EWC
  • ABOUT US
    • WHO WE ARE
    • OUR BOARD
    • OUR MEMBERS
    • STATUTES
    • MEDIA
    • CONTACT US
  • NEWS
    • NEWSROOM
    • EVENTS
    • PROJECTS
      • #FREE ALL WORDS
  • ALLIANCES
    • JOINT STATEMENTS
    • STAKEHOLDERS
  • AUTHORS’ RIGHTS
    • ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
    • ARTISTIC FREEDOM
    • CONTRACTS
    • EDUCATIONAL SECTOR
    • E-LENDING
    • PLR
    • STATEMENTS
    • SURVEYS
    • WORKING GROUPS
  • CULTURE POLICY
    • #BEHINDEVERYBOOK
    • CRISIS MONITORING
    • DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
  • CULTURAL EXCHANGE
    • EWC BURNING ISSUS FORUM
    • EWC LITERARY EVENTS

CURRENT PROJECT

Free All Words#FreeAllWords: International Text and Translation Fund of the European Writers‘ Council (EWC) gives a voice to authors from Belarus and Ukraine

freeallwords.com

STUDY BY THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LITERATURE (UK): WHAT WRITERS NEED TODAY

20th June 2019

20. June, 2019
Defending the ecosystem for books and writers: What writers need today.
Study by the Royal Society of Literature (UK)
In this survey, writers were asked to tell what they need to work. The Study shows a literary landscape

endeavouring to make a life in writing possible for writers of all backgrounds and experiences.

 

»The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.« Albert Camus

A recommendation by Nina George, President of the EWC:

Civilization starts with the invention of letters which enabled reading, communion and communication with past generations, with other cultures, nations, ideals.
Flaubert’s dictum “Read in order to live” proposes that books and literature can teach us ethics and the human condition in its private and universal aspects, as well as exemplify the madness and achievements of our own epoch, our principles, of our challenges.

There is no doubt: Society and every individual need books and their writers. But what do writers need from society?

We as writers have to face more challenges than in the decades before. The rising »Blockbuster Mentality« and the »Bestseller-Chasing« of Publishing Houses narrows the diversity of literature and lowers the average advances for the middle-listed and debutants.
The impact of Amazon on price-dumping, its relentless hunger on more and more percentage, and the fatal idea of presenting an »all-you-can-read-buffet« of Flat rate-Model books has also declined authors’ earnings – as well as the respect for the work in every piece of written work. The ongoing infringement of copyright by E-Book- and Audiobook-Piracy is still ignored by policy; meanwhile, the expectations on writers to work unpaid and »for exposure« grows. A lack of remuneration systems such as PLR and ARR, but more copyright and authors’ right-exceptions even without renumeration, do its part on oppressing writers’ income and life.

But the »money-question« is just one part of the ecosystem of books and writers.

The other parts were evaluated by The Royal Society of Literature, funded by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS): »A Room of My Own. What Writers need to work today«, published on Dalloway-Day (19th June). How class, ethnicity, gender play through the writing lives and what do writers themselves say they most need in order to thrive? »A room of my own and space to write«, means support from peers, emotional support, financial and industry promotion and even more aspects. I highly recommend this read.
As President of the EWC, this UK-based research, dedicated to Virginia Woolf, inspires me to define our own manifesto together with EWC Members. The manifesto shall include our common needs. Not only in legal aspects – but aspects of support, protection and esteem for our works and the values for societies, in details of book-pricing and distribution, in a wealthy book market, with cultural rights and with a strong voice on the political parquet.

Nina George
EWC-President

[vc_btn title=”DOWNLOAD RSL-A-Room-of-My-Own-Report-19-June-2019.pdf” style=”flat” shape=”square” color=”black” size=”sm” align=”left” i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-file-text” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwp13438537.server-he.de%2Frsl-a-room-of-my-own-report-19-june-2019%2F|title:DOWNLOAD%20RSL-A-Room-of-My-Own-Report-19-June-2019.pdf|target:%20_blank|rel:nofollow” add_icon=”true”]
Previous Post
Authors’ Rights are fundamental for culture, freedom of expression and a diverse Europe
Next Post
EWC recommends: Defending the ecosystem for books and writers

CULTURE POLICY

We are hiring: the EWC is looking for a part-time Administration Officer

January 20, 2023

EWC project #Freeallwords translated text by Nobel Price for Peace Laureate

December 9, 2022

Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Copyright Ecosystem

September 3, 2022

Women in Literature: The FIL Symposium

June 20, 2022

The EWC Annual General Assembly was succesfully held in Madrid.

June 13, 2022

Measuring the crisis in the creative sectors: WIPO study published

May 9, 2022
Retweet on Twitter European Writers' Council Retweeted
eyshans Eystein Hanssen 🏴‍☠️ @eyshans ·
2 Feb

@FreeAllWords publiserer oversatte tekster fra ukrainske og belarusiske forfattere. Prosjektet er i regi av @CouncilWriters, med bidrag fra bla. @FrittOrd, @Kopinor og @Forfatterforb. Sjekk ut ...hjemmesiden her: https://freeallwords.org

Retweet on Twitter European Writers' Council Retweeted
cultcreatorseu Cultural Creators Friendship Group 🇪🇺 @cultcreatorseu ·
1 Feb

In 2022, our #CCFG (co-)hosted or officially supported 7 public events, including with these partners: @le_CNM @MinistereCC @regiongrandest @saabrussels @SportsGroup2024 @Liveurope @ABconcerts ...@Creators_ECSA @Film_directors @CouncilWriters @ScreenwritersEU @EVisual_Artists.

Retweet on Twitter European Writers' Council Retweeted
agstrait Andrew Strait agstrait@someone.elses.computer @agstrait ·
20 Jan

There are also the impacts these systems are having on small rights holders, whose data is often used without their consent, attribution, or compensation. Hence the lawsuits against Midjourney by ...artists, and against OpenAI/Microsoft/Github by coders

https://twitter.com/neilturkewitz/status/1614316534750654465

neil turkewitz @neilturkewitz

NEWS ALERT…

Class action lawsuit filed against Midjourney, StabilityAI (StableDiffusion) & DeviantArt for the unauthorized use of copyright protected works to train their AI systems.

...https://stablediffusionlitigation.com/pdf/00201/1-1-stable-diffusion-complaint.pdf

Retweet on Twitter European Writers' Council Retweeted
andrewyang Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 @andrewyang ·
21 Jan

What impact will ChatGPT have on colleges, the workforce and democracy? Monday on http://andrewyang.com/podcast writer for the Atlantic and author of “The Next Civil War: Dispatches from ...America’s Future” @StephenMarche joins to talk where AI is taking us - whether we like it or not.

Retweet on Twitter European Writers' Council Retweeted
pubperspectives PubPerspectives @pubperspectives ·
8 Jan

From the week: Surveying the Profession(s): How Much Do UK Writers Earn? | @Porter_Anderson https://bit.ly/3WDDnT8 @ALCS_UK @Soc_of_Authors @copyrightcentre @UofGlasgow | A new British survey of ...authors warns of falling incomes and faltering sustainability in writing occupations

Retweet on Twitter European Writers' Council Retweeted
iniurheberrecht Initiative Urheberrecht @iniurheberrecht ·
8 Jan

#KI #Hörbuch Death of the narrator? Apple unveils suite of AI-voiced audiobooks | Apple | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jan/04/apple-artificial-intelligence-ai-audiobooks

LOAD MORE
EWC
info@europeanwriterscouncil.eu
+32 2 290 92 50
European Writers’ Council
(EWC-FAEE AISBL)
Rue du Prince Royal 85-87
1050 Brussels
Belgium
Get in touch
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
EWC
IMPRINT
PRIVACY POLICY
MEMBERS AREA
Related Links
balticwriterscouncil.info
ceatl.eu
culturalcreators.eu
creativityworks.eu
ifrro.org
plrinternational.com
Current Projects
Free All Words


#FreeAllWords
: Fee and Translation Fund for texts by Authors from Countries under pressure

© 2022 European Writers’ Council | All rights reserved.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use this site, you agree with it. PRIVACY POLICY