The Society of Authors (SoA) is a United Kingdom

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

for professional writers, illustrators and literary translators, founded in 1884 to protect the rights and further the interests of

authors An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

. , it represents over 12,000 members and associates. The SoA vets members' contracts and advises on professional issues, as well as providing training, representing authors in collective negotiations with publishers to improve contract terms, lobbying on issues that affect authors such as copyright, UK arts funding and Public Lending Right. The SoA administers a range of

grants Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, C ...

for writers in need (The Authors' Contingency Fund, The Francis Head Bequest and The P.D. James Memorial Fund) and to fund work in progress (The Authors’ Foundation and K Blundell Trust), awarding more than £250,000 to writers each year. The SoA also administers prizes for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, translation and drama, including the

Betty Trask Award The Betty Trask Prize and Awards are for first novels written by authors under the age of 35, who reside in a current or former Commonwealth nation. Each year the awards total £20,000, with one author receiving a larger prize amount, called the ...

and the

Somerset Maugham Award The Somerset Maugham Award is a British literary prize given each year by the Society of Authors. Set up by William Somerset Maugham in 1947 the awards enable young writers to enrich their work by gaining experience in foreign countries. The awa ...

. The SoA acts as the literary representative for the estates of a number of writers. This list includes

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Woolf was born i ...

, Philip Larkin, E. M. Forster,

Rosamond Lehmann Rosamond Nina Lehmann (3 February 1901 – 12 March 1990) was an English novelist and translator. Her first novel, ''Dusty Answer'' (1927), was a ''succès de scandale''; she subsequently became established in the literary world and intimate ...

Walter de la Mare Walter John de la Mare (; 25 April 1873 – 22 June 1956) was an English poet, short story writer, and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem "The Listeners", and for a highly acclaimed selection of ...

John Masefield John Edward Masefield (; 1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate from 1930 until 1967. Among his best known works are the children's novels ''The Midnight Folk'' and ''The Box of Delights'', and the poem ...

and Compton Mackenzie. Authors of all kinds are eligible to join, whether they are already established or at the beginning of their careers.

History

The SoA has counted among its members and presidents numerous notable writers and

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

s, including Tennyson (first president),

John Galsworthy John Galsworthy (; 14 August 1867 – 31 January 1933) was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include ''The Forsyte Saga'' (1906–1921) and its sequels, ''A Modern Comedy'' and ''End of the Chapter''. He won the Nobel Prize i ...

, Alasdair Gray,

John Edward Masefield John Edward Masefield (; 1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) was an English poet and writer, and Poet Laureate from 1930 until 1967. Among his best known works are the children's novels ''The Midnight Folk'' and ''The Box of Delights'', and the poem ...

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry of William Word ...

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

J. M. Barrie and E. M. Forster. Bernard Shaw was an early member who took a prominent part in action and discussions, founding the

League of Dramatists The League of Dramatists in the United Kingdom was an organisation founded in 1931 by George Bernard Shaw under the aegis of the Society of Authors with the purpose to advocate on behalf of practising playwrights A playwright or dramatist is a ...

in 1931 as part of the SoA. Th
Authors' Licensing and Collection Society
was also formed after much action by the SoA. Well known contemporary members include Philip Pullman (SoA president from 2013 to March 2022), Malorie Blackman,

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...

, Philip Gross,

Judith Kerr Anna Judith Gertrud Helene Kerr (surname pronounced ; 14 June 1923 – 22 May 2019) was a German-born British writer and illustrator whose books sold more than 10 million copies around the world.

Hilary Mantel Dame Hilary Mary Mantel ( ; born Thompson; 6 July 1952 – 22 September 2022) was a British writer whose work includes historical fiction, personal memoirs and short stories. Her first published novel, ''Every Day Is Mother's Day'', was releas ...

, J. K. Rowling and Lemn Sissay. The Society of Authors' quarterly journal, '' The Author'', was first published in 1890. Its first editor was novelist and historian

Walter Besant Sir Walter Besant (14 August 1836 – 9 June 1901) was an English novelist and historian. William Henry Besant was his brother, and another brother, Frank, was the husband of Annie Besant. Early life and education The son of wine merchant Will ...

, the SoA's founding Chair. He was succeeded by George Herbert, author Denys Kilham Roberts, author

C. R. Hewitt Cecil Rolph ("Bill") Hewitt (1901–1994) was a police officer, journalist, editor, and writer. He served with the City of London Police from 1921 to 1946, rising to the level of Chief Inspector. He then left the force and became a journalist, writ ...

(writing as "C. H. Rolph"), the theatre critic, biographer and newspaper editor

Richard Findlater Richard Findlater (1921–1985) was a British theatre critic and biographer. Early life He was born Kenneth Bruce Findlater Bain, but worked under the pen-name Richard Findlater. Career Findlater was arts editor for ''The Observer'', and became ...

, author Derek Parker, novelist

Andrew Taylor Andrew or Andy Taylor may refer to: Sport * Andrew Taylor (footballer, born 1986), English footballer * Andy Taylor (footballer, born 1986), English footballer * Andy Taylor (footballer, born 1988), English footballer * Andrew Taylor (Australian ...

, novelist and publisher Fanny Blake and novelist and publisher Andrew Rosenheim. Since November 2012 the journal's editor has been the writer and critic James McConnachie. In 1958 the

Translators Association The Translators Association (TA) is an association representing literary translators in the United Kingdom. The Translators Association is affiliated with the International Federation of Translators (FIT). History The Translators Association (TA) ...

(TA) was established as a specialist group within the Society of Authors.

Legacy

In 1969 the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

acquired the archive of the Society of Authors from 1879 to 1968 consisting of six hundred and ninety volumes. The British Library acquired a further two hundred and fifty-eight volumes in 1982 and 1984.

Awards and prizes

Prizes for fiction, poetry, and non-fiction administered by the SoA include: * The ADCI (Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses) Literary Prize, from 2022 *The ALCS Educational Writers' Award *The

Betty Trask Prize The Betty Trask Prize and Awards are for first novels written by authors under the age of 35, who reside in a current or former Commonwealth nation. Each year the awards total £20,000, with one author receiving a larger prize amount, called the ...

and Awards *The Cholmondeley Award *The Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography *The

Eric Gregory Award The Eric Gregory Award is a literary award given annually by the Society of Authors for a collection by British poets under the age of 30. The award was founded in 1960 by Dr. Eric Gregory to support and encourage young poets. In 2021, the seven ...

*The

Imison Award The Richard Imison Award is an award which recognises the best radio drama, generally by a writer new to the industry, and is now awarded as part of the BBC Audio Drama Awards. It was established in 1994 and commemorates the life and work of Richa ...

*The

Tinniswood Award The Tinniswood Award is a British annual award for original radio drama. It is named in memory of Peter Tinniswood, who died in 2003, and was established by the Society of Authors and the Writers' Guild of Great Britain; it is sponsored by the A ...

*The

McKitterick Prize The McKitterick Prize is a United Kingdom literary prize. It is administered by the Society of Authors. It was endowed by Tom McKitterick, who had been an editor of ''The Political Quarterly'' but had also written a novel which was never publ ...

*The Paul Torday Memorial Prize, for debut novelists over 60 *The

*The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award *The ALCS Tom-Gallon Trust Award *The

Travelling Scholarships The Travelling Scholarships were established in 1944 to enable British creative writers to keep in touch with their colleagues abroad. As directed by the anonymous founder of the trust, the Scholarships are administered by the Society of Authors an ...

*The

Queen's Knickers Award The Queen's Knickers Award is a British award for a children's illustrated book. It was founded in 2020 and is awarded annually by the Society of Authors for "an outstanding children's original illustrated book for ages 0-7". It is funded by child ...

*The Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize for a novel focusing on travel The organisation also administers a number of literary translation prizes, including: * The

TA First Translation Prize The TA First Translation Prize was established by Daniel Hahn in 2017 and is awarded annually to for a debut literary translation, to be shared equally between the first-time translator and their editor. About the prize The prize was established ...

, for translation from any language (annual) * The Goethe-Institut Award, for German Translation (biennial) * The

John Florio Prize The John Florio Prize for Italian translation is awarded by the Society of Authors, with the co-sponsorship of the Italian Cultural Institute and Arts Council England. Named after the Tudor Anglo-Italian writer-translator John Florio, the prize wa ...

, for Italian Translation (biennial) * The

Banipal Prize The Banipal Prize, whose full name is the Saif Ghobash–Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, is an annual prize awarded to a translator (or translators) for the published English translation of a full-length literary work in the Arab ...

, or The Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Translation (annual) * The Scott Moncrieff Prize, for French Translation (annual) * The

Schlegel-Tieck Prize The Schlegel-Tieck Prize for German Translation is a literary translation award given by the Society of Authors in London. Translations from the German original into English are considered for the prize. The value of the prize is £3,000.

, for German Translation (annual) * The Bernard Shaw Prize, for Swedish Translation (triennial) * The

Vondel Prize The Vondel Prize is a literary translation prize, for full-length works from the Dutch into English. The prize was established in 1996 by the Foundation for the Production and Translation of Dutch Literature, and is named after the 17th-century Dutc ...

, for Dutch Translation (biennial) * The Premio Valle Inclan, for Spanish Translation (annual) * The TLS-Risa Domb/Porjes Prize, for Hebrew translation (triennial) It has previously administered the following prizes: *The Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award * Calouste Gulbenkian Prize, for Portuguese Translation (triennial) *

Hellenic Foundation for Culture Award Hellenic is a synonym for Greek. It means either: *of or pertaining to the Hellenic Republic (modern Greece) or Greek people (Hellenes, el, Έλληνες) and culture *of or pertaining to ancient Greece, ancient Greek people, culture and civiliz ...

, for Greek Translation (triennial) *The Women's Prize for Fiction

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Society of Authors Trade unions in the United Kingdom 1884 establishments in the United Kingdom * Trade unions established in 1884

History

Legacy

Awards and prizes

See also

References

External links