Renowned Sikh poet Daljit Nagra quits as RSL chair in row over censorship and literary standards – Times of India

TOI correspondent from London: The British Indian chairman of the Royal Society of Literature (RSL), renowned Sikh poet Daljit Nagra, and the society’s director, Molly Rosenberg, have resigned from the 205-year-old charity just days before the AGM when, according to UK media, they were likely to be ousted.
The society has been accused by former chairs, directors and presidents of failing to defend writers under attack, such as Salman Rushdie and Kate Clanchy, and diluting the literary excellence required to join the society by new “diversity drives” as well as of censorship.
The RSL referred itself to the Charity Commission last March in response to an open letter signed by prominent authors like Ian McEwan and Margaret Atwood, urging it to do so.
Authors expressed their disappointment in the RSL, whose patron is Queen Camilla, for not taking a public stand in support of Salman Rushdie when he was stabbed in 2022 and also accused it of censorship after an article critical of Israel was pulled from its annual magazine “Review” and the editor dismissed. On Feb 8 Rushdie wrote on X: “Just wondering if the Royal Society of Literature is ‘impartial’ about attempted murder? (Asking for a friend.)”
They were also against plans to make it easier to become a fellow, saying the prestige of the society was at risk.
Founded in 1820 by King George IV to “reward literary merit and excite literary talent”, the RSL, based at Somerset House, has about 700 fellows elected from among the best writers in any genre. They include Kazuo Ishiguro, Tom Stoppard and Rushdie.
A spokesperson for RSL told TOI that it denied that criteria for consideration as an RSL fellow had been diluted or that anyone had called for Nagra or Rosenberg’s departure. “No one submitted a vote of no confidence. Daljit Nagra did not resign, his term came to an end. The Review magazine was postponed because of a number of issues with the editorial choices of the freelance editor overseeing the issue.The RSL referred itself to the Charity Commission due to the negative news stories being circulated,” the spokesperson said.