Benson Medal

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"." [http://www.rslit.org/benson.htm The Benson Medal] from the [http://www.rslit.org/ website of the Royal Society of Literature] ]

The medal is awarded at irregular intervals for life-long achievement. Recipients include:
Edmund Blunden,
Anita Desai,
Maureen Duffy,
E. M. Forster [ [http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0001381.html E. M. Forster] from the Tiscali UK web portal] ,
Christopher Fry,
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] ,
Nadine Gordimer,
Philip Larkin,
R. K. Narayan [ [http://www.penguin.co.uk/nf/Author/AuthorPage/0,,1000011671,00.html Narayan's author biography] 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] ,
George Santayana,
Wole Soyinka [ [http://www.echofoundation.org/Past%20Projects%20II/Soyinka/Biography.htm Biography of Wole Soyinka] from the website of the Echo Foundation ] ,
Lytton Strachey,
J. R. R. Tolkien, and
Helen Waddell. [ [http://www.ulsterbiography.co.uk/biogsW.htm Biography of Helen Waddell] , from the online Dictionary of Ulster Biography ] Recent recipients include Ronald Blythe & Joan Winterkorn (both in 2006), Edward Upward (in 2005), and David Sutton (in 2002) [ [http://www.reading.ac.uk/about/newsandevents/releases/PR3908.asp University archivist wins top international prize] , from the University of Reading website]

References