Royal Literary Fund

The Royal Literary Fund (RLF), a UK charity founded in 1790 by Reverend David Williams to aid destitute writers, embodies a enduring mission to relieve financial hardship among professional authors and playwrights while advancing literary excellence and public writing skills. Rooted in values of dignity, inclusivity, and professional solidarity—sustained by bequests from estates like A.A. Milne's—RLF provides discreet, means-tested support without stigma, fostering cultural dividends through enabled creativity and education.

It prioritises grants for living costs, emergencies, and distress caused by debt, illness, or income loss, targeting published novelists, poets, playwrights, translators, and children's writers with proven literary merit. Beyond grants, RLF runs education programmes including Fellowships placing writers in over 100 UK universities to enhance student writing skills, plus community workshops, Bridge school interventions, and Writing for Life groups in workplaces and localities, benefiting wider publics.

Eligible applicants are individual professional UK-based writers (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland) and dependents; organisations, unpublished amateurs, or those without substantial achievement are excluded. No income thresholds apply, but means-testing is rigorous.

Grants typically range £2,000–£5,000, tailored to need. Unsolicited applications are accepted rolling via online form or by contacting the Grants team, requiring proof of publications, finances, and circumstances; first-time processing takes up to 2 months, with the Committee meeting ~monthly (11x/year, skipping August). RLF stands out for its 230-year legacy, high-trust model, and dual poverty relief-education focus, uniquely championing literary professionals.