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Society of Authors

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Not to be confused with Authors' Club.

Society of Authors
The Society of Authors
Founded1884; 141 years ago (1884)
HeadquartersLondon, UK
Location
Members11,905 (2022)[1]
Key people
Vanessa Fox O'Loughlin, Chair[2]
Nicola Solomon, Chief Executive
AffiliationsEuropean Writers' Council
Websitewww2.societyofauthors.org

The Society of Authors (SoA) is a United Kingdom trade union for professional writers, illustrators and literary translators, founded in 1884[3] to protect the rights and further the interests of authors. Membership of the society is open to "anyone who creates work for publication, broadcast or performance" and the society both gives individual advice and 'voices concerns' about 'authors’ rights, the publishing and creative industries and wider cultural matters.'[4] In 2024 membership stood at 12,500.[5]

The SoA has counted among its members and presidents numerous notable writers and poets, including Tennyson (first president), George Bernard Shaw, John Galsworthy, Alasdair Gray,[6] John Edward Masefield, Thomas Hardy, H. G. Wells, J. M. Barrie and E. M. Forster.[7] Contemporary members include Malorie Blackman, Neil Gaiman, Philip Gross, and Lemn Sissay.[8]

The SoA is a member of the European Writers' Council.[9]

History

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The SoA was established in 1884 to advise individual members and lobby for the interests of authors at a time when copyright law and the idea of 'literary property' were becoming established.[10] There were a number of previous attempts by authors to band together but shared interests were not enough to keep the harmony until, in September 1883, the novelist Walter Besant set up a working party with 12 fellow members of the Savile Club. On 18 February 1884 the first General Meeting of The Incorporated Society of Authors took place. A Management Committee was elected with Walter Besant as Chair[11][12]. A Council of 18 members was also appointed and Alfred Lord Tennyson became the first President.[13]

Bernard Shaw was an early member who took a prominent part in action and discussions, founding the League of Dramatists in 1931 as part of the SoA. The Authors' Licensing and Collection Society (ALCS) was also formed after much action by the SoA. [14]

Frequent publications on authors’ issues were replaced in 1890 by a quarterly journal, The Author.[15] Walter Besant was the first editor. He was succeeded by author C. R. Hewitt (writing as "C. H. Rolph"), the theatre critic, biographer and newspaper editor Richard Findlater and novelist Andrew Taylor.

In 1958 the Translators Association (TA) was established as a specialist group within the Society of Authors.[16]

Management, structure and membership

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Over time the SOA became an affiliated Trade Union and a company on the special register body.[17] The original structure established by Besant[10] of an elected Management Committee overlooked by an appointed Council and President endured until 2012 when the Society undertook a constitutional review. [17] Following this, the society decided that the Council should serve a nominal role with powers only to elect the President, for the Management Committee to continue to be elected by members, and for the general secretary to become the chief executive.[18]These arrangements lasted until 2022 when the society decided to make the position of president 'honorary' and allow it a three year term only.[19]. The presidency was vacant in 2025 following events in 2022 (below). At the same time the council was renamed 'Fellows'. [19]

Historically, membership was open only to those with published books[7]. From 2019 full membership was extended to those who had sold a specified number of print copies or ebooks if self-published, or met other criteria. Associate membership is offered to students and to "emerging authors" and students.[20]

Recent controversies

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Novelist Joanne Harris was Chair of the Society of Authors from 2020-24[21]. She had a strong social media presence which she used to assist in SOA campaigns. [22] [23] This became controversial in August 2021 when Harris made social media criticisms of Sir Philip Pullman, then President of the SOA.[24] The society supported Harris' position [25][26], a stance which attracted controversy and comment [27][28].Subsequently, [29] Pullman resigned his presidency, stating that he 'would not be free to speak his mind' if he remained. [30] [31]. The office of presidency was adjusted and remains vacant (above).   

Literary estates

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The society administers the literary estates of 58 authors (as of 2024), and the income from this supports its work. These authors include George Bernard Shaw, Virginia Woolf, Philip Larkin and Rosamond Lehmann.[32]

Legacy

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In 1969 the British Library acquired the archive of the Society of Authors from 1879 to 1968 consisting of six hundred and ninety volumes.[33] The British Library acquired a further two hundred and fifty-eight volumes in 1982 and 1984.[34]

Awards and prizes

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Prizes for fiction, poetry, and non-fiction administered by the SoA include:[35]

The organisation also administers a number of literary translation prizes,[37][38] including:

It has previously administered the following prizes:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Annual Return for a Trade Union" (PDF). publishing.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  2. ^ Bayley, Sian (23 January 2024). "Fox O'Loughlin elected new SoA chair, succeeding Harris". The Bookseller. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  3. ^ "The Society of Authors overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  4. ^ Website, SOA. "Where we stand – The Society of Authors". Society of Authors. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  5. ^ "About the SoA – The Society of Authors". Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  6. ^ "Gray, Alasdair, 1934–2019 | Art UK".
  7. ^ a b "Society of Authors - history". Archived from the original on 11 November 2007. Retrieved 4 November 2007.
  8. ^ "Join the SoA – The Society of Authors". Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Our Members". EWC - European Writers Council. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Project Overview · The History of the Society of Authors, 1884–1914". historysoa.com. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  11. ^ Coustillas, Pierre, ed. (1978). London and the Life of Literature in Late Victorian England: The Diary of George Gissing, Novelist. Brighton: Harvester Press. p. 569. ISBN 0-85527-749-1.
  12. ^ Owen, William Benjamin (1912). "Besant, Walter" . Dictionary of National Biography (2nd supplement). Vol. 1. pp. 152–157.
  13. ^ "History – The Society of Authors". Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  14. ^ "Our history". ALCS. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  15. ^ The History of the Society of Authors. "The Author · The History of the Society of Authors, 1884–1914". historysoa.com. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  16. ^ Anderson, Porter (4 October 2023). "UK's Society of Authors' CEO Nicola Solomon is Retiring". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  17. ^ a b Society of Authors. "Governance – The Society of Authors". Society of Authors. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
  18. ^ Society of Authors, Constitutional Review (August 2012). "REPORT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL TASK FORCE". Society of Authors.
  19. ^ a b "Governance". The Society of Authors. 8 May 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Am I eligible?". The Society of Authors. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Joanne Harris - The Society of Authors". 16 January 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  22. ^ Harris, Joanne (7 December 2022). "Horribly low pay is pushing out my fellow authors – and yes, that really does matter". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  23. ^ Jessop, Vicky (18 March 2022). "Londoner's Diary: Book world can help Ukrainian voices, says Joanne Harris". Evening Standard.
  24. ^ Harris, Joanne (9 August 2021). "Joanne Harris twitter". x/Twitter. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  25. ^ "News | The Society of Authors". societyofauthors.org. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  26. ^ Knight, Lucy (11 August 2021). "Society of Authors distances itself from Philip Pullman's tweets". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  27. ^ Sanderson, David (7 January 2024). "War of words between authors Joanne Harris and Kate Clanchy is investigated". Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  28. ^ Owolade, Tomiwa (12 September 2021). "The problem with white saviours". UnHerd. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  29. ^ "News | The Society of Authors". societyofauthors.org. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  30. ^ "Ex-Society of Authors president Pullman calls for external review of organisation". The Bookseller. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  31. ^ Shaffi, Sarah (25 March 2022). "'I would not be free to express my opinion': Philip Pullman steps down as Society of Authors president". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  32. ^ "Literary estates". The Society of Authors. 2 May 2020. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
  33. ^ Society of Authors Papers, archives and manuscripts catalogue, the British Library. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  34. ^ Correspondence and papers of the Society of Authors and League of Dramatists, archives and manuscripts catalogue, the British Library. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  35. ^ "Society of Authors -Prizes for fiction and non-fiction". Archived from the original on 7 June 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2008.
  36. ^ "The ADCI Literary Prize". societyofauthors.org. The Society of Authors. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  37. ^ a b "European literature in English translation : recent prizewinners". Languages across Borders. Cambridge University Libraries: European Collections. 24 July 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  38. ^ Anderson, Porter (9 February 2023). "The Society of Authors: 2023 Translation Prize Winners". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  39. ^ "Bernard Shaw Prize 2023 shortlist announced". SELTA. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  40. ^ "Sarah Death wins the Bernard Shaw Prize for translation for the third time". ALCS. 11 February 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  41. ^ "The Risa Domb/Porjes Prize". Jewish Literary Foundation. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
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