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Kazuo Ishiguro, Jacqueline Wilson and Alan Hollinghurst recognised in King Charles' New Year's Honours list
Kazuo Ishiguro, Jacqueline Wilson and Alan Hollinghurst are among the more than 1,200 people recognised for their achievements and service in King Charles III’s New Year’s Honours list.
"Each and every day, ordinary people go out and do extraordinary things for their communities," said prime minister Keir Starmer. "The New Year Honours List celebrates more of these unsung heroes, and I thank them for their incredible contribution."
Author and screenwriter Sir Ishiguro OBE has been made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for his services to literature, an accolade only awarded to 65 people. Meanwhile, Dame Wilson DBE has been awarded Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire.
Caroline Michel, the CEO of Peters Fraser and Dunlop (PFD) who has also served as chair and trustee of Hay Festival, has been awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). Nicola Solomon, who has served as chief executive of the Society of Authors and more recently the chair of the Creators’ Rights Alliance, was awarded Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to literature and the creative industries.
Hollinghurst received a knighthood in the New Year’s Honours list for services to literature, while Robert Dennis Harris, author of Conclave (Hutchinson), was awarded a CBE. Author Richard O’Neill has been appointed Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to education and literature, while The Oscar Wilde Society’s vice-president and chair, Donald Robin Mead, was among the Medallists of the Order of the British Empire for his services to literature.
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Author Matt Cain has been awarded an MBE as a writer for his services to LGBTQ+ culture. He said that "this award makes all my fighting and hard work worth it", explaining that he had to "fight" to get his books featuring gay characters published and featured in bookshops, and that he still has to "argue against the idea that the queer experience needs to be toned down or sanitised". He also said that "the belief is still prevalent that queer stories only work in literary fiction, and if you want to write something more accessible, readers won’t be enlightened or educated enough to enjoy it".
On being awarded an MBE, he added: "It makes me feel valued and appreciated. And it makes me even more determined to keep telling stories that draw attention to the persecution and oppression endured by queer people in the past and contrast this with how much better things are in the present, in order to celebrate the progress we’ve made as a society. I hope my novels continue to make readers of all sexualities and gender identities proud of the part they’ve played in making our world more accepting and inclusive."
The Honours lists have been running since the 1800s and, in December 2023, Kate Mosse, Jilly Cooper, Alexander McCall Smith and Charlie Mackesy were among those recognised, alongside Libraries Connected president Carol Stump.
