Additionally, Honorary Fellows are chosen from those who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of literature, including publishers, agents, librarians, booksellers or producers.

From the beginning of the 21st century, Presidents have served four year terms and the RSL has employed a professional director to oversee its membership and outreach programmes.

While the President reads a citation for each, they are invited to sign their names in the roll book which dates back to 1820, Additionally, Honorary Fellows are chosen from those who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of literature, including publishers, agents, librarians, booksellers or producers, or who have rendered special service to the RSL.

[5] Past fellows include Samuel Taylor Coleridge, J. R. R. Tolkien, W. B. Yeats, Rudyard Kipling, Thomas Hardy, George Bernard Shaw, Arthur Koestler, Chinua Achebe, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Robert Ardrey, Sybille Bedford, Muriel Spark, P. J. Kavanagh, Hilary Mantel, and Sir Roger Scruton.

Present Fellows include Margaret Atwood, Bernardine Evaristo, David Hare, Kazuo Ishiguro, Andrew Motion, Paul Muldoon, Zadie Smith, Nadeem Aslam, Sarah Waters,J.

[16] From 2023, the RSL began to be criticized over the new diversity of fellowship[17] and for not taking a strong enough stance about the stabbing of Salman Rushdie and the cancellation of Kate Clanchy.

[24][25] In January 2025, Director Molly Rosenberg and Chair Daljit Nagra stepped down from their positions,[15][26] and, following an annual general meeting, it was announced that the RSL would be implementing a governance review under the new leadership of Ruth Scurr.

The Council of the Royal Society of Literature is central to the election of new fellows, and directs the RSL's activities through its monthly meetings.