Help direct your union: join the SoA board

Photograph © Concept W / Adobe Stock
Picture of Martin Reed

Martin Reed

Martin was the SoA's Head of Communications from 2016 to 2024.
The 2023 Management Committee nominations are now open. Help us make sure the SoA board is representative of our diverse author community.

The Management Committee is responsible for the direction of the SoA and makes all major policy and strategy decisions.

With four seats available, this is your opportunity to represent members and influence the strategic direction of the Society of Authors over the next few years. We invite full SoA members to stand for election, or to encourage other members to step forward.

The deadline for nominations is Monday 17 July. If there are more nominations than places available there will be an election. Voting will open in mid-September and close on Wednesday 26 October, with newly elected board members taking their seats after the 2023 AGM in November.

An inclusive board for a diverse membership

The SoA’s Management Committee represents our entire membership, so its makeup should reflect the author community in all its diversity of language, genre, form, geography and background.

We actively encourage nominations from under-represented groups, including people of colour, those from ethnically diverse communities, and people who identify as working-class, disabled or LGBTQ+.

We also encourage nominations from members with business skills, or those who have some experience working to improve inclusivity across the industries in which SoA members work.

We will provide full induction training and resources to help you adapt to the new role. New Management Committee members will be paired with a more experienced members, acting as a mentor, to help familiarise them with Committee processes.

All meetings are run as ‘hybrid’ meetings, so you do not have to travel to London to participate. The role is voluntary, but we will cover out of pocket expenses.

About the 2023 Management Committee election

Four vacancies will become available after the 2023 AGM in November when Dorothy Koomson, Anne Rooney, Margaret Skea and Philip Womack complete their three-year terms. Retiring Committee members may also choose to stand for a second term of office.

Newly elected Management Committee members will join Joanne Harris (Chair), Harriet Evans, Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin, Charles Harris, Abie Longstaff, Juliet McKenna, Nicholas Rankin and Hugh Roberts.

If you have any queries, please contact Gwenan Davies: gdavies@societyofauthors.org.

29 October 2024

Juliet McKenna and Charles Harris re-elected to the Management Committee for second term alongside newcomers Helen Epega and Simon Michael

9 September 2024

Voting is underway for four available seats on the SoA board

3 June 2024

The 2024 Management Committee nominations are now open. Help us make sure the SoA board of directors is representative of our diverse author community.