The Society of Authors in Scotland (SoAiS) is deeply disappointed to hear of the closure of the Scottish Book Trust’s Ignite Fellowship. At a time when the livelihoods of authors and creators have been continually eroded by challenging external pressures, funding streams like the Ignite Programme have never been more important. The Fellowship’s loss also underlines the worrying trend of the clear decline of funding for arts and culture across Scotland. As well as the award to individual authors, the fellowship was important to a number of literary freelancers, through mentorship and selection panels.
The Scottish Trades Union Congress’ report Freelance and Forgotten, co-produced by the SoA in Scotland (SoAiS), shows the reality for workers in Scotland’s creative industries: 83% have seen their real earnings fall in recent years and only 6% describe their working conditions as good. The closure of programmes such as the Ignite Fellowship further reduces the already limited support available to authors.
With Parliament elections taking place in Scotland next year, the SoA in Scotland (SoAiS) is committed to being a clear, strong voice for authors, illustrators and literary translators, holding our politicians to account and working to improve working conditions and funding across the creative sector.
Authorship cannot return to being a profession for the privileged and famous. We must cultivate an environment which encourages and supports new authors and helps to sustain long-term creative careers.
Mary Paulson-Ellis, Chair of the SoAiS Committee, has said: “It has never been more challenging to be a creative in Scotland than it is now. As authors bear the brunt of diminishing standards and incomes, opportunities like the Ignite Fellowship become an essential lifeline to many outstanding writers. It is deeply disappointing to see this vital resource disappear.
The reality is that 83% of creative workers have seen their earnings fall in recent years, yet funding for arts and culture is shrinking. This creates a desperate environment where creative work, particularly writing, becomes unviable.
We must guard against a funding system which maintains infrastructure only at the expense of individual artists and other creative freelancers. There is no literature without authors; there is no art without artists.”
The Society of Authors is the UK’s largest trade union for writers, illustrators and literary translators. Join today to help create the supportive publishing industry we need.
You can read the full Freelance and Forgotten report here
