The Royal Literary Fund

Charity Number: 219952

Annual Expenditure: £5.0M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £5 million+ (across grants, education, and outreach)
  • Writers Helped: ~200 annually
  • Decision Time: Same meeting as application review (committee meets 11 times/year)
  • Grant Range: Means-tested individual assessments (no fixed amounts)
  • Geographic Focus: UK and Ireland
  • Application Type: Rolling basis

Contact Details

Website: www.rlf.org.uk

Email: edward.kemp@royalliteraryfund.org.uk

Phone: 020 7353 7159

Charity Number: 219952

For guidance during the application process, the Grants team is available to assist applicants through the confidential application process.

Overview

Founded in 1790 and granted a royal charter in 1818, The Royal Literary Fund is one of the oldest charitable organizations supporting writers in the UK. With Queen Camilla as royal patron (appointed 2024), the RLF annually delivers over £5 million in grants, education, and outreach programmes, helping around 200 professional writers every year. The Fund provides hardship grants and pensions to published authors and performed playwrights of literary merit who are experiencing financial difficulties. Applications for hardship grants rose 400% in the first financial quarter of 2024, reflecting the significant financial pressures facing professional writers. The organization's mission remains focused on relieving distress among published writers, not funding creative projects or writing development.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Hardship Grants (Rolling Basis)

The RLF offers a range of hardship grants to professional writers needing short-term to long-term financial support. Support can potentially extend for three years to help writers get back on track. Grants are means-tested individual assessments with no fixed amounts—each grant is tailored to the applicant's specific circumstances and distress.

Pensions

For older writers who have seen their earnings decrease, the RLF provides pensions to offer regular income when writers are at the end of their careers and may find it hard to keep writing.

Named Grants (Not Open to Direct Application)

  • JB Priestley Award: For writers of promise, selected by the Grants Committee through the standard review process. Past recipients include Tobias Hill, Ali Smith, and Courttia Newland.
  • Robert Holman Award: For dramatists living and working in the North of England, selected by the committee.

Application Method: Rolling basis via application form (request from the Grants team). Committee meets 11 times per year.

Priority Areas

The RLF helps writers facing:

  • Unexpected bills or one-off costs (home repairs, unexpected expenses)
  • Reduced income due to a change in circumstances
  • Inability to write due to sickness, disability, or age
  • Basic living costs (rent, utilities, groceries)
  • Additional costs associated with long-term disabilities or health conditions

What They Don't Fund

  • Personal loans: All grants are donations, not loans
  • Completion of literary works: Grants are for relieving distress, not funding writing projects
  • Self-published authors: Unless they also have at least two professionally published works meeting the eligibility criteria
  • Writers without professional editorial process: Works must have gone through a publisher's editorial, printing, publishing, and retail distribution process
  • Hybrid publishing contracts: Where the author contributed to publishing costs (not eligible)
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Governance and Leadership

President and Chair: Sir Ian Blatchford (appointed November 2020), Chief Executive of the Science Museum Group

Chief Executive: Edward Kemp (appointed 2021), former Director of RADA

Royal Patron: Queen Camilla (appointed 2024)

General Committee of Trustees

The General Committee includes trustees such as Nelle Andrew, Terence Blacker, Dan Franklin, Mark Gardiner (CFO at Penguin Random House), Sammia Hamer (Editorial Director at Amazon Publishing), Paula Hawkins, Dotti Irving (Founder of Colman Getty), Mark Lawson, Susheila Nasta MBE, Dreda Say Mitchell MBE, Judith Murray, Michael Symmons Roberts, Fiona Sampson MBE, Rosalynn Try-Hane (writer, film critic and lawyer), Marianne Velmans, and Ellah P. Wakatama OBE.

Key Quotes from Leadership

Sir Ian Blatchford (President): “I am a true believer in the power of great writing, so I am honoured to be able to play a part in the life of this extraordinary benevolent fund, created more than two centuries ago by writers, for writers. Never has the work of the RLF felt more important as the publishing industry continues to grapple with the ongoing market changes.”

Edward Kemp (CEO): The organization can offer support “potentially for three years, to help writers get back on track.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

  1. Telephone Discussion: You will be invited to discuss your application and circumstances with a staff member
  2. Committee Assessment: The committee first assesses literary merit, then considers the grant award

Eligibility Requirements

Citizenship/Residency: Must hold UK or Irish citizenship OR reside in the UK or Ireland

Published Works: Minimum of two works professionally published or produced in the UK or Ireland:

  • Books: 30,000+ words (full-length)
  • Poetry: 40+ pages, sole-authored
  • Short story/essay collections: Sole-authored only
  • Plays/scripts: Professionally produced/staged/broadcast

Professional Publishing Required: Works must have gone through professional editorial process with contracted payment (advances against royalties, royalties only, or single fee with no royalties).

Literary Merit: Committee defines this as “a benchmark of professional authorship”—demonstrating the writer is part of the literary community with serious intent. Committee considers:

  • Output (number of eligible works)
  • Reception (awards, shortlists, international sales)
  • Supporting literary activity (journalism, editing, optioned screen works)

Decision Timeline

The committee meets 11 times per year to consider applications. Decisions on literary merit and grant awards are made at the same meeting, with applicants informed of the result straightaway.

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not published. The RLF helps around 200 writers annually, but total application numbers are not disclosed publicly.

Reapplication Policy

If literary merit passed but grant declined: No further application may be made within 12 months

If literary merit refused following appeal: Case cannot be re-opened unless the applicant has produced a new eligible work since the appeal

During grant term: No further application can be made within the grant term unless in circumstances of extreme gravity

Application Success Factors

Key Success Factors

Literary Merit is Essential: Before any grant can be considered, the committee must first pass your work for literary merit. This assessment looks at:

  • Professional editorial process and contracted payment
  • Number and quality of eligible works
  • Reception (awards, shortlisting, international sales)
  • Supporting literary activity

Demonstrable Financial Need: All grants are means-tested. The whole household income is considered. You must demonstrate genuine financial distress—facing unexpected bills, reduced income, or inability to write due to circumstances beyond your control.

Professional Guidance Available: The Grants team guides applicants through the confidential process. Don't hesitate to seek their assistance—they're there to help you present your case effectively.

Supporting Documentation: Be prepared to provide complete details of income, expenditure, and copies of published work. Thoroughness in documentation strengthens your application.

Recent Grant Recipients

The RLF has supported writers including:

  • Joe Ward Munrow (2025): Inaugural Robert Holman Award recipient, playwright in North of England
  • Anna Ellory: Historical fiction writer
  • Jayne Joso: Literary fiction, poetry, plays, and children's books author
  • Margaret Busby: Author, broadcaster, and Britain's first Black female book publisher (1997 grant recipient, later became trustee)

Historical Distinguished Recipients

Over two centuries, the RLF has assisted renowned writers including Samuel Taylor Coleridge, James Joyce, D.H. Lawrence, Joseph Conrad, Ivy Compton-Burnett, and Mervyn Peake.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Self-published work only: Cannot rely solely on self-published works for eligibility
  • Incomplete financial disclosure: Household income must be fully disclosed
  • Insufficient professional publication: Need minimum two professionally published works with editorial process
  • Applying for project funding: Grants are for relieving distress, not completing literary works

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Literary merit comes first: Your published work must meet the committee's benchmark of professional authorship before any financial consideration—invest time in demonstrating your literary credentials and professional practice
  • This is hardship relief, not project funding: The RLF helps writers in genuine financial distress with living costs and unexpected expenses, not to fund writing projects or creative development
  • Means-testing is comprehensive: Be prepared for thorough financial disclosure including whole household income and expenditure—transparency is essential
  • Professional publishing is non-negotiable: You need at least two works that went through professional editorial process with contracted payment; self-published or hybrid-published works alone won't qualify
  • Build a strong literary profile: Committee considers not just number of publications but also reception (awards, shortlists, international sales) and supporting literary activity (journalism, editing, etc.)
  • Seek guidance early: The Grants team is available to guide you through the process—don't hesitate to contact them for assistance before applying
  • Plan for potential 12-month wait: If your application is declined, you cannot reapply for 12 months, so ensure your first application is as strong as possible

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