The Benson Medal is a medal awarded by the Royal Society of Literature in the UK.
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". The medal has been awarded several times to writers in other languages, and is occasionally awarded 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: Edmund Blunden, Anita Desai, Maureen Duffy, E. M. Forster, Christopher Fry, John Gawsworth, Nadine Gordimer, Philip Larkin, R. K. Narayan A. L. Rowse, George Santayana, Wole Soyinka, Lytton Strachey, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Helen Waddell.
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.
Recent recipients
2022
Sandra Agard
2021
Alastair Niven
2020
Boyd Tonkin
2019
Susheila Nasta
2018
Liz Calder
2017
Margaret Busby
Carmen Callil
Mary-Kay Wilmers
2016
Christopher MacLehose
2015
Nancy Sladek
2014
Deirdre Le Faye
Valentina Polukhina
2013
Wm. Roger Louis
2012
David Pease
Jenny Uglow
2011
Diana Athill
Francis King
Earlier recipients
2010: Al Alvarez
2009: Mark Le Fanu; Kay Dunbar
2008: John Saumarez Smith; Douglas Matthews
2007: Nadine Gordimer
2006: Ronald Blythe; Joan Winterkorn – manuscript expert
2005: Edward Upward
2004: Maureen Duffy; James Parker
2003: Anita Desai ; David Sutton
2000: Christopher Fry
1996: Shusaku Endo
1993: Julien Green
1990: Wole Soyinka ; 1989: Anthony Burgess ; Nadine Gordimer 1982: A. L. Rowse 1981: Sir Sacheverell Sitwell ; Odysseas Elytis 1979: R. K. Narayan 1975: Philip Larkin 1969: Cecil Woodham-Smith 1966: J. R. R. Tolkien ; Rebecca West ; E. V. Rieu 1952: Frederick S. Boas 1941: Christopher La Farge 1940: Christopher Hassall ; John Gawsworth 1939: F. L. Lucas ; Andrew Young ; 1938: E. M. Forster ; G. M. Young 1934: Edith Sitwell 1931: Stella Benson ; Siegfried Sassoon 1930: Edmund Blunden 1927: Frederick Arthur Simpson ; Helen Waddell 1926: Percy Lubbock ; Robert Wilson Lynd ; Harold Nicolson 1925: Gordon Bottomley ; George Santayana 1923: Lytton Strachey 1917: Gabriele d'Annunzio ; Benito Pérez Galdós ; Maurice Barres
References
External links
"The Benson Medal" at The Royal Society of Literature website.