The Management Committee currently has three sub-committees where members can use their skills and expertise to focus on specific issues in more detail.

Retiring members of the Management Committee may stay on sub-committees if they have a specialist skill which is not being replaced by new Management Committee members. 

Committees may also invite SoA members with specific skills to join their committee.

The Author magazine Advisory Panel 

• Members: Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin, Hugh Roberts and Philip Womack.
• Staff: Meetings are chaired by James McConnachie, Martin Reed or Georgia Wilson in rotation.
• Frequency: every six months, with additional meetings when needed.
• Aims: to be a consultative body to support the strategy and development of The Author publication.

The Campaigns Sub-Committee

•    Members: Philip Womack (Chair), Joanne Harris, Peter Groves, Lucinda Hawksley, Daniel Hahn, Abie Longstaff, Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin, Margaret Skea and Charles Harris.
•    Staff: Catherine Pocock (Comms, Campaigns and Policy Coordinator) and Nicola Solomon (CE)
•    Frequency: three-four times a year.
•    Aims: to enable more detailed briefing about ongoing campaigns, both learning the issues and monitoring progress. To act as a ‘first response’ group to suggestions for campaigns before decisions by Management Committee. To examine ways in which individual Committee members might be more directly involved in supporting campaigns and lobbying.

The Finance Sub-Committee

•    Members: Joanne Harris (Chair), Barry Kernon, Bob Swarup, Philip Womack, Hugh Roberts and Simon Cann. All new members of the Management Committee are invited to sit on this sub-committee in their first year.

•    Staff: Nicola Solomon, Katharine King.
•    Frequency: the FSC usually meets twice a year but may meet more often if needed.
•    Aims: to advise on and scrutinise the SoA’s investments, budgets, salaries, pensions and other resources, and to make recommendations to the Management Committee. The only permanent standing sub-committee.

Other Groups

The SoA also has a staff Inclusivity Network, an Authors and Illustrators Sustainability Group and several Bedford Row building networks to share resources with staff throughout the building.

Sub-Committees that are no longer in operation:

• The Membership Sub-Committee
• The Mentorship Sub-Committee
• The Property Sub-Committee