Pullman Steps Down as SoA President

Philip Pullman is stepping down as Society of Authors (SoA) president. Pullman has been with the SoA for 35 years, and was elected as president in 2013. He will remain a member of the trade union’s council. Pullman says,

When it became clear that statements of mine were being regarded as if they represented the views of the Society as a whole (although they did nothing of the sort, and weren’t intended to), and that I was being pressed by people both in and out of the Society to retract them and apologise, I realised that I would not be free to express my personal opinions as long as I remained President. That being the case, with great regret and after long consideration I chose to stand down.

The role of president is not an executive position in the SoA; “The President is an ambassador for the SoA and comments on broad policy issues but has no role in the direction or governance of the SoA.”

For more information, see the announcement.

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