Picture of Owen Atkinson

In the current economic climate a certain amount of belt tightening is inevitable for us all. In 2009 you can expect a somewhat slimmer version of the ALCS Annual Report and we will, wherever possible, use email as our primary method of communication to keep costs down.

So it is even more important now that you keep us updated if you change your email address either by writing to us or by logging in to the Members’ Area of the website (www.alcs.co.uk) and updating your details there.

Success in 2008

In 2008 we continued the trend of increasing the monies we paid to our Members

But it’s not all doom and gloom. In 2008 we had many successes with record levels of licence income, monies distributed to our Members, and also in the number of writers joining ALCS.

Towards the end of the year, we also experienced some challenges, with the “credit crunch” set to be a key feature of the year ahead. In 2008 we continued the trend of increasing the monies we paid to our Members and we will strive to maintain this in 2009.

I would like to say a big thank you to all our Members who attended the AGM in November, and remained so positive in difficult circumstances. A powercut at Stationers’ Hall meant we had to change our venue at the last minute, but you were all very gracious about the somewhat cramped conditions.

We were also delighted to sponsor the first Educational Writers’ Award, administered by the Society of Authors and presented by Dr Ian Gibson MP, Chair of the All Party Writers Group, to the very worthy winner – Ian Gilbert. You can read an interview with Ian in this issue of ALCS News.

Events at the Writers’ House

In November we hosted the first Members’ Event to be held at the Writers’ House: a presentation and question and answer session by Meg Davis from MBA Literary Agents. The event was well received by those who attended and we would like to thank Meg for an excellent presentation. During the course of this year we will be developing a full programme of events which will be advertised on our website (www.alcs.co.uk), so please visit the site frequently for details.

We are also pleased to announce the opening of the Members’ Room at the Writers’ House. We hope you will be able to find time to visit and enjoy this space, which is yours to make use of.

The All Party Writers Group continues to go from strength to strength. At the top of the agenda for this year is Public Lending Right (PLR) in what will be its 30th year.

The Google settlement

ALCS will continue to work to secure as much income for you as possible. With regard to the Google settlement in the USA, we will work with you so that you can make an informed decision as to whether you wish to be part of this settlement. We will also keep our website updated, highlighting key dates for action.

This first edition of ALCS News for 2009 is the last we will be sending out automatically to Members unless you’ve already requested to receive it, either in print or by email. If you haven’t yet responded and wish to continue to receive this publication, please email or call 020 7264 5700 and let us know your preferred method of receipt.

With best wishes for a happy and relatively prosperous 2009.

Owen Atkinson
Chief Executive