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 life-long 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.

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

Earlier Recipients

 * 2004 Maureen Duffy
 * 2003 Anita Desai
 * 2002 David Sutton
 * 2001 Christopher Fry
 * 1990 Wole Soyinka Nadine Gordimer
 * 1981 Sir Sacheverell Sitwell
 * 1980 R. K. Narayan
 * 1975 Philip Larkin
 * 1972 A. L. Rowse
 * 1966 J.R.R. Tolkien
 * 1939 Christopher Hassall John Gawsworth
 * 1937 E.M.Forster
 * 1928 George Santayana
 * 1923 Lytton Strachey