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

With four seats available, this is your opportunity to represent members and influence the strategic direction of the Society of Authors over the next few years. We invite full SoA members to stand for election, or to encourage other members to step forward.

The deadline for nominations is Friday 15 July. The elections will open in mid-September and close on Wednesday 26 October, with newly elected board members taking their seats after the 2022 AGM in November.

An inclusive board for a diverse membership

The SoA’s Management Committee represents our entire membership, so its makeup should reflect the author community in all its diversity of language, genre, form, geography and background.

We actively encourage nominations from under-represented groups, including people of colour, those from ethnically diverse communities, and people who identify as working-class, disabled or LGBTQ+.

We also encourage nominations from members with business skills, or those who have some experience working to improve inclusivity across the industries in which SoA members work.

We will provide full induction training and resources to help you adapt to the new role. New Management Committee members will be paired with a more experienced members, acting as a mentor, to help familiarise them with Committee processes.

All meetings are run as ‘hybrid’ meetings, so you do not have to travel to London to participate. The role is voluntary, but we will cover out of pocket expenses.

About the 2022 Management Committee election

Four vacancies will become available after the 2022 AGM in November when Simon Cann, Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin and Abie Longstaff complete their three-year terms. The board’s Chair, Joanne Harris, was due to retire this year but has been re-elected for a second term and will now retire in 2024. However, there are still four places available on the Committee. Retiring Committee members may also choose to stand for a second term of office.

Newly elected Management Committee members will join Joanne Harris (Chair), Dorothy Koomson, Anne Rooney, Margaret Skea, Philip Womack, Hugh Roberts, Charles Harris, Juliet McKenna and Tim Tate.

If you have any queries, please contact Catherine Fuller: [email protected].