Literature society in London
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 .
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]
Official seal
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 .
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.
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 [ edit ]
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
Council
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.[ 14]
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.[ 15] [ 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]
The current list of approximately 600 fellows:
Fellow
Year of election
Hassan Abdulrazzak
2024
*Julia Abel Smith
2008
Leila Aboulela
2023
*Melanie Abrahams
2020
Peter Ackroyd
1984
Donald Adamson
1983
Fleur Adcock
1984
Sulaiman Addonia
2022
Diran Adebayo
2006
John Agard
2007
*Sandra Agard
2022
Bola Agbaje
2018
Patience Agbabi
2017
Hanan al-Shaykh
2019
*Clare Alexander
2021
Monica Ali
2019
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
2022
Keith Alldritt
1978
*Ellah Wakatama Allfrey
2019
David Almond
2011
*David Altaras
1996
Karin Altenberg
2023
Moniza Alvi
2023
Mark Amory
1996
Tahmima Anam
2017
Anthony Anaxagorou
2023
*Linda Anderson
2020
*Adjoa Andoh
2022
*Nelle Andrew
2023
Carole Angier
2002
Romalyn Ante
2023
Raymond Antrobus
2020
Kwame Anthony Appiah
2017
Lisa Appignanesi , Vice-President
2015
Anne Applebaum
2021
Michael Arditti
2022
*Sarah Ardizzone
2024
Chloe Aridjis
2020
Simon Armitage , Vice-President
2004
Claire Armitstead
2022
Karen Armstrong
2005
Bruce Arnold
1994
Mona Arshi
2022
Michael Asher
1996
Rosemary Ashton
1999
Zawe Ashton
2021
Jenn Ashworth
2018
Nadeem Aslam
2010
*Syima Aslam
2019
*Lucy Astor
2024
Polly Atkin
2022
Kate Atkinson
2010
Margaret Atwood
2010
Tash Aw
2023
Sir Alan Ayckbourn
1991
*Pete Ayrton
2019
David Baddiel
2019
Paul Bailey
1999
*Bibi Bakare-Yusuf
2019
*Mohit Bakaya
2023
Sarah Bakewell
2012
John Banville
2007
Richard Barber
1971
Juliet Barker
2001
Pat Barker
1995
Damian Barr
2020
Sebastian Barry
2009
Susan Bassnett
2007
*Sanchita Basu De Sarkar
2024
Sir Jonathan Bate
2004
Laura Bates
2018
Martin Bax
2002
Sally Bayley
2021
Dame Mary Beard , Vice-President
2019
Dame Gillian Beer
2006
Sir Antony Beevor
1999
*Sharmilla Beezmohun
2019
Rosalind Belben
1999
Jay Bernard
2018
Emily Berry
2018
*Richard Beswick
2023
Homi Bhabha
2021
*Xandra Bingley
2019
*Robert Binyon
2000
Dea Birkett
2000
Julia Blackburn
2002
Terence Blacker
2017
Malorie Blackman
2009
Sir Quentin Blake
2013
Rachael Boast
2022
*Ruth Borthwick
2018
Elleke Boehmer
2019
Malika Booker
2022
*Mair Bosworth
2020
William Boyd
1982
Susie Boyt
2022
Tony Bradman
2024
Melvyn Bragg
1971
Carys Bray
2023
Piers Brendon
2010
Howard Brenton
2017
Simon Brett
2015
Robin Briggs
1999
*Jenny Brown
2021
*Tony Brown
2020
Alan Brownjohn
1999
James Buchan
2001
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
2023
Moira Buffini
2014
Melvin Burgess
2022
Anna Burns
2021
John Burnside
1999
*Margaret Busby
2017
Jez Butterworth
2019
A. S. Byatt (Dame Antonia Byatt )
1983
David Cairns
2001
Lucy Caldwell
2018
Sir David Cannadine
1999
Vahni Capildeo
2019
John Carey
1982
Peter Carey
1989
Ciaran Carson
2014
Jan Carson
2023
Miranda Carter
2011
Helen Castor
2017
David Caute
1998
Nick Cave
2022
Hugh Cecil
1997
Aidan Chambers
2009
*Charles III
2002
Debjani Chatterjee
2019
Amit Chaudhuri
2009
Tracy Chevalier
2008
Kayo Chingonyi
2022
Anne Chisholm , Vice-President
1989
Rupert Christiansen
1997
Kate Clanchy
2010
Susannah Clapp
2013
Gillian Clarke
2000
John Clay
1998
*Frances Coady
2024
*Michael Codron
2019
Jonathan Coe
2012
Michaela Coel
2022
Joseph Coelho
2023
J. M. Coetzee
1988
Josh Cohen
2023
Richard Cohen
2017
*Gill Coleridge
2021
Linda Colley (Lady Cannadine)
2004
*Geraldine Collinge
2024
Sophie Collins
2018
Cressida Connolly
2020
Tony Connor
1972
P. J. Conrad
1974
Peter Conradi
2010
David Constantine
2007
*Jon Cook
2021
Artemis Cooper (Lady Beevor)
2016
Susan Cooper
2020
Wendy Cope
1992
John Cornwell
1985
Frank Cottrell Boyce
2012
Cressida Cowell
2021
Jim Crace
1999
Robert Crawford
2021
Jacqueline Crooks
2024
Kevin Crossley-Holland
1998
Patricia Cumper
2023
*James Currey
2023
Tony Curtis
2000
Rachel Cusk
2012
Emma Dabiri
2023
David Dabydeen
2000
Fred D'Aguiar
2022
William Dalrymple
1995
Richard Davenport-Hines
2003
Andrew Davies
1996
Carys Davies
2022
Norman Davies
2013
Paul Davies
1999
Russell T. Davies
2022
Stevie Davies
1998
Dick Davis
1981
Richard Dawkins
1997
Jill Dawson
2020
Elizabeth Day
2024
April De Angelis
2020
Louis de Bernières
2006
Margreta de Grazia
2021
Alain de Botton
2011
*Tim Dee
2017
Ferdinand Dennis
2022
Edmund de Waal
2021
Kit de Waal
2022
Anita Desai
1978
Imtiaz Dharker
2010
David Dilks
1986
Maura Dooley
2006
Tishani Doshi
2023
*Jonathan Douglas
2021
Robert Douglas-Fairhurst [ 23]
2015
Roddy Doyle
2003
Dame Margaret Drabble
1973
Jane Draycott
2020
Dame Carol Ann Duffy
1999
Maureen Duffy , Vice-President
1985
Sasha Dugdale
2020
Ian Duhig
2006
Sarah Dunant
2024
Douglas Dunn
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
Bernardine Evaristo
2004
Sir Richard Eyre
2011
Jenni Fagan
2023
Ruth Fainlight
2007
Duncan Fallowell
2015
Kit Fan
2022
Paul Farley
2012
Sebastian Faulks
1994
Lara Feigel
2018
James Fenton
1983
Adam Fergusson
2009
Maggie Fergusson
2007
William Fiennes
2009
Orlando Figes
2003
Anne Fine
2003
Tibor Fischer
2003
Leontia Flynn
2022
Richard Ford
2012
Aminatta Forna
2012
Richard Fortey
2009
Roy Foster
1992
Adam Foulds
2009
Linda France
2024
Gavin Francis
2023
*Dan Franklin
2019
Peter Frankopan
2020
Lady Antonia Fraser
2003
Robert Fraser
2007
Michael Frayn
1969
Maureen Freely
2012
Annie Freud
2024
Esther Freud
2019
Stephen Fry
2019
Athol Fugard
1986
John Fuller
1980
Neil Gaiman
2018
Patrick Gale
2021
Janice Galloway
2023
Jane Gardam
2005
*Anthony Gardner
2004
Philip Gardner
1986
Rosie Garland
2023
Alan Garner
2011
Timothy Garton Ash
2005
Jamila Gavin
2015
*Kate Gavron
2020
Gabriel Gbadamosi
2024
Maggie Gee , Vice-President
1994
*Sue Gee
2024
Adèle Geras
2013
Amitav Ghosh
2009
Peter Gill
2019
Sir David Gilmour, 4th Baronet
1990
Paul Gilroy
2016
Lesley Glaister
1994
Victoria Glendinning , Vice-President
1982
Julian Gloag
1970
Salena Godden
2020
*David Godwin
2020
*Georgina Godwin
2023
Vesna Goldsworthy
2021
*Lennie Goodings
2020
Priyamvada Gopal
2024
Edmund Gordon
2018
Lyndall Gordon
2002
Warwick Gould
1997
James Graham
2018
Colin Grant
2020
Linda Grant
2013
*Victoria Gray
2021
Anthony Grayling
2006
Peter Green
1956
Lavinia Greenlaw
2004
Bonnie Greer
2022
Germaine Greer
2016
John Gribbin
1999
*Chris Gribble
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
John Haffenden
1986
William Hague (Lord Hague)
2009
Daniel Hahn
2020
Sarah Hall
2016
John Halperin
1985
James Hamilton-Paterson
2023
Sir Christopher Hampton
1976
*Lucy Hannah
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
Sir Max Hastings
1996
Lady Selina Hastings
1994
Roy Hattersley (Lord Hattersley)
2003
Daisy Hay
2018
Cameron Hazlehurst
1973
John Hemming CG
2013
Philip Hensher
1998
W. N. Herbert
2015
Mick Herron
2024
*Mark C. Hewitt
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
*Andrew Holgate
2020
Tom Holland
2016
Alan Hollinghurst
1995
*Richard Hollis
2019
Richard Holmes
1975
Sir Michael Holroyd President Emeritus
1968
Jeremy Hooker
2021
Christopher Hope
1990
Nick Hornby
1996
*Sarah Hosking
2021
Sarah Howe
2018
Kerry Hudson
2020
Kathryn Hughes
2006
*Peggy Hughes
2023
Lucy Hughes-Hallett
2010
Roland Huntford
2001
Aamer Hussein
2004
Angela Huth
1978
*Sir Nicholas Hytner
2019
Armando Iannucci
2019
Khadijah Ibrahiim
2024
Robert Icke
2018
Robert Irwin
2001
Kazuo Ishiguro
1989
Howard Jacobson
2012
Maya Jaggi
2023
Kathleen Jamie
2009
Deborah Jay
2005
Alan Jenkins
2002
Sir Simon Jenkins
2003
Liz Jensen
2005
Catherine Johnson
2019
Linton Kwesi Johnson
2013
*Paula Johnson
2008
Jennifer Johnston
2009
Cynan Jones
2019
Steve Jones
2011
Anjali Joseph
2024
Anthony Joseph
2023
Gabriel Josipovici
1997
Alan Judd
1990
Margaret Jull Costa
2013
Meena Kandasamy
2022
Bhanu Kapil
2022
Joanna Kavenna
2024
Jackie Kay , Vice-President
2002
Jonathan Keates
1992
Laurence Kelly
2003
Peter Kemp[ 24]
2015
Thomas Keneally
1973
A. L. Kennedy
1999
*Prince Edward, Duke of Kent
1978
Hannah Khalil
2022
Mimi Khalvati
2009
Andrew Kidd
2023
Thomas Kilroy
1972
Lucy Kirkwood
2018
Matthew Kneale
2003
Zaffar Kunial
2022
Hari Kunzru
2014
Hanif Kureishi
2008
Kwame Kwei-Armah
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
Dame Hermione Lee
1992
Brendan Lehane
1999
Mike Leigh
2008
Rebecca Lenkiewicz
2017
Deborah Levy
2017
Paul Levy
1980
Gwyneth Lewis
1999
Alison Light
2021
Joanne Limburg
2022
Toby Litt
2023
Dame Penelope Lively
1985
Samuel Lock
2001
David Lodge
1976
Michael Longley
1988
*Sharmaine Lovegrove
2021
Hannah Lowe
2022
Edward Lucie-Smith
1964
Andrew Lycett
2010
Richard Mabey
2011
Alexander McCall Smith
2014
Karen McCarthy Woolf
2022
Geraldine McCaughrean
2009
Val McDermid
2016
Ian McDonald
1970
Ian McEwan CBE
1983
Robert Macfarlane
2011
Roy McFarlane
2023
Darren McGarvey
2023
Lisa McGee
2022
Roger McGough
2004
Patrick McGrath
2002
Patrick McGuinness
2019
Jamie McKendrick
2014
Andrew McMillan
2020
Ian McMillan
2022
*Jean McNicol
2024
Ben Macintyre
2014
Shena Mackay
1999
Rory MacLean
2007
*Christopher MacLehose
2021
Margaret MacMillan
2003
Tessa McWatt
2021
Candia McWilliam
1994
Sabrina Mahfouz
2018
*Claire Malcolm
2024
Sir Noel Malcolm
1997
Nesrine Malik
2023
David Malouf
2008
Norman Manea
2011
Alberto Manguel
2010
Philip Mansel
2010
Sarah Ladipo Manyika
2023
Patrick Marber
2002
Patrick Marnham
1988
Justin Marozzi
2021
*Robyn Marsack
2023
Philip Marsden
1996
Rosalind Marshall
1974
Adam Mars-Jones
2007
Yann Martel
2014
Francesca Martinez
2022
Allan Massie
1982
Hisham Matar
2013
Douglas Matthews
1998
Glyn Maxwell
1999
*Shirley May
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
Michael Millgate
1983
Pankaj Mishra
2008
Rohinton Mistry
2009
David Mitchell
2013
Julian Mitchell
1985
Deborah Moggach
1999
Nadifa Mohamed
2018
Ray Monk
2015
Caroline Moorehead
1993
David Morley
2018
Sir Michael Morpurgo
2004
Sinéad Morrissey
2019
Blake Morrison , Vice-President
1988
Helen Mort
2018
Sarah Moss
2019
Kate Mosse
2020
Sir Andrew Motion
1984
Sir Ferdinand Mount
1991
Fiona Mozley
2022
Paul Muldoon
1981
*Henderson Mullin
2023
Raman Mundair
2022
Alice Munro
2002
Richard Murphy
1968
Benjamin Myers
2023
Daljit Nagra
2017
Beverley Naidoo
2023
Suniti Namjoshi
2023
*Susheila Nasta
2019
Patrick Ness
2023
Charles Nicholl
2005
Grace Nichols , Vice-President
2007
Virginia Nicholson
2019
William Nicholson
1999
Adam Nicolson (Lord Carnock)
2005
*Alastair Niven
2021
Gerard Noel
1999
Barney Norris
2018
Okechukwu Nzelu
2024
Edna O'Brien
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
Irenosen Okojie
2018
Ben Okri
1997
Musa Okwonga
2022
David Olusoga
2019
*Sir Christopher Ondaatje
2003
Michael Ondaatje
2012
Chibundu Onuzo
2018
Susie Orbach
2019
*Deirdre Osborne
2022
*Ursula Owen
2020
Helen Oyeyemi
2012
Ruth Padel
1998
*Stephen Page
2019
Sir Michael Palin
2020
Peter Parker
1997
Nii Ayikwei Parkes
2024
Sandeep Parmar
2020
Vinay Patel
2018
Don Paterson
2004
*Emma Paterson
2023
Brian Patten
2003
Glenn Patterson
2023
*Polly Pattullo
2022
Laline Paull
2023
Tim Pears
2012
Sarah Perry
2018
Pascale Petit
2018
*Ruthie Petrie
2021
Adam Phillips
2012
Caryl Phillips
2000
Mike Phillips
2000
Winsome Pinnock
2020
David Plante
2002
Clare Pollard
2024
Jacob Polley
2024
Stephen Poliakoff
1985
Peter Pomerantsev
2021
Max Porter
2020
Lucy Prebble
2018
*Alexandra Pringle
2017
*Stuart Profitt
2019
(Baron) David Profumo
1995
*Simon Prosser
2021
David Pryce-Jones
1980
Kate Pullinger
2024
Philip Pullman , Vice-President
2001
Craig Raine
1984
Nina Raine
2019
Ross Raisin
2018
Ian Rankin
2016
Nicholas Rankin
2009
Frederic Raphael
1964
Sigrid Rausing
2020
Piers Paul Read
1972
Anne Redmon
1980
Deryn Rees-Jones
2024
Christopher Reid
1999
*Emma Rice
2024
Sir Christopher Ricks
1970
Jane Ridley
2007
Matthew White Ridley, 5th Viscount Ridley
1999
Denise Riley
2019
Gwendoline Riley
2018
William Rivière
2000
Graham Robb
1999
Andrew Roberts
2001
Michèle Roberts
1999
*Sue Roberts
2023
Robin Robertson
2010
Roger Robinson
2020
*Fiammetta Rocco
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
J. K. Rowling
2002
Anthony Rudolf
2005
Carol Rumens
1984
David Runciman (Viscount Runciman of Doxford)
2021
Katherine Rundell
2020
Sir Salman Rushdie
1983
Frances Ryan
2022
Amy Sackville
2018
Sunjeev Sahota
2018
S. F. Said
2021
Lawrence Sail
1998
Edward St Aubyn
2011
*Marina Salandy-Brown
2020
Fiona Sampson
2010
*Sarah Sanders
2020
Philippe Sands
2020
Sathnam Sanghera
2016
J. J. Scarisbrick
1969
Sir Simon Schama
2016
*Aki Schilz
2023
Ann Schlee
1997
Michael Schmidt
1993
*Patricia Schute
1991
Lawrence Scott
2019
Richard Scott
2024
Ruth Scurr
2015
Simon Sebag-Montefiore
2003
Anne Sebba
2021
Elisa Segrave
2001
Richard Sennett
1999
*Kadija Sesay
2021
Vikram Seth
1994
Miranda Seymour
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
*William Sieghart
2019
Posy Simmonds
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
*Nicola Solomon
2019
Ahdaf Soueif
2002
Diana Souhami
2024
*Wole Soyinka
1983
Frances Spalding
1984
*Nicholas Spice
2019
Jean Sprackland
2021
Francis Spufford
2007
*Alice Spawls
2024
Hilary Spurling
2005
Sir John Spurling
2010
Martin Stannard
1999
C. K. Stead
1995
Polly Stenham
2018
Rory Stewart
2009
Stanley Stewart
2001
Sir Tom Stoppard
1972
Peter Stothard
2023
Rebecca Stott
2021
Sir Roy Strong
1999
Andrea Stuart
2014
*SuAndi
2024
Kate Summerscale
2010
*Tom Sutcliffe
2020
John Sutherland
1990
*David Sutton
2012
*Bill Swainson
2023
Graham Swift
1984
Charlie Swinbourne
2022
Meera Syal
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
Dame Emma Thompson
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
*Boyd Tonkin
2020
Barbara Trapido
2011
Jeremy Treglown
1989
Dame Rose Tremain
1983
Lynne Truss
2004
Jenny Uglow , Vice-President
1998
*Amy Wack
2024
Erica Wagner
2023
James Walvin
2006
Alan Warner
2013
Dame Marina Warner
1984
Sarah Waters
2009
Robert Wells
1994
Stanley Wells
2013
Timberlake Wertenbaker
1999
Sara Wheeler
1999
*Sylvia Whitman
2023
Helen Wilcox
1999
Verna Wilkins
2021
Eley Williams
2018
Hugo Williams
1988
Nigel Williams
1994
Lord Williams of Oystermouth
2003
*Mary-Kay Wilmers
2017
A. N. Wilson
1982
Bee Wilson
2023
Frances Wilson
2008
Dame Jacqueline Wilson
2005
Jeanette Winterson
2016
*Gaby Wood
2021
James Wood
2011
Michael Wood
1992
Gerard Woodward
2005
Pamela Woof
1999
Kit Wright
1997
Ann Wroe
2007
Evie Wyld
2018
*Lola Young, Baroness Young of Hornsey
2020
Louisa Young
2024
Gary Younge
2021
Adam Zamoyski
2006
Theodore Zeldin
1999
The * before the name denotes an Honorary Fellow. The list is online at the RSL website.[ 25] [ 26]
RSL International Writers [ edit ]
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 [ 27]
Don Mee Choi (b. 1962)
South Korea 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
Mandarin
novel, short story
Amin Maalouf (b. 1949)
Lebanon France
French
novel, essays
Alain Mabanckou (b. 1966)
Republic of Congo 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)
South Korea
Korean
poetry, essays
Yōko Ogawa (b. 1962)
Japan
Japanese
novel, short story, essays
Raja Shehadeh (b. 1951)
Palestine
Arabic
memoirs, essays
Juan Gabriel Vásquez (b. 1973)
Colombia
Spanish
novel, short story, essays
Samar Yazbek (b. 1970)
Syria
Arabic
novel, short story, essays
2023 [ 29]
Tony Birch (born c. 1957 )
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)
South Korea
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)
Russia
Russian
poetry, novel, journalism
Gao Xingjian (b. 1940)
China France
Chinese
novel, drama
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^ a b Flood, Alison (30 November 2020). "Royal Society of Literature reveals historic changes to improve diversity" . The Guardian . Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023 .
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^ a b "Inaugural RSL International Writers Announced" . Royal Society of Literature . 30 November 2021. Archived from the original on 25 December 2021. Retrieved 25 December 2021 .
^ "Second group of RSL International Writers announced" . Royal Society of Literature . 30 November 2022. Archived from the original on 3 December 2022.
^ "2023 International Writers" . Royal Society of Literature . 30 November 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2023 .
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