Benson Medal

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The Benson Medal is a medal awarded by the Royal Society of Literature.

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 is awarded at irregular intervals for life-long achievement. Recipients include: Edmund Blunden, Anita Desai, Maureen Duffy[1], E. M. Forster[2], Christopher Fry[1], John Gawsworth[3], Nadine Gordimer, Philip Larkin[1], R. K. Narayan[4] A. L. Rowse[5] , George Santayana[1], Wole Soyinka[6], Lytton Strachey, J. R. R. Tolkien[1], and Helen Waddell.[7] Recent recipients include Ronald Blythe & Joan Winterkorn (both in 2006), Edward Upward (in 2005)[1], and David Sutton (in 2002)[8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g The Benson Medal from the website of the Royal Society of Literature
  2. ^ E. M. Forster 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 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. ^ Biography of Helen Waddell, from the online Dictionary of Ulster Biography
  8. ^ University archivist wins top international prize, from the University of Reading website
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