The Society of Authors

Thank you for spotting this - we've checked with our agency who used this as a temporary image on our placeholder page while they worked on the main Human Authored site.

We didn’t spot that it was AI and have replaced it. It is on everyone to double-check the provenance of a work, including us.

Thank you for spotting this - we've checked with our agency who used this as a temporary image on our placeholder page while they worked on the main Human Authored site.

We didn’t spot that it was AI and have replaced it. It is on everyone to double-check the provenance of a work, including us.

Thank you for spotting this - we've checked with our agency who used this as a temporary image on our placeholder page while they worked on the main Human Authored site.

We didn’t spot that it was AI and have replaced it. It is on everyone to double-check the provenance of a work, including us.

We urge the government in the strongest possible terms to rule out legalising this large-scale theft.

And to AI companies we say: stop stealing our books!

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#DontStealThisBook

...and represents the impact on authors’ livelihoods and the publishing industry that is expected if the government proceeds with plans it has floated that would make it easier to train AI models on copyrighted work without a licence. 🧵

Almost 10,000 authors have come together to publish an empty book protesting the theft of books by tech companies to train AI models.

Titled Don’t Steal This Book, it is empty of text except the names of the authors involved.. 🧵

Join us later this month for an evening social event hosted by the author, broadcaster and former MP Gyles Brandreth. Gyles will share tips on being a writer and there will also be an opportunity to mingle with fellow authors and SoA staff.
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Oak National Academy: the DfE quango you’ve never heard of that’s decimating investment in UK education Oak was created in the Covid-19 pandemic out of an urgent need to deliver support for our nation’s children, but with questions being asked about i...

Today on Politics Home, our CEO Dan Conway explains why Oak is decimating investment in UK education at a time when it’s needed more than ever.

➡️ Read Dan’s call for ministers to get a grip on the quango’s role in UK education before it’s too late here: www.politicshome.com/members/arti...

Congratulations to This Book Will Make You An Artist, winner of the 2025 ALCS Educational Writers' Award 🎉🎆 Written by @ruthmillington.bsky.social & illustrated by Ellen Surrey, the book is perfect for aspiring artists, exploring cave painting & more 🖌️ #ALCSAwards @societyofauthors.bsky.social

SoA members can get a 30% discount on a visitor ticket.

Simply visit the Members' Section of our website to find the discount code to enter on your order summary.

The code is limited to 250 tickets, and there aren't many left, so don't leave it too late.

#LBF2026

LAST CHANCE:.our member discounted tickets are selling fast

Join us at the London Book Fair next month to develop relationships and gain valuable insight into the world of publishing.

The London Book Fair, and preceding Writers' Summit, has a packed agenda of speakers, discussions and workshops.

This annual award is administered by the Society of Authors on behalf of the Sunday Times and is made possible by the Charlotte Aitken Trust.

The winner will be announced on 24 March.

#YoungWriterAward

📖 The Greatest Possible Good by Ben Brooks (Scribner UK)
📖 Saraswati by Gurnaik Johal (Serpent’s Tail)
📖 Every One Still Here by Liadan Ní Chuinn (Granta Books)
📖 Year of the Rat by Harry Shukman (Chatto & Windus)

Copies of all the shortlisted books

We’re delighted to share the Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Young Writer of the Year Award Shortlist:

Events from 19 November 2025 – 25 November 2025 › SoA in Person › – The Society of Authors The Society of Authors is a company registered in England and Wales number 00019993 and an independent trade union. VAT registration number 239542840 The Society of Authors, 24 Bedford Row, London…

And for the first time, we have a date in Birmingham too, on 24 April, with @thepaulstringer.

These are offered at a discounted price of £40 for SoA members and £60 for non-members. The usual price for professional headshots is around £200.

Book your slot buff.ly/HlD3ysu

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM

Spring is just around the corner, so it's time to refresh your author profile photos.

We have two dates in the diary.

Join us in London on 23 March, where Adrian Pope will be on hand to capture you at your best.

Video description: Grace in a rainbow coloured triangle patterned dress sitting in front of her bookshelves, including her book 'Living Well with Chronic Illness' and speaking to the camera.

#HowIWrite #ReclaimingWellnesswithChronicIllness

This event is in conjunction with the SoA’s Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses Network (ADCI) and is a must for anyone keen to learn more about making reading and writing more accessible.

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We're delighted to welcome @gracequantock.bsky.social to join our How I Write series, in conversation with fellow author Hetty Saunders.

Grace will discuss her work and career and offer a glimpse into her creative routines. Grace explains in detail in our reel.

We do our best to keep track of these and make our members aware. Please get in touch with our advisory team if you receive any communication you're not sure about and we'll look into it.

Tess Lewis was runner-up for the inaugural John Calder Translation Prize, for a translation from French of Nevermore by Cécile Wajsbrot. Speaking at the Translation Prizes ceremony last week, Tess and Cécile shared a few words about what this recognition means for them. #TranslationPrizes

Ruth Diver won the Scott Moncrieff Prize at our Translation Prizes ceremony earlier this week. We spoke to her on the night about why awards like this are so important.
Find a list of all the winners on our website. buff.ly/j8lJ00z

#TranslationPrizes

Catch up with the 2025 Translation Prizes - The Society of Authors Catch up on the Translation Prizes ceremony at the British Library, with the event recording and photographs from the night.

French, German, Swedish, Japanese, Italian, Spanish and Arabic were all represented, it was such a privilege to be in the room. We could have listened to the entire works.

Here is just a brief glimpse...

You can see the full winners and catch up with our livestream on our website buff.ly/24zmvOl

This Valentine's Day, we're in love with translation.

We were lucky enough to hear our winners read from the original texts along with their translations at our Translation Prizes ceremony this week.

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Thanks for helping to spread the word - as you say, it really does matter.

Brave New World? Justice for creators in the age of GenAI   - The Society of Authors We have joined forces with other creator-led organisations to co-launch a ground-breaking report showing the onset of a creative jobs crisis in the UK.

We love Sarah’s personal and eye-catching approach but we also have a handy email tool to contact your MP, which only takes about a minute.
#JusticeForCreators
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We’re calling on Government to implement a safe, regulatory framework for the ethical use of AI in the UK. Please help amplify this message by writing to your MP and asking them to stand up for creators and the creative industries.

A handwritten letter to Sarah McIntyre's MP. It asks him to stand up for the UK's children's book illustrators and their copyright and is illustrated with a picture of a serious-looking mouse holding a large pencil.

An important message beautifully presented by writer/illustrator and SoA Fellow Sarah McIntyre.

A copy of the book Caesaria

Graphic says 2025 runner-up Saskia Vogel for a translation of Caesaria by Hanna Nordenhök (Héloïse Press)

And congratulations to the runner-up:

Saskia Vogel for a translation of Caesaria by Hanna Nordenhök (Héloïse Press)

A copy of the book Collected Works: A novel

Graphic says 2025 winner Agnes Broomé for a translation of Collected Works: A Novel by Lydia Sandgren (Pushkin Press)

Congratulations to the winner of the Bernard Shaw Prize for translations into English of full-length Swedish language works of literary merit and general interest:
Agnes Broomé for a translation of Collected Works: A Novel by Lydia Sandgren (Pushkin Press)