Royal Society of Literature

Royal Society of Literature

The Royal Society of Literature is the "senior literary organisation in Britain". It was founded in 1820 by King George IV, in order to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". The Society's first president was Thomas Burgess, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury. There are 450 Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature (generally 14 new Fellows are named annually), who earn the privilege of using the post-nominal letters FRSL.

Past Fellows include Coleridge, Yeats, Kipling, Thomas Hardy, and George Bernard Shaw; today's include Chinua Achebe, Antonia Fraser, Athol Fugard, Doris Lessing, V.S. Naipaul, Harold Pinter, Peter Dickinson, and Tom Stoppard. A newly created Fellow inscribes his or her name on the official roll using either Byron's pen or Dickens' quill.

The Society has an annual magazine, "RSL", and administers a number of literary prizes and awards, including the Ondaatje Prize, the Jerwood Awards, and the V. S. Pritchett Memorial Prize. It can confer the honour of Companion of Literature for writers of particular note. It also awards the Benson Medal for lifetime service in the field of literature.

The Society is based at Somerset House in London.

Presidents

* 1820–1832 Thomas Burgess
* 1832–1834 Lord Dover
* 1834–1845 The Earl of Ripon
* 1845–1849 Henry Hallam
* 1849–1851 Lord Northampton
* 1999–2006 Lord Finn
* Present Sir Michael Holroyd

External links

* [http://www.rslit.org/ The Royal Society of Literature website]
* [http://www.rslit.org/magazine/ RSL annual magazine]
* [http://www.rslit.org/prizes/ Literary Prizes and Awards]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Royal Society of Literature — Die Royal Society of Literature ist eine britische literarische Gesellschaft mit Sitz im Somerset House in London. Ihr Ziel ist die Förderung der britischen Literatur. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Aufgaben 2 Fellows 3 Weblinks …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Royal Society of Literature — La Royal Society of Literature est une institution fondée en 1820 siégeant à Londres et destinée à la promotion des lettres et de littérature[1]. Elle est l’équivalent de l’Académie française à Paris. Membres actuels qv www.rslit.org Notes …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Royal Society — Zweck: Wissenschaft und Forschung Vorsitz: Paul Nurse Gründungsdatum …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Royal Society (disambiguation) — The Royal Society may refer to :* Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, United Kingdom * Royal Society for Asian Affairs, United Kingdom * Royal Society for Protection of Nature, Bhutan * Royal Society for the… …   Wikipedia

  • Royal Society of London — Gebäude der Royal Society in London Gebäude der Royal Society in Edinburgh …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Royal Society of Science — Gebäude der Royal Society in London Gebäude der Royal Society in Edinburgh …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Royal Society of Edinburgh — Abbreviation RSE Formation 1783 Type Educational charity …   Wikipedia

  • Royal Society of Canada — The Royal Society of Canada ( Société royale du Canada ), now known as the RSC: Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada ( SRC: Académies des Arts, des Lettres et des Sciences du Canada ), is the oldest association of scientists and… …   Wikipedia

  • Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland — The Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland is a learned society based in Ireland, whose aims are to preserve, examine and illustrate all ancient monuments and memorials of the arts, manners and customs of the past, as connected with the… …   Wikipedia

  • Royal Society of New South Wales — The Royal Society of New South Wales is a learned society based in Sydney, Australia. It was established as the Philosophical Society of Australasia on 27 June 1821. It is the oldest learned society in Australia and one of the oldest learned… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”