Skip to main content

Society of Authors Members

Description

By the time of the first general meeting on 18 February 1884, the Society of Authors had 14 Vice-Presidents and 68 members. Annual subscription was set at a guinea; life subscription was 10 guineas.

Initially, new members could join as Fellows, Members or Associates. Fellow status was abolished; not all Fellows paid for subscription and their position within the Society was thus unclear. Members had to have authored at least one full-length work (whether published or performed). Associates were aspiring writers who may not have had any work published.

By 1886, there were 153 members. This rose to 240 in 1888, 372 in 1889, 662 in 1891 and 870 in 1892 (Walter Besant, The Society of Authors: A Record of Its Action from Its Foundation, 1893). By 1912, there were over 2,000 members (Society of Authors Prospectus, 1912).

This collection currently includes over 200 prominent members of the Society.

Collection Items

À Beckett, Arthur William

Arthur William à Beckett (1844–1909); humorist and journalist.

Adams, Francis Ottiwell

Sir Francis O. Adams (1825–1889); diplomat.

Henry Allon (1818–1892); Non-Conformist minister and periodical editor.

Anderson, Robert

Sir Robert Anderson (1841–1918); spymaster, detective chief, and author.

Anson, William Reynell

Sir William Reynell Anson, third baronet (1843–1914); politician and college head.

Sir Edwin Arnold (1832–1904); poet and journalist.

Arnold, Matthew

Matthew Arnold (1822–1888); poet, writer and inspector of schools.

Alfred Austin (1835–1913); poet.

Bailey, Philip James

Philip James Bailey (1816–1902); barrister, poet and author.

Balfour, Arthur James

Arthur James Balfour, first earl of Balfour (1848–1930); prime minister and philosopher.

Bantock, Granville Ransome

Sir Granville Ransome Bantock (1868–1946); composer.

Barrie, James Matthew

Sir J. M. Barrie, baronet (1860–1937); playwright and novelist.

Bateman, Alfred Edmund

Sir Alfred Edmund Bateman (1844–1929); statistician.

Bateman, Robert

Robert Bateman (1842–1922); painter, architect and horticultural designer.

Beddard, Frank Evers

F. E. Beddard (1858–1925); zoologist.

Bergne, John Henry Gibbs

Sir Henry Bergne (1842–1908); diplomatist.

Sir Walter Besant (1836–1901); writer and campaigner for authors' rights.

Besier, Rudolf Wilhelm

Rudolf Wilhelm Besier (1878–1942); dramatist and translator.

Birrell, Augustine

Augustine Birrell (1850–1933); politician and author.

William Black (1841–1898); journalist and novelist.

View all 219 items

Social Bookmarking