The elected 40 new Fellows under the age of 40. Photo credit-RSL website.

Forty Fellows under the age of 40 have been elected into this year's Royal Society of Literature (RSL).

The announcement was done on Wednesday, June 28, 2018 at The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB.

As part of its 40 Under 40 initiative, African writers: Warsan Shire (poet), Sabrina Mahfouz (novelist), Inua Ellams (poet), Nadifa Mohamed (novelist), Irenosen Okojie (novelist), Chibundu Onuzo (novelist) and Bola Agbaje (playwright) have also been elected into the Royal Society of Literature.

Beyond the 40 Under 40 initiative, there were two more inductees: street rapper Mojisola Adebayo and poet Kwame Dawes, as an Honorary Fellow.

The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) “celebrates not only the United Kingdom’s diverse literary heritage but also the best in contemporary English language writing in Britain.” The 40 Under 40 initiative “honours the achievements of Britain’s younger writers, and introduces a new generation of writers to the Society’s existing Fellowship of over 500.”

The list was based on recommendations by a “specially convened panel of RSL Fellows,” based on prior “recommendations and writing samples submitted by literary agents, publishers, arts organisations, writer development agencies, theatres, and writers.” 

The nominating panel chaired by Kamila Shamsie, comprised: Tahmima Anam, Lisa Appignanesi, Helen Edmundson, Bernardine Evaristo, Lavinia Greenlaw, Alexandra Harris, David Hare, Blake Morrison, Daljit Nagra, Ali Smith, Sarah Waters.

After the panel made a group nomination to the RSL Council and Vice-Presidents, the forty (40) new Fellows were elected.

The 40 Under 40 announcement evening was attended by Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles, who made her first public appearance as the Society’s new Patron.

See the 40 new RSL 2018 Fellows List.

Read the Press Release for more info.