The SoA Advisory Clinic: Should I Pay? Publishing deals, self-publishing options and the blurry in-between

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 this and more in the latest episode from the Adventures in Radio team at the Society of Authors.

Timberlake’s radio adaptation of Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time was directed and produced by Celia de Wolff. It is a Pier production for BBC Radio 4. For full production credits please visit: I BBC Radio 4 - Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time, Episode 1.

Show notes:

Barney Norris - Curtis Brown

Timberlake Wertenbaker | | The Agency

Radio 3 - Listen Live - BBC Sounds

BBC Radio 4 - Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time

In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust - Radio/TV Programme - Audible.co.uk

In Search of Lost Time: Volume 1: The Way by Swann's a book by Marcel Proust, Christopher Prendergast, and Lydia Davis. (bookshop.org)

The Proust Screenplay (groveatlantic.com)

ABOUT | Pier Productions | Brighton (pierproductionsltd.co.uk)

boyce-frank-cottrell | RCW Literary Agency (rcwlitagency.com)

Written and hosted by Barney Norris.

Produced by SoA Scriptwriters Group coordinators, Sophia A Jackson and Theo Jones.

With thanks to Hawthornden Foundation who have kindly funded the Adventures in Radio podcast.

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 authenticity and the commercial imperative to a creative work? What of access to opportunities and of truly diverse representation? Join Barney and Fraser as they discuss all this and more in this engaging and timely conversation brought to you by the Adventures in Radio team at the Society of Authors.

Fraser’s radio play, Maynard, was directed by Kathy Burke. It is a Sparklab production for BBC Radio 4. For full production credits please visit: BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Maynard.

Show notes:

Barney Norris - Curtis Brown

Fraser Ayres - InterTalent Rights Group (intertalentgroup.com)

BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Maynard

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Terry Pratchett - Episode guide

BBC Radio 4 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

TriForce Short Film Festival - FilmFreeway

The TCN – Triforce Creative Network

BBC Three - The Smoking Room - Episode guide

Written and hosted by Barney Norris.

Produced by SoA Scriptwriters Group coordinators, Sophia A Jackson and Theo Jones.

With thanks to Hawthornden Foundation who have kindly funded the Adventures in Radio podcast.

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 of the relationship of the audio drama written for BBC Radio 3 to the stage version enjoyed by audiences at the Hampstead Theatre? What of the production process, involving music and words, and the challenges of producing the play for radio during the COVID-19 pandemic? Listen in to hear Barney and Nell chat around all this more in this insightful and engaging conversation brought to you by the Adventures in Radio team at the Society of Authors.

Nell’s radio play, Folk, was directed by Susan Roberts for BBC Radio 3. For full production credits please visit: BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3, Folk.

Show notes:

Barney Norris - Curtis Brown

Home - Nell Leyshon

BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3, Folk

Welcome to BBC Writers

FOLK - Hampstead Theatre

Folk: : Modern Plays Nell Leyshon Methuen Drama (bloomsbury.com)

Simon Russell Beale | Shakespeare's Globe (shakespearesglobe.com)

Aphantasia: A life without mental images - BBC News

Written and hosted by Barney Norris.

Produced by SoA Scriptwriters Group coordinators, Sophia A Jackson and Theo Jones.

With thanks to Hawthornden Foundation who have kindly funded the Adventures in Radio podcast.

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 Connor discuss all this and more in this inaugural episode in the Adventures for Radio series from the Society of Authors. Please note that this conversation includes discussion of domestic violence.

Connor’s radio play, The Making of a Monster, was directed by Emma Harding for BBC Audio in Wales. For full production credits please visit: BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, The Making of a Monster.

Show notes:

Barney Norris - Curtis Brown

Connor Allen | Actor | Writer | Artist

BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, The Making of a Monster

Podcast Library — George The Poet

Because the Internet - Album by Childish Gambino | Spotify

Welcome to BBC Writers

Black Mirror Netflix

I am enough - The impact of absent fathers (connorallen.co.uk)

Lliswerry High School, Nash Road , Newport, Wales, UK – Page Array

Prison Heads - Literature Wales

BBC Radio 4 - Front Row, Live from Cardiff with Connor Allen, Zoë Skoulding and music from Catrin Finch and Aoife Ni Bhriain

Written and hosted by Barney Norris.

Produced by SoA Scriptwriters Group coordinators, Sophia A Jackson and Theo Jones.

With thanks to Hawthornden Foundation who have kindly funded the Adventures in Radio podcast.

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 more, as they pay a special festive visit to the Charles Dickens Museum in London and talk to writer, broadcaster and great great great granddaughter of Charles Dickens, Lucinda Hawksley. Featuring a reading from Nicholas Nickleby performed by writer and actor, Ellen Robertson.

Not a member? Use code PODCAST20 for 20% off your first year’s membership. 

Welcome to 48 Doughty Street, the London home of Charles Dickens – Charles Dickens Museum 

Lucinda Hawksley – Author, Art Historian, Public Speaker & Broadcaster 

Inimitable: Uncovering Charles Dickens – Charles Dickens Museum 

ALCS | Charles Dickens, Copyright Pioneer 

Dickens and Christmas PB | Charles Dickens Museum Books 

Where did Dickens go to the toilet? | Charles Dickens Museum Explore 

Dickens's Artistic Daughter, Katey | Charles Dickens Museum Books 

Events - The Society of Authors 

Support us | Charles Dickens Museum 

Ellen Robertson | United Agents 

 

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 share their winning tips and insights.

Not a member? Use code PODCAST20 for 20% off your first year’s membership.

Prizes - The Society of Authors 

The SoA Awards - The Society of Authors 

Audio Drama - The Society of Authors 

Grants - The Society of Authors 

Join the SoA - The Society of Authors 

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, originally presented as part of the SoA@Home festival of online events on 13 November 2023.

SoA chief executive Nicola Solomon chairs the panel which features lawyer and founding partner at Lewis Silkin, Cliff Fluet, tech philosopher and author, Dr Tom Chatfield and publisher and CEO of Hachette, David Shelley.  

Not a member? Use code PODCAST20 for 20% off your first year’s membership. 

 

The Big Conversation https://vimeo.com/885627572 

Scriptwriters Symposium https://vimeo.com/886821886 

Cliff Fluet (lewissilkin.com) 

Tom Chatfield – Website of the author and tech philosopher 

ALCS 

David Shelley | Hachette UK 

Homepage - Publishers Association 

Blood in the Machine by Brian Merchant | Hachette UK 

My book has been used to ‘train’ AI – what can I do? - The Society of Authors 

Artificial Intelligence - The Society of Authors 

Artificial intelligence: practical steps for members - The Society of Authors 

Join the SoA - The Society of Authors 

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 online events on 15 November 2023.

Playwright, novelist and chair of the SoA’s Scriptwriters Group, Barney Norris chairs the panel, which features American screenwriter and advisor to the WGA John Rogers, writer and dramatist Hannah Silva, theatreologist Dr Aoife Monks and the SoA Advisory Clinic host Theo Jones.

Not a member? Use code PODCAST20 for 20% off your first year’s membership.

 

Scriptwriters Symposium https://vimeo.com/886821886 

The Big Conversation https://vimeo.com/885627572 

Join the SoA - The Society of Authors 

Barney Norris 

John Rogers (@jonrog1) / X (twitter.com) 

Hannah Silva 

Aoife Monks - School of English and Drama (qmul.ac.uk) 

‘It is a beast that needs to be tamed’: leading novelists on how AI could rewrite the future | Books | The Guardian 

If on a Winter's Night a Traveller (penguin.co.uk) 

Artificial Intelligence - The Society of Authors 

Artificial intelligence: practical steps for members - The Society of Authors 

My book has been used to ‘train’ AI – what can I do? - The Society of Authors 

ALCS | Why writers are at a loss for words 

Join the SoA - The Society of Authors 

 

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 attribution and integrity and right to object to false attribution; infringement of data protection laws; invasions of privacy; and acts of passing off.

And these aren’t issues for a hypothetical future.

Join hosts Johanna Clarke and Theo Jones for a look at the SoA's work on the challenges presented by new technologies, and as they seek to safeguard the interests and protect the rights of all authors, celebrate the authenticity of human authorship and raise awareness of the issues at stake.

 

Featuring contributions from Anne Rooney, Shoo Rayner, Keith Mansfield, Hannah Berry and Roland Glasser. 

 

Not a member? Use code PODCAST20 for 20% off your first year’s membership.

 

The Big Conversation https://vimeo.com/885627572 

Scriptwriters Symposium https://vimeo.com/886821886 

Artificial Intelligence - The Society of Authors 

Artificial intelligence: practical steps for members - The Society of Authors 

My book has been used to ‘train’ AI – what can I do? - The Society of Authors 

Revealed: The Authors Whose Pirated Books Are Powering Generative AI - The Atlantic

Productivity boost from Generative AI - KPMG UK 

Homepage - Publishers Association 

Home | Association of Authors' Agents (agentsassoc.co.uk) 

Home - BCC (britishcopyright.org) 

Homepage - The Authors Guild 

Join thousands of authors and sign the Authors Guild’s AI open letter - The Society of Authors 

ALCS 

Trade bodies call for ‘strong Government support’ in face of AI - The Society of Authors 

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (legislation.gov.uk) 

ChatGPT banned in Italy over privacy concerns - BBC News 

People Plus Machines - Publishers Association 

The Author (subscription) - The Society of Authors 

‘It is a beast that needs to be tamed’: leading novelists on how AI could rewrite the future | Books | The Guardian 

If on a Winter's Night a Traveller (penguin.co.uk) 

Shoo Rayner – Children's Author | Now you're reading! 

Superintelligence - Paperback - Nick Bostrom - Oxford University Press (oup.com) 

Anne Rooney - writer 

ABOUT / CONTACT - Hannah Berry 

Roland Glasser - The Society of Authors 

Join the SoA - The Society of Authors 

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 Hilary McCollum speaks to Derry-based writer Sue Divin, Damian Smyth from the Arts Council in Ireland and our very own Johanna Clarke.  

Not a member? Use code PODCAST20 for 20% off your first year’s membership. 

 

Getting Started

Working with Agents

Home | The Arts Council | An Chomhairle Ealaíon 

About Sue — Sue Divin 

Irish Writers Centre

Visually stunning comic launched to help creative freelancers with their mental health - The Society of Authors