To mark its 200^th birthday, the Royal Society of Literature is launching RSL International Writers. The programme will recognise the contribution of writers from across the globe to literature in English, and the power of literature to transcend borders. At a time of rising nationalism, RSL International Writers celebrates the many ways in which literature can shape a future world, bringing people together in greater understanding.

We are asking you – readers and writers – to recommend writers not resident in, or citizens of, the UK, whose works have made the greatest contribution to literary culture.

While the RSL is the UK’s charity for the advancement of literature, we recognise and seek to celebrate the power of literature to bring us together, beyond borders and across cultures.

We are inviting public recommendations of writers who have contributed to international literary culture. These will be writers not resident in, or citizens of, the UK, who have published two works of outstanding literary merit (where at least two have been translated into English, or originally written in English). Guided by your recommendations, our panel of RSL Fellows will make a recommendation of writers to be appointed RSL International Writers.

We are seeking recommendations of writers of diverse literary forms, including writers of drama, fiction, graphic fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and screenplays.

This programme is supported by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and the International Authors Forum (IAF). IAF represents authors from the text, screenwriting and visual arts sectors and their interests in copyright. Its members are over 70 organisations representing well over 700,000 authors worldwide. IAF campaigns for authors in a variety of areas including fair contracts, remuneration rights and copyright issues.

Recommendation of RSL International Writers

To recommend someone to be made an RSL International Writer, please visit the main page here and complete the recommendation form.

Your recommendation will be assessed by a panel of RSL Fellows – in 2020-21, chaired by Daniel Hahn – and the selected writers each year will be elected by the RSL Council.

The writers made RSL International Writers in the programme’s inaugural year will be appointed in 2021.