# Royal Literary Fund

Royal Literary Fund is an Endowment / Foundation based in London, United Kingdom.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** London, United Kingdom
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** 3 Johnson's Court, London, EC4A 3EA, United Kingdom
- **Founded:** 1790
- **Assets under management:** 219 (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** rlf.org.uk
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/royalliteraryfund

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Royal Literary Fund was founded in 1790 by Reverend David Williams to supply financial assistance to writers. Its headquarters remain at 3 Johnson's Court in London. The organization maintains its own archives at the British Library and holds literary estates that generate royalties. Capital supports grants to individual authors alongside a fellowship scheme that stations writers at universities. Confirmed partners include the Royal Society of Literature for annual grant collaboration and the British Library for public events and archive hosting. Geographic activity centers on the United Kingdom with fellowships placed at institutions nationwide. The fund also records exposure to buyout, venture, secondaries, and special situations strategies. The endowment stands at an estimated $219 million. Edward Kemp serves as Chief Executive Officer. Queen Camilla was named Royal Patron in 2024. The organization holds validated status with CAF International and operates from a single London location. Governance rests with named trustees who also serve as Treasurer and Registrar. This board structure separates grant decisions from any external fund commitments and keeps oversight inside the original literary mandate established in 1790.

## Sectors

- Philanthropy

## People

- Sir Ian Blatchford — President
- Queen Camilla — Royal Patron
- Edward Kemp — Chief Executive Officer
- Paula Hawkins — Trustee and Treasurer
- Michael Symmons Roberts — Trustee and Registrar

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Royal Literary Fund?

Sir Ian Blatchford serves as President. Edward Kemp acts as Chief Executive Officer. Trustees Paula Hawkins and Michael Symmons Roberts oversee operations alongside the board.

### How does Royal Literary Fund source proprietary deal flow?

The fund receives applications directly from published writers. It also maintains partnerships with universities for fellowship placements and collaborates with the Royal Society of Literature on grants.

### Does Royal Literary Fund participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

Activity includes both direct grants to writers and positions in buyout, venture, secondaries, and special situations strategies.

### How is Royal Literary Fund related to the British Library?

The British Library hosts the Royal Literary Fund archives covering 1790-1939 and serves as a partner for public events.

### What investment stages does Royal Literary Fund typically target?

The fund records activity across early stage seed and start-up, expansion and late stage, growth, mezzanine, and secondaries.

## Related profiles

- [California Institute of the Arts (CIA)](https://altss.com/profile/california-institute-of-the-arts-cia)
- [University College London](https://altss.com/profile/university-college-london-ucl)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/royal-literary-fund

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology