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.".[1] 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,[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
2011
2010
2009
- Mark Le Fanu
- Kay Dunbar
2008
- John Saumarez Smith
- Douglas Matthews
2007
2006
- Ronald Blythe
- Joan Winterkorn — Manuscript expert,
2005
Earlier Recipients
- This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
- 2004 Maureen Duffy [8]
- 2003 Anita Desai [9]
- 2002 David Sutton [10]
- 2001 Christopher Fry [11]
- 1990 Wole Soyinka [12] Nadine Gordimer [13]
- 1981 Sir Sacheverell Sitwell[14]
- 1980 R. K. Narayan [15]
- 1975 Philip Larkin [16]
- 1972 A. L. Rowse[14]
- 1966 J.R.R. Tolkien [17]
- 1939 Christopher Hassall[14] John Gawsworth
- 1937 E.M.Forster[18]
- 1928 George Santayana
- 1923 Lytton Strachey
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 The Benson Medal from the website of the Royal Society of Literature
- ↑ E. M. Forster from the Tiscali UK web portal
- ↑ Two Kings of Redonda: M. P. Shiel and John Gawsworth, from a University of Iowa website
- ↑ Narayan's author biography from the Penguin Books website
- ↑ A. L. Rowse: Historian and friend - Obituary, a December 2001 Contemporary Review article via findarticles.com
- ↑ Biography of Wole Soyinka from the website of the Echo Foundation
- ↑ Biography of Helen Waddell, from the online Dictionary of Ulster Biography
- ↑ "Ms. Maureen Duffy". Debretts. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ↑ "Desai, Anita (1937-)". Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ↑ University archivist wins top international prize, from the University of Reading website
- ↑ Fry, Christopher. International Whos Who. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ↑ "Wole Soyinka Biography". Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ↑ "Nadine Gordimer Biography". Net Industries. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Dictionary of National Biography
- ↑ "R.K.Narayan". Penguin Books. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
- ↑ "Philip Larkin". Experience Literature Poetry. Retrieved 10 August 2010.
- ↑ "Facts and History about Professor Tolkien and his books". Skies of Rohan. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
- ↑ "E(dward) M(organ) Forster". Retrieved 11 August 2010.