Mick Herron and Victoria Hislop among 42 newly appointed Royal Society of Literature (RSL) fellows

Mick Herron, Victoria Hislop, Hassan Abdulrazzak and Elizabeth Day were among the 42 new Royal Society of Literature (RSL) fellows whose appointment was announced last night at an event held at the Garden Museum. 

Among them were 13 new honorary fellows, including SuAndi, who is also this year’s Benson Medallist, and Sanchita Basu De Sarkar, owner of the Children’s Bookshop in Muswell Hill. These are individuals who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of literature in the UK, or who have rendered special service to the RSL.

In 2024 the RSL will be launching its new fellowship election process, and members of the public will be invited to recommend writers for fellowship. Speaking at the event, RSL chair Daljit Nagra also addressed "reporting recently that the RSL was changing too much, that the eligibility of fellows is changing", clarifying that "it is not". 

Also speaking at the event, Bernardine Evaristo, president of the RSL, talked about the importance of reading — and the impact that losing libraries can have for children. She referenced recently commissioned research by Queen Camilla, who is the patron of the RSL, which looked at reading and well-being from a neuroscience perspective. "Key findings revealed that just five minutes of reading can reduce stress by nearly 20%, improve concentration and focus by as much as 11%, and that reading earlier in the day can help readers feel more connected to others, and feel ready to tackle challenges."