28 November 2017

The Management Committee has agreed that the fees paid to speakers at Society of Authors events should be increased.

Authors – both as part of the SoA and independently – have pushed hard for literary festivals to pay speakers a fair rate. Considering the vital role authors play in bringing attendees and income to such events, we believe it’s necessary for organisers to pay for that service.

I think it’s important for the SoA to set the right example to festivals and other event organizers: too many festivals still don’t pay chairs at all, in spite of the extensive research and reading they have to do, and panel members are rarely paid. In our case the fee increase isn’t large, but it’s a step in the right direction, and I hope festival organizers will do the same.

Joanne Harris

Staring from January 2018, SoA fees will rise to £200 for a principal speaker, £85 for a panellist and £100 for a chair. We will continue to push for fair payment at literary festivals and other events.