The latest news and comment on the Society of Authors
May 2024
More than 200 authors renew call for Baillie Gifford to divest from fossil fuel
Gaza vote divides Society of Authors after call to condemn Israeli military action
March 2024
Joanne Harris: ‘Some of us don’t see the line between the books and the world’
As the author prepares to publish a prequel to her bestselling novel Chocolat, she explains why she engages with real-life political battles too
October 2023
Spotify’s new audiobook streaming could have ‘devastating effect’, says Society of Authors
The industry body says the music giant’s move to make more than 150,000 titles available has not been discussed with authors and may compete with sales
September 2023
Authors shocked to find AI ripoffs of their books being sold on Amazon
Book spamming, sometimes with multiple bogus titles going online in one day, has hit writers like Rory Cellan-Jones
Self-publishers must declare if content sold on Amazon’s site is AI-generated
Retailer announces new rules for its Kindle Direct Publishing forum after complaints about AI-produced works being sold under human writers’ names
Society of Authors calls use of bad reviews for book blurbs ‘morally questionable’
After several critics complained of being quoted out of context on the covers of Jordan Peterson’s new book, the industry body has spoken out against the practice
July 2023
Authors call for AI companies to stop using their work without consent
Margaret Atwood, Viet Thanh Nguyen and 8,000 others have signed an open letter asking that permission is obtained and compensation given when a writer’s work is used by AI
April 2023
Society of Authors creates new campaign to help writers hold publishers to account on sustainability
Tree to Me aims to give authors more say in reducing the environmental impact of physical books, including from the manufacture of paper, transportation and the use of chemicals
December 2022
Horribly low pay is pushing out my fellow authors – and yes, that really does matter
Joanne Harris
Writers’ earnings have plummeted – with women, Black and mixed race authors worst hit
November 2022
Joanne Harris sees off vote to oust her from Society of Authors role
Novelist said ‘rationality has prevailed’ after resolution to unseat her as chair was comprehensively defeated
September 2022
Philip Pullman calls for inquiry into writers’ trade union the Society of Authors
The writer, president of the SoA for nine years before he stood down in March, claims the organisation needs ‘investigation from outside’
August 2022
Poison pens: leading writers call for overhaul of UK’s Society of Authors
Society of Authors responds to calls for Joanne Harris to step down as committee chair
August 2021
Society of Authors distances itself from Philip Pullman’s tweets
The UK’s largest trade union for writers emphasised its anti-racist stance after its president, Pullman, showed support for Kate Clanchy on social media
June 2021
Authors to earn royalties on secondhand books for first time
AuthorSHARE, a royalty fund set up by two used booksellers with support from industry bodies, is calling for more retailers to participate
August 2020
Support funds for UK authors hit by pandemic are running out
The Society of Authors, which raised £1.1m for writers struggling but ineligible for government help, says money is low but crisis remains acute
March 2020
'This is a scary time': coronavirus emergency fund set up for authors
Author Philip Pullman said the grants of up to £2,000 designed to meet urgent need ‘will be enormously reassuring’
January 2019
Internet Archive's ebook loans face UK copyright challenge
The Society of Authors has called on the website’s Open Library to stop making scanned books ‘unlawfully’ available to British readers
