Thank you to all the SoA members who participated in the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM) – to the members who joined us online, to those who spoke, and to everyone who voted.
Our AGMs are an essential part of the SoA’s democratic process. They provide a space where views can be shared and debated and for the SoA membership to have a say in key decisions and future plans.
We hope that everyone who participated felt that the agenda was managed with fairness and clarity.
Results of voting
656 members voted, either by proxy before the meeting or live on the night. Voting was managed securely online by Mi-Voice.
We discussed and voted on 11 resolutions. The results of voting on Resolutions 1-11 were as follows:
Resolution 1: that the minutes of the meeting held on 16 November 2023 be approved.
For 594 (99.8%)
Against 1 (0.2%)
Abstain 61
CARRIED
Resolution 2: that the annual report and accounts for 2023 be approved.
For 598 (99.8%)
Against 1 (0.2%)
Abstain 58
CARRIED
Resolution 3: that the full-subscription members nominated by the Management Committee to become SoA Fellows be ratified.
For 600 (98.8%)
Against 7 (1.2%)
Abstain 50
CARRIED
Resolution 4: that Woodrow Phoenix is elected to the Committee of the P.D. James Memorial Fund.
For 565 (99.1%)
Against 5 (0.9%)
Abstain 90
CARRIED
Resolution 5: that the Bye-Laws of the SoA approved on 21 October 2014 are revised to provide that to be entitled to stand for election to the Management Committee, a member of the SoA must have been a full-subscription member for not less than six months prior to nomination, alternatively to have been both full-subscription member and an Associate Member of the SoA for a combined period of not less than six months prior to nomination.
For 596 (95.5%)
Against 28 (4.5%)
Abstain 35
CARRIED
Resolution 6: that section 8.2 of the Bye-Laws of the SoA approved on 21 October 2014 is revised to remove the following sentence:
‘The Management Committee may indicate its preferred candidates up to the number of vacancies by an indication on the ballot paper or other document circulated to Members as part of the election process.’
For 533 (92.4%)
Against 44 (7.6%)
Abstain 82
CARRIED
Resolution 7: that the Bye-Laws of the SoA approved on 21 October 2014 and updated in March 2017, and the Rules of the Management Committee are revised to provide that the current Chair of the Management Committee cannot nominate another full-subscription member of the SoA to stand for election to the Committee, and that all other current Management Committee members and current Chairs of any SoA Groups are entitled to nominate no more than one eligible full-subscription member of the SoA for election to the Management Committee and that they can in no other way express a preference for any candidate.
For 563 (96.2%)
Against 22 (3.8%)
Abstain 72
CARRIED
The amended version of resolution 8: that the Bye-Laws of the SoA approved on 21 October 2014 are revised to provide that the Management Committee shall call a general meeting if the SoA has received requests that it do so from 1.25% of full-subscription members of the SoA, and that this should be calculated based on the number of full-subscription members at the end of the previous calendar year, to be published annually on the SoA website.
For 468 (72.1%)
Against 96 (14.8%)
Abstain 85
CARRIED
Resolution 9: that the Bye-Laws of the SoA approved on 21 October 2014 are revised to provide that only members of the SoA who have been full-subscription members for not less than four months by the date of the vote are entitled to vote on a resolution which is to be considered by the members of the SoA.
For 540 (88.1%)
Against 73 (11.9%)
Abstain 43
CARRIED
Resolution 10: that the SoA will undertake a comprehensive review of its constitutional arrangements in consultation with SoA Groups, to be led by the SoA’s Legal Counsel and a working group of the Management Committee, who will report their findings and make recommendations to the Management Committee. The recommendations which are accepted by the Management Committee will then be voted on at a future AGM.
For 586 (97.2%)
Against 17 (2.8%)
Abstain 54
CARRIED
Resolution 11: calls on the SoA to:
i. affirm that writers, illustrators, translators and literary organisations should be free to critique institutions and bring attention to issues through overtly political art without fear of censorship or losing their public funding
ii. lobby the government to deliver a meaningful review of the Arts Council including in respect of its independence from political interference from government including its appointment and decision-making processes.
iii. lobby the government and the Arts Council to work with trade unions to produce guidance which affirms freedom of expression for writers, illustrators and translators, and makes clear that at
For 555 (90.8%)
Against 56 (9.2%)
Abstain 44
CARRIED
The SoA’s board of directors and staff team will implement these results and keep members updated.
End of year film
If you didn’t attend the AGM virtually, you can catch up with our end of year film here:
