The SoA fully supports its sister organisation the Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC) in its new #WhyWritersMatter campaign and encourages everyone to get involved.

The #WhyWritersMatter campaign is designed to remind us of the value and importance of writers, and the role they play in our lives. TWUC is asking all Canadians why they think writers matter in today's world and we would like to do the same with UK writers. The Authors’ Guild of America will be doing the same and we hope to hear voices worldwide affirming Why Writers Matter.

Writers, politicians and public figures are offering their own thoughts on #WhyWritersMatter:

Writers are the nearest we've got so far to inventing telepathy and time travel.

— Emma Donoghue, Author

The best writing holds us close and gives us courage. By changing a reader, it can change the world. In these times, when we are saturated with opinion rather than thought, and distraction rather than solace, the best writing is as essential as ever. 

— Anne Michaels, Toronto Poet Laureate

Use the hashtag #WhyWritersMatter on Twitter and Facebook, leave your comments below or email your reasons to us here or TWUC here.

The TWUC launched the campaign today (2 June) in conjunction with the inaugural Canadian Writers' Summit (June 15 – 19, 2016) in Toronto at which our Chief Executive Nicola Solomon will be speaking.  You can find out more about the campaign here.