Lunchtime learning – Why you should stand for the Board

Join this panel discussion to hear from current board members and learn more about why you should stand for election this year.

The 2026 Board nominations are now open. This is your chance to influence the strategic direction of your union.

With four seats available, this is your opportunity to add to the diversity of perspectives and influence the strategic direction of the Society of Authors over the next few years.

Election to the Board is not based on literary merit. We welcome full members from all career stages, backgrounds and from all four UK nations to consider standing. We aspire to a range of perspectives and experience among our board of directors that reflects the diversity of our broad membership, so if you do not see yourself or your views already represented, please consider standing.

We actively encourage nominations from under-represented groups, including people of colour, those from diverse communities, people who identify as working-class, disabled or LGBTQ+. We invite you to stand, whatever your literary background or specialism, but this year we are particularly looking for nominations from members with skills currently under-represented on the board, which include finance, fundraising, governance or public relations.

If you want to find out more about standing for the board or how you can encourage fellow members to stand, do join us for this panel discussion event.

This event is presented by the SoA’s Board.

Not a member, sign up here with our special #SoAatHome offer and get 20 per cent off for the first year of membership – use code SOAATHOME20.

Programme

• Welcome, introductions and housekeeping from Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin (2 mins)
• Discussion chaired by Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin with Anna Ganley, Juliet McKenna, Ian Giles, Helen Epega and Polly Atkin (20 mins)
• Q&A with audience (20 mins)
• Summary and closing comments (3 mins)
• This event will be moderated by Elsa Robert – Executive Administrator, SoA

Who is this session for?

This session is aimed at all members of the Society of Authors.

What will this session cover?

• Why should full members stand for the SoA’s board?
• Why should full members vote in the annual elections?
• How can I stand?
• How do I meet other members?

Send us your questions

If you would like to send questions in advance, email ERobert@societyofauthors.org with ‘Why you should stand for the Board’ 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

Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin

Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin is the founder of the multi-award-winning writing resources website Writing.ie, The Inkwell Group publishing consultancy and the Murder One International Crime Writing Festival. She is Ireland’s leading literary scout.

Vanessa conceived and developed the National Emerging Writer Programme for Dublin City of Literature and was the lead consultant and presenter for Writers Web TV. Vanessa is the Chair of Irish PEN and writes crime as bestselling author Sam Blake. She is represented by Simon Trewin.

Instagram: @samblakebooks | X: @samblakebooks | Website: https://www.samblakebooks.com

Anna Ganley

Anna Ganley is Chief Executive of the Society of Authors – the UK’s largest trade union for writers, illustrators and literary translators at all stages of their careers. We have been advising individuals and speaking out for the profession for more than a century www.societyofauthors.org.

Anna is also Chair of the Creators’ Rights Alliance – a coalition that exists to promote, protect and further the interests of creators through policy, advocacy and campaigning work. Anna sits on the board of the International Authors Forum and the London Book Fair Advisory Board.

Born in Sunderland, Anna grew up on the north-east coast. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Durham and her MA in Management from Durham Business School.

LinkedIn: Anna Ganley | Email: AGanley@societyofauthors.org  

Juliet McKenna

Juliet McKenna is a Sci-Fi and Fantasy author and also writes historical crime fiction under the pseudonym JM Alvey. Juliet has been a long-term member of the SoA, having joined in 1997 after she was offered her first publishing contract.

Juliet originally worked as a bookseller in 1994 for Ottakar’s, which gave her insight into the background of the book trade and would subsequently lead to her adapting her approach to writing. She has since published 21 novels, through both mass-market and independent publishers, as well as several novellas and short stories which have been featured in magazines and anthologies.

Juliet was part of a who formed the EU VAT Action Campaign, lobbying the UK government, European Commission and the European parliament to ensure that authors reliant on e-book sales would not lose income following the new VAT regulations on digital sales, introduced in 2014.

Ian Giles

Ian Giles is a literary translator specialising in Scandinavian languages based in Edinburgh. He has translated more than 35 books across a wide range of genres and is Chair of the Translators Association. His work in translation has given him direct insight into the challenges of authorship in an evolving industry. Ian has experience of leading small membership organisations and brings a focus on practical skills development for authors, including rights negotiation, income diversification, and working responsibly with technology. Ian has been active in promoting professional recognition for translators and authors alike and has ‘championed translators individually and collectively in the face of these same challenges’.

Helen Epega

Helen Epega is a writer, librettist and composer, best known for creating Song Queen: A Pidgin Opera, the world’s first opera in Pidgin English. Creating works as The Venus Bushfires, she blends lyrical storytelling with African percussion and classical forms to explore identity, cultural memory and accessibility. This year, she wrote Of Earth and Quill, a one-woman opera debuting at Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival. Her work has toured internationally and been featured by BBC, CNN, The Guardian and VICE Magazine. Helen is Chair of the Risk Committee and is committed to expanding the reach of inclusive, cross-cultural storytelling.

Polly Atkin

Polly Atkin is a poet, nonfiction writer, editor, and bookseller based in Cumbria. Her writing includes biography, memoirs, and nature writing, and she has been active in the literary and academic worlds for more than two decades. She co-owns a long-established independent bookshop and has organised and hosted arts events across the UK. Polly has taught literature and creative writing in schools and universities and has been an active member of the Society of Authors ADCI group for Disabled and Chronically Ill Authors since it was founded in 2020. She is particularly engaged with issues of accessibility and equity in the arts and has been a consistent advocate for disabled, deaf, and neurodivergent writers.

About the Society of Authors’ Board

The Board is responsible for the direction of the SoA and makes all major policy and strategy decisions.

The broader Management Committee is made up of up to 12 democratically elected full members who are unpaid volunteers. Voting members are directly elected by the Membership and each serve a term of three years. Read more about Management Committee elections.

Chairs of SoA groups whose membership makes up more than 5% of the total membership also sit on the Board but do not have a vote.

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 Meetings; you will have the option to turn your camera on or off; you will be muted on arrival.
• This event will be recorded, and you may be on screen
• This event is 45 minutes

After the event

• Hashtag for this event: #SoAatHome
• SoA Members and paid attendees of this event will be able to catch the recording on our Vimeo channel (password protected) or members can access via the SoA website.

Booking

SoA Members: Please use the ‘Register – SoA Members’ form below and provide your details, including your membership number. If you’re unsure of your SoA ID, please email info@societyofauthors.org.

Non-members: Choose one of the two ticket options below, complete the registration form, then fill out the billing info to finalise your payment.

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

SoA Members – Free

Non-Members – £15