Funding Week | SoA Grants and Funding FAQs

The SoA gives away over half a million pounds in grants every year to authors. These are drawn from multiple charities and include grants for works in progress, funds to support authors in financial need, and support for authors attending events, retreats, and accessing archives across the country.

In this session Robyn Law, Head of Charities, and Rose Hensher, Grants and Prizes Administrator,   will discuss all the funding opportunities available from the SoA.

Find out more about our grants here.

The session is part of our 2026 Funding Week, a series of #SoAatHome events focusing on funding opportunities for writers in the UK. Funding Week runs from 18-19 May and the events on offer are:

• 18 May | SoA Grants and Funding FAQs
• 19 May | Professional Development – Sustainable work for writers: Finding roles that support your creative practice
• 19 May | Professional Development – Crowdfunding

You can watch the recordings from last year’s Funding Week events via our Resources Page here:

• Professional Development – Developing your creative practice funding
• Industry Insider – Funding opportunities in England, Scotland and Wales
• Industry Insider – Applying for funding for scripted work
• Professional Development – The nuts and bolts of funding applications
• Industry Insider – Grants and funding opportunities with the Society of Authors

Programme

• Welcome, introductions and housekeeping from Robyn Law – Head of Charities, SoA (3 mins)
• Presentation by Robyn Law and Rose Hensher – Grants and Prizes Administrator, SoA (30 mins)
• Q&A with audience (25 mins)
• Summary and closing comments (2 mins)
• This event will be moderated by Natalie Thorpe – Grants and Prizes Design Manager, SoA

What will this session cover?

This session will be led by members of the SoA Grants Department who will draw on their expertise administering the funds to go through the various eligibility criteria, application forms, frequently asked questions and information about how to apply. At the end, there will also be an opportunity for questions from attendees.

Who is this session for?

This session is aimed at authors at any stage of their career who want to learn more about the SoA grants, what they can provide funding for, and the different eligibility criteria for each fund.

Send us your questions

If you would like to send questions in advance, email grants@societyofauthors.org with ‘SoA Grants and Funding Event FAQs’ in the subject header. We will prioritise questions sent in advance and answer as many as we can from the audience on the day.

SoA Fundraising Bookshop

Browse our virtual Bookshop.org store featuring books by authors and speakers taking part in our events programme. 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

Robyn Law

Robyn joined the SoA in 2018. Along with the grants and prizes team, she administers prizes for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translation. She also oversees the contingency fund grants for authors in need, the Authors’ Foundation and K Blundell Trust grants for works in progress, and the Access Fund and Strachey Trust grants. She is also co-ordinator of the Carers Network.

Robyn was named a Rising Star by The Bookseller in 2019.

Rose Hensher

Rose joined the SoA in September 2025 and helps to manage all of the SoA’s grants, prizes, and awards.

Natalie Thorpe

Natalie joined the SoA in November 2022 and helps to manage all of the SoA’s grants, prizes and awards.

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 60 minutes 

After the event

• The hashtag for this event: #SoAatHome
• You’ll be able to catch the recording on our Vimeo channel

Booking

Book your place by using the registration below.

For event or registration questions, email events@societyofauthors.org.