Restructuring the NZ Society of Authors

Category: Projects Written by Super User
NZ Society of Authors

A new democratic structure for our national writers organisation ...

The organisation for NZ's professional writers was re-structured on a regional and representative basis.

As Auckland Branch Chair, John Cranna developed a blue-print for a new national branch structure for the Society of Authors, based on democratic principles and geographic represenation.

Until the 1990s, the Society of Authors national executive alternated between two main branches – Auckland and Wellington. There was no representation from the regions and governance switched in alternate years between NZ's two major cities.

This structure was unwieldy, and by the 1990s was creating chronic conflict between Auckland and Wellington centres, culminating in public disagreements that undermined the credibility of professional authors nationally. The new structure created representatives from regional centres outside Auckland and Wellington.

A new constitution was proposed, and received majority support of the approximately 500 members. The reform of the structure of the Society brought in a new era of cooperation and collaboration amongst NZ writers and ended a decade of regional factionalism.

John Cranna served four years as Chair of the Auckland Branch of the Society of Authors.