Our ex President and new Patron Aidan Chambers has just been elected to the list of Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature.  This is a huge honour as it is recognition and honour from Aidan's peers.   The Society was founded in 1820 by George IV 'to excite literary talent and reward literary merit' and is currently housed in Somerset House on the Strand. The Society is independent of government and of any other institution such as the universities. Anyone who is interested in its aims and purpose can become a Member for an annual subscription.

The existing Fellows elect new Fellows after being proposed by at least two; there are about 400 in all, with about 14 new Fellows are elected each year.  New Fellows are formally introduced into the Society at the AGM and summer party, this year to be held on 1 July. They sign the roll book with either the quill used by Byron or the pen used by Dickens.

The Society holds regular meetings at which papers are read on literary topics, discussions held, and the Fellows meet and talk informally.  The Society's Patron is the Queen, the current President is Michael Holroyd and the current Chair of Council is Anne Chisholm.

 Huge congratulations from everyone at SLA!