Former actor, professor of Cultural Studies, and Head of Culture at the Greater London Authority, Baroness Lola Young has written and broadcast extensively on a wide range of cultural issues. She has served on the boards of several national cultural organisations including the National Theatre and the Southbank Centre, as well serving as a Commissioner for Historic England. Baroness Young has Chaired the Caine Prize for African Writing, the Orange Prize for Women’s Fiction, and the Man Booker Prize.
In 2004 Lola was appointed an independent Crossbench member of the House of Lords where she works on legislation to eliminate modern slavery, Co-Chairing All Party Parliamentary Groups on Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion, and Sport, Modern Slavery and Human Rights. Lola is Co-Chair of the Foundation for Future London, and Chancellor of the University of Nottingham.
Fellows are nominated by peers and elected by our Council of writers – our governing Board. Being elected a Fellow of the RSL is a lifetime honour. This role gives them the opportunity to support other writers, readers and the future of literature. The RSL connects writers in the Fellowship to one another, and to a wider readership.
