The Society of Authors’ Awards and Summer Party 2025

Join us on Wednesday 18 June for the 2025 Society of Authors’ Awards and Summer Party as we celebrate this year’s winners, with support from the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS).

This year’s awards are a showcase of the written word across all genres and formats, celebrating novels, non-fiction, children’s books, short stories and poetry. The winners will share a prize pot of over £140,000.

• • Read the judges announcement here
  • Read the keynote announcement here
  • Read the shortlist announcement here

The winners will be announced on 18 June 2025 at an in-person ceremony at Southwark Cathedral, which will also be livestreamed. Sign up here if you prefer to join us online.

The ADCI Literary Prize | The ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award | The Betty Trask Prize
The Cholmondeley Awards | The Eric Gregory Awards | The McKitterick Prize
The Queen’s Knickers Award | The Somerset Maugham Awards
The Travelling Scholarships | The Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize

Programme

• 6.30pm | Drinks reception in the nave and courtyard

• 6.57pm | Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin introduces Helen Epega

• 6.57pm | Helen Epega opens with a song fromSong Queen: A Pidgin Opera

• 7pm | Short welcome from Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin 

• 7.03pm | Welcome from The Very Reverend Dr Mark Oakley (Video) 

• 7.05pm |  Keynote from Joseph Coelho

• 7.15pm | Ceremony hosted by Joseph Coelho and Helen Epega

• 7.20pm | Short reading from this year’s Betty Trask winner (in person)

• 7.24pm | Closing words from Vanessa Fox-O’Loughlin 

• 7.25pm | Photocall with all speakers and winners

• 7.30pm – 9pm | Summer Party in the nave and courtyard

BSL Interpretation will be provided by Sumayya Si-Tayeb and live captioning from Natalie Bracken during the ceremony.

SoA Awards 2025 Fundraising Bookshop

You can donate to the Society of Authors Access Fund for authors by buying any of the shortlisted books from this year’s SoA Awards from Bookshop.org. A percentage of all sales will go to the Society of Authors Access Fund, giving authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats.

Thank you to the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) for supporting the SoA Awards Ceremony

The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) is a not-for-profit organisation started by writers for the benefit of all types of writers. Owned by its members, ALCS collects money due for secondary uses of writers’ work. It is designed to support authors and their creativity, ensure they receive fair payment and see their rights are respected. It promotes and teaches the principles of copyright and campaigns for a fair deal. It represents over 100,000 members, and since 1977 has paid around £500 million to writers (alcs.co.uk).

Accessibility

• We will be providing live BSL interpretation by Sumayya Si-Tayeb during the ceremony.

• There will be live captioning by Natalie Bracken.

• Quiet Room: The John Trevor Williams room at Southwark Cathedral has been reserved as a quiet space, which you are welcome to use it if you need to, between 7-9pm.

• Toilets: You can find one at the end of Lancelot’s Link on the ground floor and close to the Cathedral Shop. The toilets need a radar key which can be obtained from the stewards, welcomers, vergers or shop staff.

• Wheelchair Access: Step-free access is from the Millennium Courtyard off Montague Close. Access to the Cathedral is at the shop end of Lancelot’s Link, where there is a lift. Inside the Cathedral, the Nave is accessible for wheelchairs and there are temporary ramps into the South Transept and the Retrochoir. Access to the High Altar, Choir and Retrochoir is available via the Parish Door.

• Assistance Dogs: Assistance dogs are welcome in the Cathedral and other areas. Water can be made available for them.

• If any of your access requirements will not be met by the above, please reply to this email, or contact events@societyofauthors.org.

Feeling unwell?

We recommend the following:

• Staying home if you’re feeling unwell or have flu-like symptoms

• Washing your hands when coming in from the outdoors and / or before touching your face

• Applying alcohol hand sanitiser (we will have these on site)

• We advise attendees to wear a face mask if they feel comfortable doing so

Booking

Please book your tickets via the registration forms below. Bookings will close Tuesday 17 June, 12pm

Please read our event booking Terms and Conditions https://www2.societyofauthors.org/legal-privacy/event-terms/.

SoA Members – £25 

Non-Members – £30 

*We can only issue refunds up to 7 days prior to the event date, any after that will be invalid.*