Support funds for UK authors hit by pandemic are running out

The Society of Authors, which raised £1.1m for writers struggling but ineligible for government help, says money is low but crisis remains acute

Almost £1m has been given out to nearly 700 authors since the end of March, to help those facing financial crisis through the coronavirus pandemic. But the Society of Authors has warned that funds are now running low, and that losses for writers are set to continue into next year.

The authors’ body set up its coronavirus emergency fund in March, warning that writers were facing “unmanageable” losses as events were cancelled, school visits were called off and bookshops were closed. With donations from organisations including Arts Council England and the TS Eliot Foundation, the pot reached £1.1m. But on Monday, the Society said that it has given out £954,000 of that fund and now needs to raise more money to help writers survive.

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