Benson Medal
{{Short description|Medal awarded by the British Royal Society of Literature (founded 1916)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
The Benson Medal is a medal awarded by the Royal Society of Literature in the UK.[http://rsliterature.org/award/the-benson-medal/ "The Benson Medal"], The Royal Society of Literature website.
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:
E. M. Forster,[http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0001381.html E. M. Forster] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907125312/http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0001381.html |date=7 September 2008 }} from the Tiscali UK web portal.
John Gawsworth,[http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/Bai/wynne.htm Two Kings of Redonda: M. P. Shiel and John Gawsworth], from a University of Iowa website.
R. K. Narayan[http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000011671,00.html Narayan's author biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090109021143/http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000011671,00.html |date=9 January 2009 }} from the Penguin Books website.
A. L. Rowse,[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_1631_279/ai_81764842/print A. L. Rowse: Historian and friend - Obituary], a December 2001 Contemporary Review article via findarticles.com.
Wole Soyinka,[http://www.echofoundation.org/Past%20Projects%20II/Soyinka/Biography.htm Biography of Wole Soyinka] from the website of the Echo Foundation.
Helen Waddell[http://www.ulsterbiography.co.uk/biogsW.htm Biography of Helen Waddell] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070303201959/http://www.ulsterbiography.co.uk/biogsW.htm |date=3 March 2007 }}, from the online Dictionary of Ulster Biography. and SuAndi.{{Cite web |title=New RSL Honorary Fellow SuAndi also awarded the Benson Medal |url=https://mixedmuseum.org.uk/news/new-rsl-honorary-fellow-suandi-also-awarded-the-benson-medal/ |website=The Mixed Museum}}
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.{{Cite web|title=Royal Society of Literature » Boyd Tonkin Awarded newly-designed Benson Medal|url=https://rsliterature.org/2020/11/boyd-tonkin-awarded-newly-designed-benson-medal/|access-date=2020-11-30|website=rsliterature.org}}
Recent recipients
= 2024 =
= 2022 =
= 2021 =
- Alastair Niven{{cite web|url=https://rsliterature.org/2021/07/alastair-niven-awarded-2021-benson-medal/#:~:text=Founded%20in%201916%20by%20scholar,been%20awarded%20to%20Alastair%20Niven.|title=Alastair Niven Awarded 2021 Benson Medal|website=rsliterature.org|publisher=The Royal Society of Literature|date=6 July 2021|access-date=25 July 2022}}
= 2020 =
= 2019 =
= 2018 =
=2017=
=2016=
=2015=
=2014=
=2013=
=2012=
- David Pease
- Jenny Uglow
=2011=
Earlier recipients
- 1917: Gabriele d'Annunzio; Benito Pérez Galdós; Maurice Barres
- 1923: Lytton Strachey
- 1925: Gordon Bottomley; George Santayana
- 1926: Percy Lubbock; Robert Wilson Lynd; Harold Nicolson
- 1927: Frederick Arthur Simpson; Helen Waddell
- 1930: Edmund Blunden
- 1931: Stella Benson; Siegfried Sassoon{{cite news|title=London's Book Market|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/4396340|access-date=20 February 2018|work=The Argus|date=4 April 1931}}
- 1934: Edith Sitwell
- 1938: E. M. Forster;{{cite web|url=http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0001381.html |title=E(dward) M(organ) Forster |access-date=11 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907125312/http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0001381.html |archivedate=7 September 2008}} G. M. Young
- 1939: F. L. Lucas; Andrew Young
- 1940: Christopher Hassall;Dictionary of National Biography. John Gawsworth[https://rsliterature.org/library-article/benson-and-hedging-james-fergusson-reveals-a-high-profile-dispute-over-the-rsl-benson-medal/ "Benson and hedging: James Fergusson reveals a high profile dispute over the RSL Benson Medal"], The Royal Society of Literature.
- 1941: Christopher La Farge
- 1952: Frederick S. Boas
- 1966: J. R. R. Tolkien;{{cite web|url= http://www.skiesofrohan.com/tfacts.html|title=Facts and History about Professor Tolkien and his books|publisher=Skies of Rohan|access-date = 11 August 2010}} Rebecca West ; E. V. Rieu
- 1969: Cecil Woodham-Smith
- 1975: Philip Larkin{{cite journal|url=http://www.bedfordstmartins.com/experience_literature7e/poetry/larkin.htm|title = Philip Larkin|journal = Experience Literature Poetry|access-date = 10 August 2010}}
- 1979: R. K. Narayan{{cite web |url=https://penguin.co.in/author/r-k-narayan/|title= R K Narayan|publisher = Penguin India|access-date = 30 April 2018}}
- 1981: Sir Sacheverell Sitwell; Odysseas Elytis
- 1982: A. L. Rowse
- 1989: Anthony Burgess; Nadine Gordimer{{cn|date=August 2022}}
- 1990: Wole Soyinka
- 1993: Julien Green{{cite web|url=http://rsliterature.org/award/the-benson-medal/|title=The Benson Medal|publisher=Royal Society of Literature|access-date=9 May 2016}}
- 1996: Shusaku Endo{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=gRbKAAAACAAJ|title=Silence|author=Shusaku Endo|date=May 1996|isbn=9780140249521}}
- 2000: Christopher Fry{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9drlYR0YUgAC&q=Benson+medal+fry&pg=PA571|chapter = Fry, Christopher|title = International Who's Who|isbn = 9781857432176|access-date = 10 August 2010|last1 = Publications|first1 = Europa|year = 2003}}
- 2003: Anita Desai;{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/culture-magazines/desai-anita-1937|title = Desai, Anita 1937– |encyclopedia=encyclopedia.com |access-date = 30 April 2018}} David Sutton[https://www.reading.ac.uk/news-and-events/releases/PR3908.aspx "University archivist wins top international prize"], from the University of Reading website, 19 October 2006.
- 2004: Maureen Duffy;{{cite web|url=http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/d/14761/Maureen%20Patricia+DUFFY.aspx |title=Ms. Maureen Duffy |publisher=Debretts |access-date=10 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731142205/http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/d/14761/Maureen%20Patricia%2BDUFFY.aspx |archive-date=31 July 2012 |url-status=dead }} James Parkeri.e. Dr James Parker, Co-ordinator of the International Public Lending Right Network (IPLR).
- 2005: Edward Upward
- 2006: Ronald Blythe; Joan Winterkorn – manuscript expert
- 2007: Nadine Gordimer
- 2008: John Saumarez Smith; Douglas Matthews
- 2009: Mark Le Fanu; Kay Dunbar
- 2010: Al Alvarez
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://rsliterature.org/award/the-benson-medal/ "The Benson Medal"] at The Royal Society of Literature website.
Category:1916 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Awards established in 1916
Category:British literary awards