meg Rosoff | 2013 |
| Jacob Ross | 2006 |
| Leone Ross | 2023 |
| 2002 |
| Anthony Rudolf | 2005 |
| Carol Rumens | 1984 |
| David Runciman (Viscount Runciman of Doxford) | 2021 |
| Katherine Rundell | 2020 |
| 1983 |
| Frances Ryan | 2022 |
| Amy Sackville | 2018 |
| Sunjeev Sahota | 2018 |
| S. F. Said | 2021 |
| Lawrence Sail | 1998 |
| Edward St Aubyn | 2011 |
| 2020 |
| 2010 |
|
| 2020 |
| 2020 |
| Sathnam Sanghera | 2016 |
| 1969 |
| 2016 |
|
| 2023 |
| Ann Schlee | 1997 |
| 1993 |
|
| 1991 |
| Lawrence Scott | 2019 |
| Richard Scott | 2024 |
| Ruth Scurr | 2015 |
| Simon Sebag-Montefiore | 2003 |
| Anne Sebba | 2021 |
| Elisa Segrave | 2001 |
| 1999 |
| 2021 |
| 1994 |
| 1996 |
| Elif Shafak, Vice-President | 2019 |
| Nicholas Shakespeare | 1999 |
| Kamila Shamsie, Vice-President | 2011 |
| Jo Shapcott | 1999 |
| Owen Sheers | 2023 |
| Warsan Shire | 2018 |
| Elaine Showalter | 2011 |
| Nikesh Shukla | 2019 |
| 2019 |
| 2004 |
| Helen Simpson | 1996 |
| Iain Sinclair | 2009 |
| Sunny Singh | 2023 |
| Adam Sisman | 2015 |
| Lemn Sissay | 2022 |
| Robert Skidelsky (Lord Skidelsky of Tilton) | 1978 |
| Gillian Slovo | 2013 |
| Dorothea Smartt | 2019 |
| Ali Smith | 2007 |
| Cherry Smyth | 2022 |
| Deborah Smith | 2018 |
- John Saumarez Smith, Benson Medallist
| 1996 |
| Zadie Smith | 2002 |
|
| 2019 |
| Ahdaf Soueif | 2002 |
| Diana Souhami | 2024 |
|
| 1983 |
| 1984 |
|
| 2019 |
| Jean Sprackland | 2021 |
| Francis Spufford | 2007 |
|
| 2024 |
| 2005 |
| 2010 |
| Martin Stannard | 1999 |
| 1995 |
| 2018 |
| 2009 |
| Stanley Stewart | 2001 |
| 1972 |
| Peter Stothard | 2023 |
| Rebecca Stott | 2021 |
| 1999 |
| Andrea Stuart | 2014 |
|
| 2024 |
| Kate Summerscale | 2010 |
|
| 2020 |
| John Sutherland | 1990 |
|
| 2012 |
|
| 2023 |
| Graham Swift | 1984 |
| Charlie Swinbourne | 2022 |
| 2017 |
| Michael Symmons Roberts | 2014 |
| George Szirtes | 1982 |
| Bryan Talbot | 2018 |
| Preti Taneja | 2023 |
| D. J. Taylor | 1997 |
| Joelle Taylor | 2022 |
| Sara Taylor | 2018 |
| Kae Tempest | 2015 |
| Adam Thirlwell | 2018 |
| 2021 |
| Tade Thompson | 2023 |
| Ian Thomson | 2003 |
| Rupert Thomson | 2015 |
| Jack Thorne | 2020 |
| Colin Thubron President | 1969 |
| Ann Thwaite | 1987 |
| Stella Tillyard | 2019 |
| Gillian Tindall | 1983 |
| Colm Tóibín, Vice-President | 2007 |
| (Count) Nikolai Tolstoy | 1979 |
| Claire Tomalin, Vice-President | 1976 |
|
| 2020 |
| Barbara Trapido | 2011 |
| Jeremy Treglown | 1989 |
| 1983 |
| Lynne Truss | 2004 |
| Jenny Uglow, Vice-President | 1998 |
|
| 2024 |
| Erica Wagner | 2023 |
| 2006 |
| Alan Warner | 2013 |
| 1984 |
| 2009 |
| Robert Wells | 1994 |
| 2013 |
| Timberlake Wertenbaker | 1999 |
| Sara Wheeler | 1999 |
|
| 2023 |
| 1999 |
| Verna Wilkins | 2021 |
| Eley Williams | 2018 |
| Hugo Williams | 1988 |
| Nigel Williams | 1994 |
| 2003 |
|
| 2017 |
| A. N. Wilson | 1982 |
| Bee Wilson | 2023 |
| Frances Wilson | 2008 |
| 2005 |
| 2016 |
|
| 2021 |
| James Wood | 2011 |
| Michael Wood | 1992 |
| Gerard Woodward | 2005 |
| Pamela Woof | 1999 |
| Kit Wright | 1997 |
| 2007 |
| Evie Wyld | 2018 |
| 2020 |
| Louisa Young | 2024 |
| Gary Younge | 2021 |
| 2006 |
| 1999 | |
The * before the name denotes an Honorary Fellow. The list is online at the RSL website.[25] [26] RSL International Writers
The RSL International Writers programme is a new life-long honour and award recognizing the contribution of writers across the globe to literature in English, and the power of literature to transcend borders in bringing people together, the inaugural list of recipients being announced in 2021.[27]
| Year | Writer | Country | Language(s) | Genre(s) | Panel of Nominators |
|---|
| 2021 | Don Mee Choi (b. 1962) |
 United States | Korean and
English | poetry, translation | |
| Annie Ernaux (b. 1940) |  France | French | novel, memoir, autobiography |
| David Grossman (b. 1954) |  Israel | Hebrew | novel, essays |
| Jamaica Kincaid (b. 1949) |  Antigua and Barbuda
United States | English | novel, essays, short story |
| Yan Lianke (b. 1958) |  China | | novel, short story |
| Amin Maalouf (b. 1949) |  Lebanon
France | French | novel, essays |
| Alain Mabanckou (b. 1966) |
France | French | novel, poetry, essays |
| Javier Marías (1951–2022) |  Spain | Spanish | novel, short story, essays, translation |
| Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (b. 1938) |  Kenya | English and
Kikuyu | novel, drama, short story, essays |
| Claudia Rankine (b. 1963) | United States | English | poetry, essays, drama |
| Olga Tokarczuk (b. 1962) |  Poland | Polish | novel, short story, poetry, essay, screenplay |
| Dubravka Ugrešić (1949–2023) |  Croatia | Croatian | novel, essays |
| 2022[28] | Anne Carson (b. 1950) |  Canada | English | poetry, essays | |
| Maryse Condé (1937–2024) | France | French | novel, drama, essays |
| Tsitsi Dangarembga (b. 1959) |  Zimbabwe | English | novel, drama, essays, screenplay |
| Cornelia Funke (b. 1958) |  Germany | German | novel |
| Mary Gaitskill (b. 1954) | United States | English | novel, short story, essays |
| Faïza Guène (b. 1985) | France | French | novel |
| Saidiya Hartman (b. 1960) | United States | English | essays |
| Kim Hyesoon (b. 1955) | | Korean | poetry, essays |
| Yōko Ogawa (b. 1962) |  Japan | Japanese | novel, short story, essays |
| Raja Shehadeh (b. 1951) | | Arabic | memoirs, essays |
| Juan Gabriel Vásquez (b. 1973) |  Colombia | Spanish | novel, short story, essays |
| Samar Yazbek (b. 1970) | | Arabic | novel, short story, essays |
| 2023[29] | Tony Birch (born) |  Australia | English | novel, short story, essays | |
| Yussef El Guindi (b. 1960) |  Egypt
United States | English | drama |
| Lorna Goodison (b. 1947) |  Jamaica | English | poetry, essays, memoir |
| Yaa Gyasi (b. 1989) |  Ghana
United States | English | novel |
| Han Kang (b. 1970) | | Korean | novel |
| Yiyun Li (b. 1972) | China
United States | English | short story, novel |
| Attica Locke (b. 1974) | United States | English | novel |
| Valeria Luiselli (b. 1983) |  Mexico | Spanish and English | essays, novel |
| Anne Michaels (b. 1958) | Canada | English | poetry, novel |
| Scholastique Mukasonga (b. 1956) |  Rwanda
France | French | short story, novel |
| Maria Stepanova (b. 1972) | | Russian | poetry, novel, journalism |
| Gao Xingjian (b. 1940) | China
France | Chinese | novel, drama |
|
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: History. The Royal Society of Literature. 14 December 2020. 5 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150305005722/https://rsliterature.org/about-us/history/. unfit.
- Web site: RSL welcomes HRH The Duchess of Cornwall as new Royal Patron. Royal Society of Literature. 13 July 2023.
- Web site: A speech by HRH The Duchess of Cornwall delivered at a Royal Society of Literature Reception, London. The Royal Household. 27 June 2018.
- Web site: Fellows. The Royal Society of Literature. 14 December 2020. 8 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210108022033/https://rsliterature.org/fellows/fellows/. live.
- Web site: About us — Who we are. The Royal Society of Literature. 14 December 2020. 11 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201211225535/https://rsliterature.org/about-us/. live.
- Web site: Membership. The Royal Society of Literature. 14 December 2020. 26 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126222750/https://rsliterature.org/join-support/membership/. live.
- Web site: Royal Society of Literature » Magazine selections. 23 July 2015. 29 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161029032321/http://rsliterature.org/library/rsl-review. live.
- Book: Quigly, Isabel . Isabel Quigly . The Royal Society of Literature: a portrait . 2000 . Royal Society of Literature . London . 0-902205-57-9.
- Web site: Royal Society of Literature celebrates 200th birthday with 60 appointments and five-year festival (Press release). The Royal Society of Literature. 30 November 2020. 14 December 2020. 25 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210625141305/https://rsliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ROYAL-SOCIETY-OF-LITERATURE-LAUNCH-RSL-200-FINAL-PRESS-RELEASE-27.11.20-.pdf. live.
- Web site: Sky Arts Ambassadors. Sky Community. 29 January 2021.
- Web site: Press Release. The Royal Society of Literature. 6 July 2021. 9 July 2021. 2 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211202141456/https://225475-687350-raikfcquaxqncofqfm.stackpathdns.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/PRESS-RELEASE-Fellowship-and-Reading-Together-02.07.21.docx.pdf. dead.
- News: Shaffi . Sarah . Knight . Lucy . 2022-07-12 . Adjoa Andoh, Russell T Davies and Michaela Coel elected to Royal Society of Literature . en-GB . The Guardian . 2023-06-23 . 0261-3077.
- Web site: Royal Society of Literature » History. rsliterature.org. 3 June 2016. 5 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150305005722/http://rsliterature.org/about-us/history/. live.
- https://rsliterature.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/RSL-elects-40-new-Fellows-under-40.pdf "The RSL elects 40 new Fellows under the age of 40"
- News: Royal Society of Literature reveals historic changes to improve diversity. The Guardian. Alison. Flood. 30 November 2020. 16 March 2023. 15 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230315165722/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/30/royal-society-of-literature-reveals-historic-changes-to-improve-diversity. live.
- Cave, Coel and Sissay appointed Royal Society of Literature fellows. Sian. Bayley. The Bookseller. 12 July 2022. 18 March 2023.
- Web site: Royal Society of Literature » Membership. 14 April 2016. 29 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170729112901/https://rsliterature.org/join-support/membership/. live.
- Web site: About Us – Council. The Royal Society of Literature. 14 December 2020. 27 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201127173531/https://rsliterature.org/about-us/council/. live.
- News: Alison . Flood . Royal Society of Literature admits 40 new fellows to address historical biases . The Guardian . 28 June 2018 . 3 July 2018 . 2 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190402131559/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jun/28/royal-society-of-literature-40-under-40-fellows . live .
- Web site:
- RSL200: Royal Society of Literature celebrates 200th birthday
. ALCS. 2 December 2020. 16 March 2023. 22 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201222153041/https://www.alcs.co.uk/news/rsl200-royal-society-of-literature-celebrates-200th-birthday. live.
- News: Adjoa Andoh, Russell T Davies and Michaela Coel elected to Royal Society of Literature. Sarah. Shaffi. Lucy Knight. The Guardian. 12 July 2022.
- News: Royal Society of Literature aims to broaden representation as it announces 62 new fellows. Ella. Creamer. The Guardian. 12 July 2023.
- http://www.english.ox.ac.uk/about-faculty/faculty-members/victorian-period/douglas-fairhurst-dr-robert Dr Robert Douglas-Fairhurst
- Web site: Our People Peter Kemp. Kellogg College, University of Oxford. 22 January 2022. 22 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220122091158/https://www.kellogg.ox.ac.uk/our-people/peter-kemp/. live.
- Web site: Fellows . The Royal Society of Literature . 7 August 2022 . 15 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220815062731/https://rsliterature.org/fellows/fellows/ . live .
- Web site: Fellows Search for Fellow. The Royal Society of Literature. 18 July 2023.
- Web site: Inaugural RSL International Writers Announced. Royal Society of Literature. 30 November 2021. 25 December 2021. 25 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211225151044/https://rsliterature.org/2021/11/inaugural-rsl-international-writers-announced/. live.
- Web site: Second group of RSL International Writers announced. Royal Society of Literature. 30 November 2022. 3 December 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221203093159/https://rsliterature.org/2022/11/second-group-of-rsl-international-writers-announced/. live.
- Web site: 2023 International Writers. Royal Society of Literature. 30 November 2022. 23 December 2023.
