Benson Medal

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.

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