Benson Medal

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The Benson Medal is a medal awarded by the Royal Society of Literature in the UK. [1]

Contents

It was founded in 1916 by A. C. Benson, who was a Fellow of the Society, to honour those who produce "meritorious works in poetry, fiction, history, and belles-lettres ". [1] The medal has been awarded several times to writers in other languages, and is occasionally awarded to those who are not writers, but who have done conspicuous service to literature.

The medal is awarded at irregular intervals for lifelong achievement. Recipients include:

Stella Benson (no relation), Edmund Blunden, Anita Desai, Maureen Duffy, E. M. Forster, [2] Christopher Fry, John Gawsworth, [3] Nadine Gordimer, Philip Larkin, R. K. Narayan [4] A. L. Rowse, [5] George Santayana, Wole Soyinka, [6] Lytton Strachey, SuAndi, [7] J. R. R. Tolkien, Helen Waddell [8] and Rebecca West.

In November 2020, the new design for the medal by Linda Crook was unveiled. The design includes books on one side, and people on the other. [9]

Recipients

All recipients are listed on the Web site of the Royal Society of Literature. [10]

Earlier recipients

References

  1. 1 2 "The Benson Medal - History". The Royal Society of Literature.
  2. ↑ E. M. Forster Archived 7 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine from the Tiscali UK web portal.
  3. ↑ Two Kings of Redonda: M. P. Shiel and John Gawsworth, from a University of Iowa website.
  4. ↑ Narayan's author biography Archived 9 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine from the Penguin Books website.
  5. ↑ A. L. Rowse: Historian and friend - Obituary, a December 2001 Contemporary Review article via findarticles.com.
  6. ↑ Biography of Wole Soyinka from the website of the Echo Foundation.
  7. ↑ "New RSL Honorary Fellow SuAndi also awarded the Benson Medal". The Mixed Museum. 29 July 2024.
  8. ↑ Biography of Helen Waddell Archived 3 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine , from the online Dictionary of Ulster Biography.
  9. ↑ "Royal Society of Literature » Boyd Tonkin Awarded newly-designed Benson Medal". rsliterature.org. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  10. ↑ "The Benson Medal - Recipients". The Royal Society of Literature. New recipients are added as required.
  11. ↑ "2022 Fellows, Honorary Fellows and Benson Medal". rsliterature.org. The Royal Society of Literature. 12 July 2022. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  12. ↑ "Alastair Niven Awarded 2021 Benson Medal". rsliterature.org. The Royal Society of Literature. 6 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  13. ↑ "Queen Mary academic receives prestigious Royal Society of Literature Award", Queen Mary University of London, 25 June 2019.
  14. ↑ "London's Book Market". The Argus. 4 April 1931. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  15. ↑ "E(dward) M(organ) Forster". Archived from the original on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  16. 1 2 Dictionary of National Biography .
  17. ↑ "Benson and hedging: James Fergusson reveals a high profile dispute over the RSL Benson Medal", The Royal Society of Literature.
  18. ↑ "Facts and History about Professor Tolkien and his books". Skies of Rohan. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  19. ↑ "Philip Larkin". Experience Literature Poetry. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  20. ↑ "R K Narayan". Penguin India. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  21. ↑ Shusaku Endo (May 1996). Silence. ISBN   9780140249521.
  22. ↑ Europa Publications (2003). "Fry, Christopher". International Who's Who. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-85743-217-6.
  23. ↑ "Desai, Anita 1937–". encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  24. ↑ "University archivist wins top international prize", from the University of Reading website, 19 October 2006.
  25. ↑ "Ms. Maureen Duffy". Debretts. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
  26. ↑ i.e. Dr James Parker, Co-ordinator of the International Public Lending Right Network (IPLR).
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