Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature 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 800 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 RSL is an independent charity and relies on the support of its Members, Patrons, Fellows and friends to continue its work.
History
The Royal Society of Literature was founded in 1820, with the patronage of George IV, to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent", and its first president was Thomas Burgess, Bishop of St David's. From the beginning of the 21st century, Presidents have served four-year terms and the RSL has employed a professional director to oversee its membership and outreach programmes. From 2018, the RSL's patron has been Queen Camilla, who took over in the role from Queen Elizabeth II.Fellowship
Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature: are elected annually and accorded the privilege of using the post-nominal letters FRSL. Traditionally, around 14 new fellows per year were elected, with a total number of about 500 being maintained. 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. Newly elected fellows are introduced at the Society's annual general meeting 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, 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. An example of an Honorary Fellow is Sarah Hosking who set up the Hosking Houses Trust in order to provide a quiet space with financial uplift for mature and overworked women writers.Past 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, J. K. Rowling, and Nick Cave. 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, or George Eliot's pen, with pens belonging to Jean Rhys and Andrea Levy being additional choices from 2020.
In 2018, the RSL launched the initiative "40 Under 40", which saw the election of 40 new fellows aged under 40. 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". Initiatives included RSL Open, and RSL International Writers. RSL 200 resulted in more than 60 new fellows and honorary fellows being elected annually between 2021 and 2024. There are now more than 800 FRSLs.
From 2023, the RSL began to be criticized over the new diversity of fellowship and for not taking a strong enough stance about the stabbing of Salman Rushdie and the cancellation of Kate Clanchy. In February 2024, President Bernardine Evaristo defended the RSL in The Guardian over the changes to fellowship and issues of freedom of speech, and stated that the RSL "cannot take sides in writers' controversies and issues, but must remain impartial." In reply, Rushdie commented on X: "Just wondering if the Royal Society of Literature is 'impartial' about attempted murder?" In response to this, Evaristo posted evidence of her support of Rushdie when he was stabbed on X which was published at the time in the Independent newspaper. Publication of the RSL's annual magazine was delayed in connection with an article mentioning Israel. In February 2024 the RSL referred itself to the Charity Commission in response to what it described as a "sustained campaign of misinformation being made against it".
In January 2025, Director Molly Rosenberg and Chair Daljit Nagra stepped down from their positions, and, following an annual general meeting, it was announced that the RSL would be implementing a governance review under the new leadership of Ruth Scurr.
Publications
The society publishes an annual magazine, the RSL Review, which includes features, interviews and essays.In 2000, the RSL published a volume that provides a description and history of the society, written by one of its fellows, Isabel Quigly.
Membership
From 2012, the RSL established a membership programme offering a variety of events to members and the general public. Membership of the RSL is open to all.Outreach
In 2021, the RSL launched "Literature Matters: Reading Together", a project aiming to make recreational reading accessible to young people across the UK.Awards and prizes
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.
- 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.
- The RSL Literature Matters Awards for projects which connect with audiences or topics outside the usual reach of literature.
- Sky Arts RSL Writers Awards awarded to British writers of colour at the beginnings of their careers.
- Entente Littéraire Prize for writing and translation from France and the UK. Two books, one English and one French, receive a prize of €8,000 shared between the author and the translator.
- Companion of Literature – the highest honour that the society can bestow upon a writer; inaugurated in 1961, it is held by up to 12 writers at any one time.
- The RSL Pioneer Award, founded in 2025 by Bernardine Evaristo, to honour female writers over 60 years of age who have been pioneers in their field.
Council and presidents
; Patron
; President
; Presidents Emeriti
; Acting Chair of Council
; Vice-Presidents
;Council
List of presidents
- 1820–1832: Bishop Thomas Burgess
- 1832–1833: George Agar-Ellis, 1st Baron Dover
- 1834–1845: F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich
- 1845–1849: Henry Hallam
- 1849–1851: Spencer Compton, 2nd Marquess of Northampton
- 1851–1856: George Howard, 7th Earl of Carlisle
- 1856–1876: The Rt Rev. Connop Thirlwall
- 1876–1884: The Prince Leopold
- 1885–1893: Sir Patrick Colquhoun
- 1893–1920: Hardinge Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury
- 1921–1945: Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe
- 1946–1947: Victor Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton
- 1947–1982: Lord Butler of Saffron Walden
- 1982–1988: Sir Angus Wilson
- 1988–2003: Roy Jenkins
- 2003–2008: Sir Michael Holroyd
- 2008–2017: Colin Thubron
- 2017–2021: Dame Marina Warner
- 2022–present: Bernardine Evaristo
Current 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 |
| Mojisola Adebayo | 2018 |
| 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 |
| 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 | 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 | 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 |
| 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.