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Paul Farley elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature

Date: 21 May 2012

Professor Paul Farley (English & Creative Writing) has been elected to become a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. The Society was formed in 1820 by King George IV to 'reward literary merit and excite literary talent', and its Fellows include most of the very best novelists, short-story writers, poets, playwrights, biographers, historians, travel writers, literary critics and scriptwriters at work today. The RSL is active on many fronts, hosting masterclasses, public lectures and talks, working in partnership with the European Cultural Commission, and also campaigning on important matters such as the teaching of English in schools, the preservation of public libraries, and authors' rights; it does this - often in conjunction with other organisations - by lobbying government bodies, organising debates, and drawing attention to these issues in the press. Newly elected FRSLs are introduced at the Society's summer party, where they are invited to sign the Fellowship roll book using either Byron's pen or Dickens' quill.