Arthur William à Beckett (1844–1909; Oxford DNB); humorist and journalist. Published novels and plays, including collaborations with F. C. Burnand. Acted as editor for several periodicals including the Glow-Worm, Britannia, Tomahawk, Naval and Military Magazine, the Sunday Times, and Punch (working under Burnand).
Alfred Austin (1835–1913; Oxford DNB); poet. Joined the Society of Authors in 1889. Appointed Poet Laureate in 1896. Published over forty volumes of verse, poetical drama, novels and criticism.
Sir J. M. Barrie, baronet (1860–1937; Oxford DNB); playwright and novelist. Prolific author and contributor to major journals. Best known for the creation of Peter Pan. Joined the Society of Authors in 1891.
Sir Walter Besant (1836–1901; Oxford DNB); writer and campaigner for authors' rights. One of the founding members of the Society of Authors, and the first chairman of the Committee of Management and the Council. After his second tenure, resigned as Chairman of the Committee of Management on 17 December 1892, in an attempt to stop the Society being seen as a mouthpiece for Besant alone.
William Black (1841–1898; Oxford DNB); journalist and novelist. Joined the staff of the Morning Star and the Daily News; wrote a weekly serial in The Graphic and acted as a war correspondent during the Austro-Prussian War. Appointed a Vice-President of the Society of Authors.
Sir (Thomas Henry) Hall Caine (1853–1931; Oxford DNB); novelist. Wrote fifteen novels on adultery, divorce, domestic violence, illegitimacy, infanticide and women's rights. Most highly paid novelist of his day. The Christian (1897) was the first novel in Britain to sell 1 million copies. Joined the Society of Authors in 1891.
J. Comyns Carr (1849–1916; Oxford DNB); author, gallery director and theatre manager. Advocate of Pre-Raphaelite art, writing criticism of the art establishment. Became editor of L'Art in 1875, founded Art and Letters (1881–1883), and was editor of the English Illustrated Magazine (1883–1886). Published several books of his journalism.
C. Haddon Chambers (1860–1921); dramatist. Wrote for The London Bulletin; also published short stories in magazines including Society and Truth. Had several plays successfully produced.
(John) Oswald Frederick Crawfurd (1834–1909; Oxford DNB), writer and diplomatist. Editor and director of Black and White, managing director of Chapman & Hall, and editor of Chapman's Magazine of Fiction from 1895 to 1898. In addition to contributing to various major periodicals, he wrote thirteen novels.
(Henry) Austin Dobson (1840–1921; Oxford DNB); poet and author. Published poetry in periodicals including Temple Bar and St Paul's, and several volumes of verse. Also published The Civil Service Handbook of English Literature (1874), and several works of biography and criticism.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930; Oxford DNB); writer. First published story, 'The Mystery of Sasassa Valley', published in Chambers's Edinburgh Journal in 1879. Published many short stories and novels; most famous for the Sherlock Holmes stories, beginning with A Study in Scarlet (1886). Also published non-fiction in the British Medical Journal. Joined the Society of Authors in 1890.
Augustus William Dubourg (1830–1910); novelist and playwright. Primarily wrote comedies and romantic dramas; also wrote two novels and contributed to periodicals, including Once a Week and Temple Bar.
Frederic William Farrar (1831–1903; Oxford DNB); dean of Canterbury, novelist and philologist. Published religious and historical works; also wrote several novels (primarily school stories). Appointed a Vice-President of the Society of Authors.