Society of Women Writers & Journalists (SWWJ) is a British

learned society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an discipline (academia), academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and s ...

for professional women writers. The society's aims include the "encouragement of literary achievement, the upholding of professional standards, and social contact with fellow writers and others in the field". It was founded as the Society of Women Journalists in 1894 by

J. S. Wood Joseph Snell Wood (4 January 1853 – 20 December 1920), usually known as J. S. Wood, was a business man and journalist in London. For the last thirty years of his life he was the editor and publisher of '' The Gentlewoman'', a prominent illustrat ...

, the editor of ''

The Gentlewoman ''The Gentlewoman'' was a weekly illustrated paper for women founded in 1890 and published in London. For its first thirty-six years its full title was ''The Gentlewoman: An Illustrated Weekly Journal for Gentlewomen''.Nos. 1 to 1,853 dated bet ...

''. Original members included

Mary Frances Billington Mary Frances Billington (6 September 1862 – 27 August 1925) was an English journalist and writer, whose collected articles on women were published as ''Woman in India'' (1895), ''The Red Cross in War'' (1914) and ''The Roll-Call of Serving Wom ...

Lady Colin Campbell Georgia Arianna, Lady Colin Campbell (''née'' Ziadie, born 17 August 1949), also known as Lady C, is a British Jamaican author, socialite, and television personality who has published seven books about the British royal family. They include b ...

, Mrs. Frank Leslie,

Henrietta Stannard Henrietta Eliza Vaughan Stannard (née Palmer; 1856–1911) writing under the pseudonym of John Strange Winter, was a British novelist. She was founding president of the Writers' Club in 1892, and president of the Society of Women Journalists in ...

Charlotte O'Conor Eccles Charlotte O'Conor Eccles (1863–1911) was an Irish writer, translator and journalist, who spent her working life in London. ''Aliens of the West'' (1904) was said to be among "the best modern books of short stories on Ireland yet written."''The ...

, Marie Belloc, Madeline Greenwood,

Lady Violet Grevile The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inform ...

, and Mrs. Jack Johnson. Charlotte Humphry was the organisation's first president. The society adopted its current name in 1954. The society began publishing a thrice yearly house magazine, ''Woman Journalist'', in 1910. Its title was changed to ''Woman Writer'' in 2000. Men who are published writers can now join the society as associate members.

References

External links

Official siteSociety of Women Journalists 1894-1914
{{authority control 1894 establishments in the United Kingdom Learned societies of the United Kingdom Organizations for women writers