The Foundation

The Authors Guild Foundation educates, supports, and protects American writers to ensure that a rich, diverse body of literature can flourish

Through its programming, the Authors Guild Foundation seeks to:

  • Educate authors from all backgrounds

    We equip writers with the business knowledge and tools they need to succeed.

  • Support authors' livelihoods

    We foster diverse voices in American literature and promote the ability of writers to earn a livelihood so they can keep writing.

  • Protect authors' rights

    We defend the right to free expression and advocate for strong, effective intellectual property laws.

Support the Foundation

The Authors Guild Foundation is the charitable and educational arm of the Authors Guild. It advocates for authors’ rights, educates authors across the country in the business of writing, and promotes an understanding of the value of writers.

The Foundation believes that an abundance of free literary expression is essential to our democracy, and that can only be achieved by protecting authors’ constitutional and moral rights to benefit from their work. It is the sole group of its kind dedicated to empowering all U.S. authors. Its founding members included Saul Bellow, John Hersey, Madeleine L’Engle, Sidney Offit, James A. Michener, Toni Morrison, Elizabeth Janeway, and Barbara Tuchman.

Why Your Support Is Needed

This is a difficult time to be a professional writer. As more and more independent publishers are swallowed up by conglomerates, writers’ works and economic interests are subsumed and threatened. The Authors Guild’s recent member survey showed that, since 2009, incomes from writing have been in steep decline. In an era of increasing access to digitized information, fresh threats to authors’ livelihoods emerge from every quarter.

Your gift to the Authors Guild Foundation will support our advocacy for authors and our efforts to maintain a sustainable publishing ecosystem at a time when authors’ rights, copyrights, free expression, and creative content are being challenged on many fronts.

Please pitch in what you can, and we’ll put it to good use. We appreciate your much needed support.

Authors Guild Foundation Events

Guild Nights

Authors Guild Foundation Guild Nights are intimate literary dinners held in private homes featuring some of today’s most celebrated authors. During each event, a featured guest will discuss and answer questions on a recent work.

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Annual Gala

The Authors Guild Foundation Annual Gala is a celebration of authors and the power of literature to transform our society. Each year we honor individuals who have supported and contributed to our literary culture.

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WIT Festival

The WIT: Words, Ideas, and Thinkers Festival means to expand our understanding of critical issues, celebrate America’s literary culture, and amplify new voices and perspectives.

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Become a Member

Join the Authors Guild and support our mission to support working writers.