SoA Listening Session | Society of Authors in Scotland AGM

This year, we’re hosting a series of in-person and online Listening Sessions to understand the biggest issues affecting our members. As we journey through our current five-year strategy period, 2025-2030, we want to ensure that we continue to listen to members’ needs.

The format for our Member Listening Sessions will involve a small group meeting for members to share the biggest issues affecting them as an author. These meetings will be structured to foster open communication and understanding among members on topics relevant to the business of authorship.

This session will take place after the Society of Authors in Scotland AGM. You can either register to attend the AGM online or in person via the listing here.  You don’t have to attend the AGM in order to attend the Listening session. However, you are welcome to attend both but please do register separately.

Programme

• 6pm – Listening session starts | Tea & coffee will be available
• Discussion lead by SoA Chief Executive Anna Ganley, Chair of the Board, Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin and Board member Ian Giles (60 mins)
• 7pm – Event closes

About the Society of Authors’ in Scotland (SoAiS)

The SoAiS committee represents the Society of Authors in Scotland membership on all issues affecting them. This includes communicating with members, sharing plans and strategy with members, voicing the needs and concerns of members as their democratically elected representatives, taking part in internal Society of Authors reviews, and representing the membership to the Board at meetings of the UK Management Committee and subcommittees. This is how we contribute a Scottish perspective to the UK’s Society of Authors.

We work in collaboration with the Senior Policy Manager (Scotland) to represent our membership on policy issues affecting the Scottish membership. Current examples include: contributing to our work to regularly increase the Live Literature rates from Scottish Book Trust; feeding back on funding and freelancer rates to the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and Scottish Government; and planning our campaigning around funding for authors, illustrators and translators.

Members with a Scottish postcode are added to the group when they join the SoA. If you have not been added but would like to join this group, please contact us.

Can’t make this date? Here are our other forthcoming listening days:

SoA Members are invited to book a place to share their experiences at one of the sessions below:

Online:

• World Listening Day | Saturday 18 July, 14.30-16.00
• Online Listening Session | Monday 19 October, 18.00-19.30

In Person:

• Belfast Book Festival | Thursday 4 June, 14.30-16.00
• Authors North Conference | Saturday 19 September, 10.00-11.00
• In person Listening Session | Wednesday 7 October, 12.30-14.00

Hybrid:

• • Society of Authors in Scotland AGM | Thursday 16 April, 18.00-19.00

Need to know

Accessibility

For in person attendees:

• Leonardo Hotel has two entrances: Guild Street which is accessible via their -1 Level and 1^st Floor within Union Square Shopping Centre.
• The Glen Moray Room is situated on the ground floor and is suitable for wheelchair access.
• You can view the Leonardo Hotel’s full access information here: Accessibility Leonardo Hotel Aberdeen

For online attendees:

• Online attendees will have the option to turn on the live transcript, and to watch with subtitles.
• If you require BSL interpretation for this event, please email events@societyofauthors.org

Before the event

• For online attendees – Once registered, you will be sent a confirmation email with the Zoom link
• For in person attendees – Once registered, you will be sent a confirmation email of your booking.
• 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

• For online attendees – this event will take place on Zoom Meetings. You will be able to ask questions on screen or via the chat box.
• This event is 90 minutes

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

Book your place for this Listening Day via the Society of Authors in Scotland AGM event listing here.