Chapter Zero Competitors

The SoA is a trade union for all types of writers, illustrators and literary translators, at all stages of their careers. We have been advising individuals and speaking out for the profession for more than a century. Member services include the confidential, individual vetting of contracts, and help with professional queries and collective action on issues that matter to authors. In addition, the SoA organises a calendar of events, publishes a quarterly magazine, The Author, maintains a database of members' specialisations, and administers a wide range of grants and prizes such as the Authors’ Foundation, one of the few bodies making grants to help with works in progress for established writers.

New Writing North supports writing and reading in the North of England. We commission new work, create development opportunities, nurture talent and make connections.

Arvon is a charity that runs creative writing courses, events, and retreats both in-person and online. Our courses are tutored by leading authors and include a powerful mix of workshops and individual tutorials, with time and space to write, free from the distractions of everyday life. Grants and concessions are available to help with course fees. For over fifty years Arvon has been the UK’s home of creative writing. We have four houses, in Devon, Shropshire, Yorkshire, and our virtual house Arvon at Home. Our courses and retreats, led by highly acclaimed writers, span poetry to playwriting, song to screenplay, fact to fiction, starting to finishing. Generations of writers have been inspired by their experience at Arvon. Each year, over 40 of our courses are with vulnerable groups and schools, from young people who have experienced bullying to adults recovering from an addiction. We also work closely with teachers to support their professional development. To ensure our doors stay open to all, we rely on donations from charitable trusts and individuals. We offer a home for creative writing, where anyone, regardless of writing experience, can step away from their normal routine, immerse themselves in the creative process, be inspired by experienced writers, and release their imaginative potential.