42% real terms fall in UK author earnings since 2005, ALCS income survey shows
ALCS survey finds the average income of a professional author in 2017 was just £10,500.
APPGW launches inquiry on authors’ earnings
The All Party Parliamentary Group for Writers (APPWG) has launched an inquiry into authors’ earnings. The inquiry will seek to understand how authors’ earnings have changed over time and how they are affected by the current legislative landscape and developments in the industry.
Last chance to stand for the Management Committee
There isn’t much time left to submit nominations for the Management Committee elections – the deadline is 30 June. Members are eligible, but Associates are not.
‘Challenging, bold & ambitious’ – the 2018 Authors’ Awards Shortlists
The shortlists for the Betty Trask, McKitterick, Tom-Gallon and Somerset Maugham awards were announced by The Society of Authors today with Man Booker nominated Fiona Mozley, 2014 Tom-Gallon award winner Benjamin Myers, Eric Gregory award winning poet Miriam Nash, Irish writers Valerie O’Riordan and Chris Connolly and debut novelists Eli Goldstone, Omar Robert Hamilton, Masande Ntshanga and Sarah Day amongst the 22 shortlisted names.
PLR extended to e-lending
The Government has today committed to extending Public Lending Right (PLR) to all forms of e-lending.
Kamila Shamsie wins 2018 Women’s Prize for Fiction
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie has been named as the winner of the £30,000 Women’s Prize for Fiction at an awards ceremony in Bedford Square Gardens this evening.
SoA calls for tax relief extension for authors undertaking training
The Society of Authors has responded to a Government consultation on tax relief for training, calling for relief to be extended for authors and other self-employed workers who undertake training for new skills.
Volunteer to help shape the future of PLR
The British Library is looking for authors to volunteer to give feedback on the PLR website. The sessions will last for one hour and will take place on Wednesday 6 June and Thursday 12 July in London.
Scale of Gender Inequality in UK Screenwriting Exposed
A new report has exposed the scale of gender inequality in the UK screenwriting industry. The report reveals that just 16% of working film writers in the UK are female, and that only 14% of prime-time TV is written by women.
SoA welcomes international legal study on fair remuneration for audiovisual authors
A new international legal study has been published calling for legal reforms to help screenwriters and directors earn royalties for the use of their works.
Stephen Fry to present 2018 Authors’ Awards
Announcing our esteemed panel of award-winning judges for the SoA’s annual night of ‘riches’ – eight awards worth more than £98,000 in total.
Payouts to freelance writers in 17-year-old copyright suit
Thousands of freelance writers are due to receive a total of more than $9 million as compensation for copyright infringement by electronic database, newspaper, and magazine publishers, including Dow Jones, The New York Times, and Knight Ridder.