SoA Sounds

In this final episode, acclaimed playwright, novelist and host of the Adventures in Radio podcast series, Barney Norris, talks to Rhiannon Tise about her radio adaptation of George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss . What of the uniqueness of the radio drama form? What of a writer's creative freedom when handling a pre-existing work? What of the constraints of form and structure? Enjoy Barney and Rhia...

Join acclaimed playwright, novelist and host of the Adventures in Radio podcast series, Barney Norris, as he talks to Hannah Silva about her radio drama, An Artificially Intelligent Guide to Love . What of the formative role radio has played in Hannah's life? What of her introduction to the phenomenal potential of sound, language, and voice? What of the breaking down of rules, the experimentation...

In this episode, acclaimed playwright, novelist and podcast host, Barney Norris talks to Timberlake Wertenbaker about her radio adaptation of Marcel Proust's seminal 20 th century novel In Search of Lost Time . What of the context? What of the challenges? What of the importance of memory and of the madeleines? Enjoy this truly brilliant conversation between Barney and Timberlake who discuss all th...

As the Adventures in Radio series continues, acclaimed playwright, novelist and podcast host, Barney Norris talks to Fraser Ayres about his award-winning radio play, Maynard – a highly compelling comic drama set in and celebrating the locations and communities of multicultural Brixton. What of the inspiration behind the play and what of its development across the years? What of the importance of a...

In this episode acclaimed playwright, novelist, and host of the Adventures in Radio podcast, Barney Norris continues the series with a discussion featuring playwright and novelist Nell Leyshon about her play, Folk – a drama that explores the story of Cecil Sharp and his song-collecting in Somerset in the summer of 1903. What of the inspiration behind the play and what of the research process? What...

Join acclaimed playwright, novelist, and host of the Adventures in Radio podcast, Barney Norris, as he talks to writer and previous Children's Laureate for Wales, Connor Allen about his award-winning radio drama, The Making of a Monster . What of the inspiration behind the play? What of the process of writing for radio? What does it mean to share so personal a story? Tune in to hear Barney and Con...

The legendary Victorian author Charles Dickens was clearly a brilliant novelist, but what of his role as campaigner and advocate for authors' rights? What of his contribution towards the development of copyright law in the 19th century? As we raise a glass to our members and celebrate the role of collective action, join SoA Advisory Clinic co-hosts Johanna and Theo as they discuss all this and mor...

What role does the Society of Authors play in the awarding of literary prizes and funding? How does this all work to celebrate and support writers through their submissions? What do applicants need to be aware of when submitting more generally? Join the SoA Advisory Clinic's Johanna Clarke in conversation with Head of Grants & Prizes at the SoA, Robyn Law, as they discuss all this and more and sha...

The AI development race is opaque, unfettered and unregulated, and driven primarily by the profit motives of large corporations, despite some likely adverse impacts. The ethical and moral ramifications of these AI systems are complex, and the legal ramifications are not limited to the infringement of copyright's economic rights, but may include infringement of an author's moral rights of attributi...

What does AI mean for the publishing industry and the authors, editors, illustrators, translators and other creators who work within its eco-system? What are the ethical, legal and practical concerns? How can authors benefit from the new technologies while safeguarding their interests? Join hosts Johanna Clarke and Theo Jones for a chance to catch-up on this timely and important discussion, origin...

What does AI mean for scriptwriters? What are the dangers and what are the opportunities? What can we learn from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike action in the US and how can writers safeguard their interests here in the UK? Join SoA Advisory Clinic hosts Johanna Clarke and Theo Jones for another chance to enjoy this discussion, originally presented as part of the SoA@ Home festival of on...

If you are a new or emerging writer in Northern Ireland seeking advice and guidance on getting started, this one's for you. Join SoA Advisory Clinic hosts Johanna Clarke and Theo Jones as they bring you another chance to catch-up on a session originally delivered as part of the SOA@Home festival. Brought to you by the Society of Authors in Northern Ireland, Senior Policy and Liaison Manager Dr Hil...

The UK's copyright regime is often seen as a good practice framework for the protection of lucrative intellectual property, reserving to creators significant powers to control and monetize the value of their creative works. But with so much hanging on the terms agreed as a matter of contract, what of a creator's right at law to know exactly how their work is being used by a publisher or other lice...

Copyright lasts for 70 years after your death, so it is important to plan for how best to continue to manage and control your estate in the future. Join SoA Advisory Clinic hosts Johanna Clarke and Theo Jones as they bring you another chance to enjoy this session originally delivered as part of the SoA@Home Festival, featuring solicitors Robert Craig and Matthew Smith in conversation with the SoA'...

SoA Advisory Clinic hosts Johanna Clarke and Theo Jones invite you to come celebrate with them, and a host of stars, as 2023 marks the centenary celebrations of 100 years of audio drama on the BBC! Shining a light of this most brilliant of forms, they showcase the SoA's work in running and administering their two awards for audio drama writing, celebrated each year at the BBC, and walk writers thr...

Contracts are legally binding agreements, recognis able at law and enforceable through the courts. They can be made orally or in writing, a nd on clear and express terms or implied by conduct. But what makes a contract and how best to navigate what this means in the context of a commission or publishing deal? What steps should be taken to protect your interests and what rights are available to you...

Chasing payment can be a stressful experience. SoA Advisory Clinic presenters Johanna Clarke and Theo Jones introduce a recording of an event delivered as part of the Spring / Summer 2023 SoA@Home festival. Chief Executive Nicola Solomon chairs a discussion with Consultant Contracts Advisor Kate Pool and solicitor Samuel O'Toole from law firm Briffa on issues relating to contractual disputes and p...

True life experience can provide a rich resource for writers considering the subject and content of their next book. You may have discovered a hitherto unremarked life story that would lend itself well to memoir or be considering how to incorporate situations or experiences from real life into your next work of fiction. But what of the legal issues that may apply to you when handling information a...

 Tune in for a recording of a special live event from December 2022 when the SoA's Johanna Clarke spoke to Justin Audibert (Artistic Director, Unicorn Theatre), April de Angelis (playwright) and Piers Torday (author and playwright) about book to theatre adaptations. They discuss the process of commissioning and adapting, the role of the original author, updating older works, and ensuring the story...

Do you write books or scripts that revolve around a particular character (or characters) and their world (s) ? You may be wondering to what extent copyright law protects you and your rights in those original and distinctive characters . Join Johanna Clarke and Theo Jones as they discuss the impact of a recent ruling from IPEC which extends copyright to cover this highly important and lucrative are...

Need some tips on negotiating? Not sure what publishers are looking for or what a good deal looks like? Struggling to feel empowered? Join Johanna and Theo as they talk to authors Vaseem Khan and Margaret Skea at Author HQ at the London Book Fair as they share their experiences and advice on getting the best deal possible. They assess the different types of publishing, thinking strategically about...

The SoA's new campaign, Tree to Me , adds your voice to existing efforts to make publishing more sustainable and encourages your publisher to act now – in the materials it uses and the energy it consumes, in its investments and emissions targets, and more – and to raise awareness among your readers as they improve their practices. Ch ildren's author and chair of the Society of Authors' sustainabil...

Have you been asked to pay someone to publish your work? The Society of Authors and the Writers' Guild of Great Britain's 2022 report exposed widespread bad practice among companies that charge writers for publication, so what's so bad about them? Join SoA Contracts Advisors Theo Jones and Johanna Clarke as they uncover the world of hybrid publishing and talk through the pros and cons of the vario...

The Audiobook market is growing exponentially. For authors this presents new opportunities: unlocking rights; discovering new readers ( listeners, if you like!); and benefiting from fresh revenue streams. But as a self-published author (or a traditionally published author who has retained audio rights), how do you go about producing your work in audio format? What are the various options out there...

Joi n Society of Authors' Contracts Advisors, Theo Jone s and Johanna Clarke, for this limited series in which they discuss the key industry topics, issues and challenges affecting authors today. This podcast intends to guide and empower authors of all types, whether you are a member of the society or not, an d is bought to you by the So A Advisory Team who are always on hand to help members with...