Professional Development – Conflict to conversation
3 March 2026 @ 10:00 - 11:30 GMT
Discover how Verbal Aikido can transform the way you navigate challenging conversations in this interactive 90-minute session hosted by founder of Verbal Aikido®, Luke Archer with author and SoA Board member, Charles Harris.
Learn to respond – not react – with clarity, calm, and confidence. Through practical tools and live demonstrations, you’ll explore how to protect your creative energy while fostering respectful, sustainable dialogue in both professional and personal settings.
#SoAatHome Professional Development events – free for SoA Members
As of Feb 2025, all #SoAatHome Professional Development sessions will continue to be free for members. However, for non-members, the price is £35 including VAT.
Not a member? sign up here with our special #SoAatHome offer and get 20% off for the first year – use code SOAATHOME20.
Programme
- Welcome, introductions and housekeeping from Charles Harris, SoA (3 mins)
- Presentation by Luke Archer (60 mins)
- Comfort Break (5 mins)
- Q&A with audience (20 mins)
- Summary and closing comments (2 mins)
- This event will be moderated by Lilly Brend-Fish – Events & Engagement Manager, SoA
What will this session cover?
- Understanding the core principles of Verbal Aikido
- Identifying emotional triggers and choosing intentional responses
- Practicing techniques to de-escalate tension and protect your creative space
- Exploring the legitimacy of emotions and how to stay centred
- Live demonstration and real-world application
Who is this session for?
Authors, creatives, and professionals who want to handle difficult conversations with more ease, confidence, and emotional clarity.
Send us your questions
If you would like to send questions in advance, email Lilly Brend-Fish on LBrendfish@societyofauthors.org with ‘Conflict to conversation’ in the subject header. We will prioritise questions sent in advance and answer as many as we can from the audience on the day.
#SoAatHome Fundraising Bookshop
Browse our virtual Bookshop.org store featuring books by authors and speakers taking part in the #SoAatHome. When you make a purchase using our affiliate links, a percentage will go to the Society of Authors’ Access Fund, giving authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats.
The Line-up
Luke Archer
Luke Archer is the founder and author of Verbal Aikido®. He is head trainer and president at Verbal Aikido training institute and VA4Kids, with over a decade of experience helping individuals and teams manage conflict through mindful communication. His approach blends emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and practical technique to empower people to engage with empathy and assertiveness.
Website: www.verbalaikido.org | LinkedIn: lukearcher1 | Instagram: @luke.archer_author
Charles Harris
Charles Harris is an award-nominated author and prize-winning film-maker. His third novel, the comedy crime ‘Play Me!’ was published in October by Blue Coast Publishing. A sixth Dan in Aikido and trained in hypnotherapy and NLP, he has decades of experience in verbal as well as physical conflict management.
Website: https://charles-harris.co.uk/ | X: @chasharris
Need to know
Accessibility
- Attendees will have the option to turn on the live transcript, to watch with subtitles
- If you require BSL interpretation for this event, please email events@societyofauthors.org
Before the event
- Once registered, you will be sent a confirmation email with the Zoom link
- If the confirmation email doesn’t arrive in your inbox, please check your junk/spam email folder
- Please add events@societyofauthors.org to your Safe Senders list so you receive our confirmation and reminder emails
During the event
- This online event will take place on Zoom Webinar; you will not be visible on screen but will be able to ask questions via the Q&A function or interact via the chat box
- This event will be recorded but you won’t be on screen
- Attendees have the option to turn on the live transcript
- This event is 90 minutes
After the event
- The hashtag for this event: #SoAatHome
- SoA Members and paid attendees of this event will be able to catch the recording on our Vimeo channel (password protected) or members can access via the SoA website.
Booking
SoA Members: Please use the ‘Register – SoA Members’ form below and provide your details, including your membership number. If you’re unsure of your SoA ID, please email info@societyofauthors.org.
Non-members: Choose one of the two ticket options below, complete the registration form, then fill out the billing info to finalise your payment.
For event or registration questions, email events@societyofauthors.org.
SoA Members – Free
Non-Members – £35
Accordion Content
Access 20% off your first year of membership of the SoA with discount code SOAATHOME20
The Society of Authors is the UK’s biggest trade union for authors – representing more than 12,000 writers, illustrators, translators and other creative practitioners.
Our subscription rate is just £137 per year (£97 concessionary) which equates to just under £12 per month (or £8 per month concessionary).
As an SoA member, you’ll get:
- Access to all our #SoAatHome events for free including the Professional Development sessions usually charged at £35 from Feb 2025
- Access to all our Feel Good Friday and Industry Insider events which are usually charged £5 from Feb 2025
- Access all #SoAatHome Vimeo professional development recordings so you can catch up in your own time
- Access Unlimited one-to-one professional advice
- Membership of our online and real-world professional networks and special interest groups
- A range of member-only discounts, including books, insurance and travel
- And much more
‘It was a surprisingly lovely way to meet fellow writers in a friendly, warm surrounding perfectly hosted by the SoA staff. Thank you for all the introductions, the welcome and the nourishment!’ – attendee from SoA in Person: Autumn New Members’ Party 2024
JOIN NOW | PRICING
Accordion Content
Giving authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats
Every contribution helps us ensure that these needs and costs aren’t barriers to authors wishing to access events.
If you are in a position to help, please donate via the link below. If you are an author facing access issues, please click here to see if we can help.
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Register - SoA Member
Please use the booking form to register for this event.
Please email events@societyofauthors.org if you have any questions
