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RCW Authors in RSL 40 Under 40

We are incredibly proud to announce that eleven of our writers have been named in the Royal Society of Literature's inaugural '40 Under 40' Scheme:

Laura Bates

Hannah Berry

Lucy Caldwell

Inua Elams

Edmund Gordon

Helen Mort

Sarah Perry

Ross Raisin

Gwendoline Riley

Amy Sackville

Deborah Smith

Adam Thirlwell

The RSL said it was “delighted by the diversity of writers elected and the diversity of literary forms their writing represents." The new intake contains 73% female writers with 30% of the new fellows from BAME backgrounds, according to the society’s data.

The list “truly honours the diversity of writers working in Britain today, and redresses the imbalances of yesteryear" according to RSL vice-chair Bernardine Evaristo. Meanwhile fellow panel member Sarah Waters said the scheme made RSL "so much more reflective of the fantastic diversity of writers to be found in the UK today".

The  initiative was launched last summer to honour the achievements of Britain’s younger writers and introduce a new generation to the Society’s existing Fellowship of more than 500. Previously the average age of fellows was 70 with only three under the age of 40 and none under 30.

For more information, please see here.

(Agent for Sarah Perry and Amy Sackville: Jenny Hewson; Agent for Deborah Smith: Emma Paterson; Agent for Laura Bates: Georgia Garrett; Agent for Lucy Caldwell, Edmund Gordon, Helen Mort, Ross Raisin, Adam Thirlwell, : Peter Straus; Agent for Gwendoline Riley and Inua Elams: Zoe Waldie; Agent for Hannah Berry: Sam Copeland)

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