Royal Literary Fund

Royal Literary Fund Founded in 1790, the RLF helps writers in financial need and annually delivers over £7 million in grants, education, community & workplace programmes.

The Royal Literary Fund (RLF) is the world’s oldest literary charity dedicated to supporting professional writers in financial difficulty. Our mission is to enable writers to keep writing and to share their skills with others. Each year, the RLF distributes over £5 million through grants and a range of education, community, and workplace programmes. Our Fellowship scheme has created paid opportuni

ties for more than 750 professional writers at over 100 universities and institutions across the UK, and our online magazine WritersMosaic is dedicated to celebrating and showcasing writers of the global majority. Through the support of many writers over the centuries, the RLF has been able to provide both short- and long-term hardship grants to writers, whether facing an unexpected bill, reduced income or unable to write due to a change in circumstances, sickness or disability. Beneficiaries have included Anna Burns, Margaret Busby, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Joseph Conrad, James Joyce, Hanif Kureishi, DH Lawrence, Doris Lessing, Edith Nesbit, Mustapha Matura, Edna O’Brien, Mervyn Peake, Ali Smith, Bram Stoker and Dylan Thomas. For more information visit www.rlf.org.uk

17/06/2026

How does the RLF support writers, and what does the grants process involve?

In a recent webinar, Justine Palmer, Head of Grants at the RLF, explains how our grants programme is designed to support writers through challenging personal circumstances, whilst having respect for them as a writer and the work that have already contributed.

She also explores how applications are assessed, the importance of confidentiality throughout the process, and the measures in place to protect the anonymity of our RLF grant beneficiaries.

Watch the full webinar on YouTube and learn more about the grants programme on our website.

09/06/2026

We're delighted to announce the return of RLF's Collected: The Podcast for a brand-new season! 🎙🎧

To kick off the latest series, music journalist, rock biographer and sports writer John Aizlewood
shares stories from a varied writing career. From having tea with Peter Gabriel and travelling on Travis's tour bus to spending a year attending every Stevenage FC match alongside his teenage son.

He also reflects on interviewing famous people, writing what you love, and the time he found himself singing with Iron Maiden in a football studio in Brazil.

Listen to the full podcast here: https://podcast.rlf.org.uk

06/06/2026

What does it really take to sustain a career as a writer today? In our most recent webinar, we explored the financial realities many writers face today, from low and unpredictable earnings to balancing creative work alongside jobs and caring responsibilities ✍️

The session also outlined how RLF grants are designed to provide practical support alongside existing benefits, helping writers navigate periods of financial difficulty and, where possible, transition towards more sustainable working lives.

You can now watch the full webinar on YouTube and learn more about the grants programme and eligibility criteria on our website: https://www.rlf.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant/

05/06/2026

📚 RLF Fellows’ News – June 2026 ✍️

Publishing Highlights:
📖 Rebecca Colby’s new picture book 'Hush, Little Fire Truck', is out now, published by Simon & Schuster.
🌫️ Maisie Chan’s new book 'Chi Chi The Panda', illustrated by Jo Lindley, also out now. Published by Hachette.
📑 Martina Evans’ new collection 'Drunken Driving' poems will be published by Carcanet on 25 June. Martina Evans will be in conversation with Ella Frears for the launch of Drunken Driving on Tuesday 9 June, and Carcanet will host an online launch of Drunken Driving on Tuesday 23 June.

Broadcasts:
📻 Joe Dunthorne’s new radio play, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog, is adapted from the short stories of RLF beneficiary Dylan Thomas, and set in Swansea where they were both born. Listen on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday 7 June.

Productions:
📜 Lisa Parry and Judith Johnson are among playwrights taking part in ALL THE RAGE: A theatrical response to the Epstein Files. Conceived by Rebecca Lenkiewicz via a playwriting WhatsApp group when the files were first released, it is directed by Lucy Morrison and takes place at London’s Theatre Deli from 9 – 11 June.

Collected: Live events
📘Letter To My Younger Self: A Live Creative Writing Panel at St Agnes Miners & Mechanics’ Institute in St Agnes, Cornwall on Wednesday 10 June.
📙 A Healing Art: Northern Poets in Conversation at the Poetry Pharmacy, York on Friday 19 June.

Events & Appearances:
📅 Ishy Din, Carina Rodney and Harry Man are taking part in The Write Stuff: Can Literature Change Your Life? at Ormesby Library, Middlesbrough as part of the Crossing the Tees Festival on 25 June.
📅 Tishani Doshi, Tahmima Anam, Vaseem Khan, Abir Mukherjee, Namita Gokhale and Sara Wheeler will be taking part in the Jaipur Literature Festival London at the British Library from 5 – 7 June.
📅 Doug Johnstone will be at Borders Book Festival celebrating a combined 50 Years of Thrilling Fiction, with his Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers bandmate and fellow writer Chris Brookmyre in a special joint anniversary event on 13 June.

Awards:
🏆 Miranda Moore has been shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize from the Society of Authors for her novel A Beautiful, Terrible Thing (David Fickling Books). The winners will be announced at the Society of Authors Awards at Southwark Cathedral on Thursday 18 June.

📍 Read the full roundup: https://www.rlf.org.uk/posts/rlf-writers-news-june-2026/

We were delighted to be at Hay Festival this weekend celebrating 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh with a very special family...
03/06/2026

We were delighted to be at Hay Festival this weekend celebrating 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh with a very special family event hosted by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and featuring Emma Thompson, Cressida Cowell, Paterson Joseph, Jane Riordan, and live illustration from Chris Riddell.

Alongside this, WritersMosaic presented a vibrant programme of storytelling, poetry and music. From What We Leave We Carry: Voices of Migration to Britain, exploring the objects and memories that shape our journeys, to Iranian Women’s Voices, a powerful celebration of creativity, resilience and cultural heritage across generations.

A wonderful weekend of stories, imagination and literary celebration 📚

📚 My Writing Life: Ming Ho ✍️“Having the ability to write is only a tiny fraction of the job of being a writer… if you w...
02/06/2026

📚 My Writing Life: Ming Ho ✍️

“Having the ability to write is only a tiny fraction of the job of being a writer… if you want to get paid for your work, it’s about 90% hustle.”

Ming Ho is an award-winning writer for stage, screen, and audio drama and has built an impressive career across multiple mediums. Her play ‘The Things We Never Said’ won the WGGB Best Radio Drama Award in 2018.

In this article, Ming Ho reflects on the realities of sustaining a creative career. From the importance of reading beyond boundaries and learning the “hustle” behind the craft, to writing through procrastination, editing ruthlessly, and finding inspiration in personal history.

Read her My Writing Life here: https://www.rlf.org.uk/posts/my-writing-life-ming-ho/

✍️ "As it stands, the book that appears on the shelf in February 2027 will be the tenth draft. Five or six structural ed...
27/05/2026

✍️ "As it stands, the book that appears on the shelf in February 2027 will be the tenth draft. Five or six structural edits, another couple of copy edits, and the final passes making up the total."

In the second part of our four-part blog series, writer Abigail Avis takes us through the editing process for her forthcoming novel Wet Ink (Hodder & Stoughton, February 2027) – including navigating multiple rounds of revisions alongside caring for her newborn and balancing family life.

Featuring insights from her agent Hayley Steed and editor Lucy Steward, it's a sneak peek at the collaborative process behind bringing a book from manuscript to shelf.

Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/3PpaPi4

26/05/2026

In this clip from our recent webinar, Justine Palmer, Head of Grants at the Royal Literary Fund, introduces the RLF’s three new grant categories and explains how they are designed to support writers at different stages of their working lives.

✍️ Back to Work Grants provide short-term relief for writers who have experienced a temporary setback and need support covering day-to-day living costs.

📖 Sustainability & Recovery Grants provide support for writers who are experiencing a crisis that is impacting their ability to work, perhaps due to ill-health, bereavement, separation, divorce or other life-changing events.

📚 Literary Contribution Grants provided long-term, sustained support for writers who have made a significant literary contribution and are unable to cover the basic living costs through work, pensions or benefits.

Together, these grants reflect the RLF’s ongoing commitment to supporting writers throughout their working lives. You can now watch the full webinar on YouTube and learn more about the grants programme and eligibility criteria on our website: https://www.rlf.org.uk/apply-for-a-grant/

Last week, we hosted a Collected: Live event at Middlesbrough Library "Beating Writer’s Block: Conversations with Writer...
23/05/2026

Last week, we hosted a Collected: Live event at Middlesbrough Library "Beating Writer’s Block: Conversations with Writers"

Featuring Harry Man, Bridget Deane and Tahmina Ali, the session explored poetry, screenwriting, and the creative habits that help bring writers back to the page - from time in nature, to music, to imaginative play (often with children), all of which can help boost creativity.

Huge thanks to everyone who joined us, and to Middlesbrough Library for hosting us in their Discovery Space. The conversation was lively, generous, and full of practical reflections on the writing process.

We were also delighted by feedback from attendees, including how reassuring it was to hear established writers speak openly about their own struggles with writer’s block.

“It is my belief that talent is plentiful, and that what is lacking is staying power.” - Doris Lessing, RLF novelist and...
20/05/2026

“It is my belief that talent is plentiful, and that what is lacking is staying power.” - Doris Lessing, RLF novelist and grant beneficiary.

From embracing what makes your voice unique to remembering to enjoy the process, this advice from Royal Literary Fund writers is shared to support fellow writers at every stage of their writing journey. These reflections centre on craft, routines such as taking time outside, originality, and enjoyment in the writing process.

Full article here: https://bit.ly/4unLOTx

Address

3 Johnson’s Court
London
EC4A3EA

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+442073537150

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Royal Literary Fund posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to Royal Literary Fund:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category