Contingency Fund open for repeat applications
Individuals supported by the Fund in 2020 can now reapply, as we take stock of how the SoA can continue to support authors through the health crisis in 2021.
‘Writer and translator in powerful harmony’ – Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri wins John Florio Prize for translation
Author takes the 2020 John Florio Prize for her ‘exceptional’ and ‘agile’ translation from Italian of Trick by Domenico Starnone, in the Society of Authors’ annual Translation Prizes. Editor Saba Ahmed wins the TA First Translation Prize for the second year running.
SoA and AoI call on Government to end Brexit uncertainty for creators
The SoA has joined with the Association of Illustrators to submit written evidence to the House of Lords’ EU Sub-Committee inquiry into the future of UK-EU trade in services. In it, they call on Government to act urgently to end the uncertainty faced by creative practitioners as a result of Brexit and, ‘to ensure that the UK can be the best place in the world to be a creator.’
Shortlists for the 2021 Imison and Tinniswood Awards
The eight shortlisted writers include ‘Holby City’ writer Becky Prestwich, award-winning actor, writer and director Fraser Ayres, MA screenwriting graduate Isaac Fisher & more – part of the BBC Audio Drama Awards.
#FreewordsBelarus #StandWithBelarus #Justice4Belarus
The Society of Authors backs call from the European Writers Council (of which we are members) and the European Council of Literary Translators’ Associations to the Ministers of Culture from European countries to take urgent steps required to end the violence and repression against writers, translators, and the independent cultural scene in Belarus
We got it wrong
We have taken the difficult decision to postpone next week’s TA @ Home Festival.
Four members join SoA’s Children’s Writers and Illustrators committee
Ian Billings, A M Dassu, Chitra Soundar and Isabel Thomas will represent children’s fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, audio drama, educational books and more on the Group’s committee.
SoA, Guild and ALLI Statement on Audible and ACX Updated Terms
Since October 2020, when a technical glitch revealed irregularities in accounting for ACX authors at Audible, the Authors Guild, the Society of Authors, and the Alliance of Independent Authors, with the support of a group of independently published authors, have been engaged in a collaborative campaign to improve authors terms and conditions on the platform.
Winner of 2020 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation
The 2020 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation is awarded to Kay Heikkinen for her translation of the novel Velvet by Huzama Habayeb, published by Hoopoe Fiction.
Update on Government Covid-19 support schemes
The third round of support under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is still open. Members must apply before Friday 29 January 2021.
The SoA View on the Brexit deal
While the deal offers a starting point, too much is unclear and the end of Freedom of Movement will create a complex and costly challenge for creative freelancers.
2020 – the year we did not ask for
A bitter-sweet short walk through 2020 – with Philip Pullman, Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Inua Ellams, Daljit Nagra, Tracy Chevalier, Dapo Adeola, Hannah Berry and more.