The Society of Authors
| Full name | The Society of Authors |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1884 |
| Members | More than 10,000 |
| Key people |
Philip Pullman, President David Donachie, Chair Nicola Solomon, Chief Executive |
| Office location | London, UK |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Website | www |
Philip Pullman, President
David Donachie, Chair
The Society of Authors (SoA) is a United Kingdom trade union for professional writers, illustrators and literary translators that was founded in 1884 to protect the rights and further the interests of authors. As of June 2017[update], it represents more than 10,000 members and associates.
The SoA vets members' contracts and advises on professional issues, as well as providing training, representing authors in collective negotiations with publishers to improve contract terms, lobbying on issues that affect authors such as copyright, UK arts funding and Public Lending Right.
The SoA administers a range of grants for writers in need (The Authors' Contingency Fund, The Francis Head Bequest and The P.D. James Memorial Fund) and to fund work in progress (The Authors’ Foundation and K Blundell Trust), awarding more than £250,000 to writers each year.
The SoA also administers prizes for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, translation and drama, including the Betty Trask Award, the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction and The Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award.
The SoA acts as the literary representative for the estates of a number of writers. This list includes George Bernard Shaw, Virginia Woolf, Philip Larkin, E. M. Forster, Rosamond Lehmann, Walter de la Mare, John Masefield and Compton Mackenzie.
Authors of all kinds are eligible to join, whether they are already established or at the beginning of their careers.
It has counted amongst its members and presidents numerous notable writers and poets including Tennyson (first president), George Bernard Shaw, John Galsworthy, John Edward Masefield, Thomas Hardy, H. G. Wells, J. M. Barrie and E. M. Forster.
...
Wikipedia