The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB) is a trade union representing professional writers in TV, film, theatre, radio, books, comedy, poetry, animation and videogames. Our members also include emerging and aspiring writers.
We have been negotiating better pay and working conditions for writers since 1959. The national agreements we have in place cover key industry bodies, including the BBC, ITV, Pact; National Theatre, Royal Court and Royal Shakespeare Company (see some of our recent wins for writers).
We lobby and campaign on behalf of writers, to ensure their voices are heard in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
We offer a range of benefits to our members, including free training, contract vetting, a pension scheme, Welfare Fund, entry to our Find A Writer directory, a weekly ebulletin, plus member-only events and discounts.
The Writers’ Guild Awards ceremony is an annual, red-carpet event that has featured high-profile winners since it first launched in 1961. The evening gives writers the chance to honour their peers, and to celebrate the importance of writers and writing to the creative industries, in the UK and abroad.
There are plenty of opportunities for WGGB members to get involved in the running of their union, through the regional or craft committees, or by becoming a member of WGGB’s decision-making body, the Executive Council (EC). You can see some examples of their recent activity in our annual report.
We have four different membership bands. Full Members pay £198 for the first year and then we operate a banding system based on annual income (see the bands here). Candidate Members pay £108 per year and upgrade to Full Membership when they are eligible. Student Members pay £30 per year and Affiliate Members pay £300 per year.
Download our rule book.
Read a history of WGGB in The Write Stuff flipbook, below, and on the special anniversary website we produced to celebrate our Diamond Anniversary in 2019.