Australian Society of Authors

Australian Society of Authors
Name	Australian Society of Authors
Formation	1963
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Sydney, New South Wales
Region served	Australia
Membership	Writers, illustrators, librettists
Leader title	President

Australian Society of Authors is an Australian professional association representing writers, illustrators and related creative practitioners. Founded in the early 1960s, it acts as a collective voice for authors in dealings with publishers, cultural institutions and legislative bodies. The organisation provides contracts advice, administers grants and awards, campaigns on copyright and remuneration, and runs programs for career development and public engagement.

History

The organisation emerged in a cultural context shaped by figures and institutions such as Patrick White, Judith Wright, Miles Franklin, State Library of New South Wales, and the Australia Council for the Arts. Early campaigning aligned with debates involving Commonwealth Literary Fund reforms, disputes resonant with litigations around contracts like those involving Ethel Turner and contract negotiations similar to high-profile disputes seen with authors linked to Penguin Books, Faber and Faber, and HarperCollins. Its formation paralleled contemporaneous developments in organisations such as Copyright Agency Ltd, Australian Publishers Association, Writers' Guild of Australia, and unions like Australian Council of Trade Unions. Over subsequent decades the society engaged with policy processes connected to legislation such as the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) and later amendments, while interacting with cultural festivals including the Melbourne Writers Festival, the Brisbane Writers Festival, and the Perth Festival.

Structure and Governance

The organisation is governed through an elected board and committees with roles comparable to governance models used by institutions like Australian Arts Council, State Library Victoria, and university-based bodies such as those at University of Sydney and University of Melbourne. Leadership roles have included presidents and chairs who often have careers intersecting with public figures and organisations exemplified by names like Germaine Greer, Clive James, Helen Garner, and Peter Carey—authors whose professional networks include publishers such as Allen & Unwin and Black Inc.. The society’s constitution, membership rules and dispute resolution mechanisms reference practices found in non-profit law strands similar to precedents considered by the High Court of Australia and regulatory oversight modelled on agencies like the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

Membership and Services

Membership attracts writers working across genres connected to established creators and institutions such as Charlotte Wood, Tim Winton, Murray Bail, Christos Tsiolkas, Kate Grenville, David Malouf, Peter Goldsworthy, Frank Moorhouse, Kim Scott, and illustrators akin to those published by Allen & Unwin and Walker Books Australia. Services include contract advice that refers to standard form contracts used by publishers like HarperCollins Australia and Hachette Australia, career development workshops with speakers from organisations such as ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation), arts agencies like Creative Australia and literary festivals including Sydney Writers' Festival. The society provides legal referrals, model contract templates reflective of norms used by trade houses such as Pan Macmillan Australia, and assistance navigating collective licensing arrangements administered by entities like Copyright Agency Ltd and (Screen Australia-adjacent practices).

Awards and Grants

The organisation administers and advises on grants, fellowships and prizes often linked in purpose to awards such as the Miles Franklin Literary Award, Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Stella Prize, Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, Dobbie Literary Award, NSW Premier's Literary Awards, and foundations like the Ian Potter Cultural Trust. Its internal grants and emergency funds operate alongside philanthropic and government funding models similar to those overseen by the Australia Council for the Arts and philanthropic trusts comparable to Myer Foundation and Besant Hill Foundation in terms of practice. Recipients have included writers whose careers intersect with prizes and institutions like Commonwealth Writers' Prize, Man Booker Prize nominees based in Australia, and laureates associated with universities such as Monash University and Australian National University.

Advocacy and Legal Work

Advocacy activities have intersected with campaigns involving copyright policy debates, remuneration frameworks and digital rights issues seen in disputes and policy dialogues that also concerned bodies like Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Department of Communications and the Arts (Australia), and international factors referenced in agreements like the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. The society has provided submissions and expert commentary on statutory reviews of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), supported collective bargaining conversations analogous to those undertaken by Screen Producers Australia and Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, and engaged in public campaigns with partners including Choice (consumer advocacy), Australian Libraries and Information Association, and festival coalitions such as Australian Book Industry Awards stakeholders.

Publications and Events

The society publishes guides, contract notes and newsletters akin to member resources produced by organisations such as the Writers' Guild of America, and collaborates with media outlets like The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Guardian Australia, and broadcasters including ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). It maintains professional development programs, masterclasses and panels participating in events at the Melbourne Writers Festival, Sydney Writers' Festival, Adelaide Writers' Week, and smaller regional festivals across states such as Tasmania, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia. Special events include award ceremonies, public lectures, and partnerships with libraries and universities including University of Queensland and Griffith University; guest speakers have included prominent writers and industry figures associated with publishers and cultural institutions across Australia.

Category:Literary organisations based in Australia