A Room of Your Own? Your chance to contribute to new research about what you need to flourish professionally as a writer
As writers’ incomes sharply decrease – from £18,000 in 2015 to £10,500 in 2018 as reported in ALCS’ independent research into author earnings – ALCS is funding new Royal Society of Literature (RSL) research about what writers need to pursue their careers.
Virginia Woolf famously said that to be a writer, a woman needed money and a room of her own. The RSL wants to know what all writers – at different stages of their careers, from different backgrounds, and from across the UK – need today in order to flourish professionally.
Whether it’s money or mentoring, contract advice or the support of an agent, what do you need to have a career in writing? The RSL is leading this research in consultation with writer development organisations, funders and supporters across the UK, including: Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland, Literature Wales, Literature Works, National Centre for Writing, New Writing North, New Writing South, Scottish Book Trust, Scottish Poetry Library, Society of Authors, Spread the Word, The Literary Consultancy, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, Writing East Midlands and Writing West Midlands.
Appropriately, the results of the RSL research will be released on Dalloway Day, 19 June 2019. Dalloway Day is an annual celebration of the work of Virginia Woolf, founded three years ago by the RSL.
We encourage all ALCS Members to take the survey here.
Illustration © Anna Trench
Authors’ Earnings 2018: A survey of UK writers
In 2017, ALCS commissioned research into the status of authors’ earnings, the key findings of which were released in June 2018. Take a look at the key findings from this research here.
