(le français suit)

Montreal, January 15, 2024 – As part of the ongoing public consultation on generative artificial intelligence and copyright, book industry associations are reminding the Canadian government of the crucial importance of regulating the responsible development of artificial intelligence and ensuring effective copyright protection.

The book industry and the entire cultural community emphasize that transparency is essential to the development of a fair and safe AI ecosystem. Otherwise, generative AI models will continue to develop in an opaque, unfair, and undemocratic manner, without respecting the rights of creators. They also stress that copyright is an exclusive right of human creators. Existing copyright legislation protects human creativity and originality, by virtue of requiring the exercise of skill and judgment to obtain copyright in a work. This should not be changed to grant copyright protection to AI generated products or to allow copyrighted works to train models without permission.

Beyond AI: a law that needs reform

For the book industry, Canada needs to move quickly to close existing loopholes in its legislation so that it stops unfairly depriving rights holders of legitimate revenues from the use of works in certain educational institutions. This priority is supported by the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and by the international book federations, all of which are outraged that Canada is not meeting its international obligations to authors.

Following another report from the House of Commons also supporting this priority, the book industry is still waiting for the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pascale St-Onge, and the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, to honour their commitment to amend the Copyright Act so that authors and publishers can receive their fair share of the use of their published works.

Some briefs submitted to the Canadian consultation on AI and copyright are available upon request.

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Sources : Access Copyright, Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL), Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP), Association of English Language Publishers of Quebec (AELAQ), Canadian Authors Association (CAA), Canadian Publishers’ Council (CPC), Copibec , Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG), Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens , Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois (UNEQ), The Writers’ Union of Canada

About the Signatory Associations

Access Copyright – Access Copyright is a collective voice of creators and publishers in Canada. A non-profit, national organization, we represent tens of thousands of Canadian writers, visual artists and publishers, and their works. Through agreements with sister organizations around the world we also represent the works of hundreds of thousands of foreign creators and publishers. This rich repertoire of content is highly valued, by educators, students, researchers, corporate employees, and others who need to copy and share content. We license the copying of this repertoire to educational institutions, businesses, governments, and others. The proceeds gathered when content is copied, remixed, and shared are passed along to the copyright-holders. These investments help to ensure the continued creation of new and innovative works.

Contact: Robert Gilbert | Communications Specialist and Affiliate Relations | rgilbert@accesscopyright.ca

Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL) – The Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL) brings together the vast majority of French-language publishing houses in Quebec and Canada. Its mission is to support the growth of the publishing industry and ensure the visibility of Quebec and Franco-Canadian books nationally and internationally, particularly by advocating for the respect of copyright. Member publishing houses of the Association publish various types of works, from novels to textbooks, including essays and children's books.

Contact: Audrey Perreault | Director of Communications and Member Services | aperreault@anel.qc.ca | Tel: 514-808-5441

Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) – The Association of Canadian Publishers contributes to the development and maintenance of vibrant, competitive book publishing companies, professionally managed, and owned and controlled in Canada, to support and strengthen the contribution that Canadian books make to Canada’s cultural, economic, and educational landscape. ACP represents approximately 115 Canadian-owned and controlled book publishers from across the country. The membership is diverse and includes publishers from a variety of genres. Over 80% of Canadian-authored titles are published by the Canadian-owned sector. This means a strong Canadian-owned sector is vital to the development of new Canadian authors and writers.

Contact: Jack Illingworth | Executive Director | jack_illingworth@canbook.org

Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec (AELAQ) – Founded in 1987, the Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec (also known as the Association des éditeurs de langue anglaise du Québec) is a non-profit organization that supports the English-language book industry in Quebec. We represent a dynamic community of 31 members, including publishers of academic and historical books, fiction, narrative, poetry, graphic novels and comics, non-fiction and children's literature. We support and promote our members through a variety of initiatives and projects, including professional development seminars, advocacy, the Montreal Review of Books (mRb) literary magazine and an annual book fair. We are a regional affiliate of the Association of Canadian Publishers, a national network of associations that support and advocate on behalf of Canadian publishers.

Contact: Rebecca West | Executive Director | admin@aelaq.org

Canadian Authors Association (CAA) – The Canadian Authors Association provides writers with a wide variety of programs, services and resources to help them develop their skills in both the craft and the business of writing, enhance their ability to earn a living as a writer, and have access to a Canada-wide network of writers and publishing industry professionals. We are a membership-based organization for writers in all areas of the profession—aspiring, emerging and professional—in every genre and across all writing-related professions. As a not-for-profit national arts service organization with charitable status, much of what we do benefits all writers, whether they are members or are affiliated with us as partners or through other writing groups.

Contact: Brandi Tanner | Directrice administrative |

office@canadianauthors.org

Canadian Publishers’ Council (CPC) – The Canadian Publishers’ Council, as Canada’s main English language book publishing trade association, was founded in 1910 and represents the interests of publishing companies that publish books and other media for elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, professional and reference markets, the retail and library sectors. Our members employ more than 2800 Canadians and collectively account for nearly three-quarters of all domestic sales of English-language books. Members spend over $50 million with Canadian-based book manufacturers and pay more than $25 million in royalties to Canada’s writers.

Contact: David Swail | President | dswail@pubcouncil.ca

Copibec – Copibec is the Quebec collective management society for reproduction rights, a non-profit social economy enterprise specialized in copyright management. It represents over 30,000 authors and 1,300 publishing houses. Copibec provides users of copyright-protected material with simple and tailored solutions to meet their needs. On the international scale, the collective management society has agreements with over 33 foreign societies to include books, newspapers, and magazines from these countries in its repertoire. Among its members are UNEQ, ANEL, RAAV, AJIQ, FPQJ, SODEP, Quotidiens du Québec, and Hebdos du Québec.

Contact: Christian Laforce | Executive Director | c.laforce@copibec.ca

Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG) – Founded in 1975, the LPG is a not-for-profit association that represents Canadian-owned and -operated literary book publishers from coast to coast. Our members produce books by some of Canada’s most innovative and creative writers, giving readers access to diverse voices that have not been well represented in mainstream publishing. In addition to their cultural contributions, LPG members are small businesses that support local economies through the full range of their business activities, from editorial, design, and production to marketing, sales, and distribution.

Contact: Laura Rock Gaughan | Executive Director | laurag@lpg.ca

Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens (REFC) – The Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens (REFC) was created to enable French-language publishing houses to undertake concerted actions in the areas of marketing, promotion, representation, and training. It also promotes a partnership-oriented approach by encouraging cooperation among members and key stakeholders in the book ecosystem, thereby ensuring consultation, dialogue, and collaboration with organizations committed to the cultural development of French-speaking communities in Canada.

Contact: Stéphane Cormier | Président | scormier@prisedeparole.ca

Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois (UNEQ) – Founded in 1977, the Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois (UNEQ) is a professional union dedicated to defending the socio-economic rights of literary artists and promoting Quebec literature. Recognized in 1990 as the most representative association of artists in the field of literature under the Professional Status of Artists in Visual Arts, Crafts, and Literature Act and their contracts with broadcasters (as well as by the 2022 reform) and accredited in 1996 by the Canadian Industrial Relations Board for exclusive negotiation with federally regulated producers, UNEQ currently brings together nearly 1800 members from all literary practices.

Contact: Lucas Prudhomme-Rheault | Communications Manager and Assistant to the General Management | lucas.prudhomme@uneq.qc.ca

The Writers' Union of Canada – The Writers’ Union of Canada (TWUC) is the national organization of professionally published writers. TWUC was founded in 1973 to work with governments, publishers, booksellers, and readers to improve the conditions of Canadian writers. Now over 2,600 members strong, TWUC advocates on behalf of writers’ collective interests, and delivers value to members through advocacy, community, and information. TWUC believes in a thriving, diverse Canadian culture that values and supports writers.

Contact: John Degen | Executive Director | jdegen@writersunion.ca

Communiqué de presse

L’industrie du livre se prononce sur l’intelligence artificielle et le droit d’auteur

Montréal, le 15 janvier 2024 – Dans le cadre de la consultation publique en cours sur l'intelligence artificielle générative et le droit d'auteur, les associations du milieu du livre rappellent au gouvernement canadien l’importance cruciale de favoriser le développement responsable de l’intelligence artificielle et de promouvoir le droit d’auteur.

Le secteur du livre et l’ensemble du milieu culturel soulignent que la transparence est essentielle au développement d’un écosystème d’IA équitable et sûr. Autrement, des modèles d’IA générative vont continuer de se développer de manière opaque, injuste et au mépris de la démocratie. Ils soulignent aussi que le droit d'auteur est un droit exclusif accordé aux créateurs humains. La protection de la créativité et de l'originalité humaines est assurée par la loi sur le droit d'auteur, qui exige des compétences et un jugement pour obtenir le droit d'auteur sur une œuvre. Cela ne devrait pas être modifié pour accorder la protection du droit d’auteur aux produits générés par l’IA ou pour permettre aux œuvres protégées de former des modèles sans autorisation.

Au-delà de l’IA : une loi à parfaire

Pour le secteur du livre, le Canada doit s’empresser de colmater les brèches de sa législation pour qu’elle cesse de priver injustement les ayants-droits de revenus légitimes à l’occasion de l’utilisation d’œuvres dans certains établissements d’enseignement. Sa priorité est soutenue par la Coalition pour la diversité des expressions culturelles et par les fédérations internationales du livre, toutes outrés que le Canada ne respecte pas ses obligations internationales envers les auteurs.

À la suite d’un autre rapport de la Chambre des communes appuyant aussi cette priorité, le milieu du livre attend toujours que la ministre du Patrimoine canadien, Pascale St-Onge, et du ministre de l’Innovation, des Sciences et le l’Industrie, François-Philippe Champagne, honorent leur engagement de modifier la Loi sur le droit d’auteur pour qu’auteurs et éditeurs puissent de nouveau percevoir la juste part de l’utilisation de leurs œuvres publiées.

Quelques mémoires soumis à l’occasion de la consultation canadienne sur l’IA et le droit d’auteur sont disponibles sur demandes.

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Sources : Access Copyright, Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL), Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP), Association des éditeurs de langue anglaise du Québec (AELAQ), Canadian Authors Association (CAA), Canadian Publishers’ Council (CPC), Copibec , Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG), Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens , Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois (UNEQ), The Writers’ Union of Canada

À propos

Access Copyright – Access Copyright regroupe des créateurs et des éditeurs au Canada. Organisme national à but non lucratif, il représente des dizaines de milliers d'écrivains, d'artistes visuels et d'éditeurs canadiens et leurs œuvres. Grâce à des accords avec des organisations sœurs du monde entier, il représente également les œuvres de centaines de milliers de créateurs et d'éditeurs étrangers. Son riche répertoire de contenu est très apprécié des professeurs, étudiants, chercheurs, employés d'entreprise et tous ceux qui ont besoin de copier et de partager du contenu. Access Copyright accorde des licences de son répertoire aux établissements d'enseignement, aux entreprises, aux gouvernements, etc. Les bénéfices ainsi récoltés sont reversés aux détenteurs des droits d'auteur, contribuant à garantir la création continue d’œuvres nouvelles et innovantes.

Contact : Robert Gilbert | Spécialiste des communications et des relations avec les affiliés | rgilbert@accesscopyright.ca

Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL) – L’Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL) regroupe la grande majorité des maisons d’édition de langue française au Québec et au Canada. Sa mission est de soutenir la croissance de l’industrie de l’édition et d’assurer le rayonnement du livre québécois et franco-canadien à l’échelle nationale et internationale en prônant le respect du droit d’auteur. Les maisons d’édition membres de l’Association publient divers types d’ouvrages, du roman au manuel scolaire en passant par l’essai et le livre jeunesse.

Contact : Audrey Perreault | Directrice des communications et des services

aux membres | aperreault@anel.qc.ca | C: 514-808-5441

Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) – L’Association of Canadian Publishers contribue au développement et au maintien de maisons d’édition de livres dynamiques et concurrentielles, gérées, détenues et contrôlées par des Canadiens, afin de soutenir et de renforcer la contribution des livres canadiens au paysage culturel, économique et éducatif du Canada. L'ACP représente environ 115 maisons d'édition de livres détenues et contrôlées par des Canadiens à travers le pays. Le membership de l’association est diversifié et comprend des éditeurs de divers genres. Plus de 80 % des titres écrits par des auteurs Canadiens sont publiés par maisons d’édition appartenant à des Canadiens. Un secteur détenu par des Canadiens fort est donc essentiel au développement de nouveaux auteurs et écrivains canadiens.

Contact: Jack Illingworth | Directeur général | jack_illingworth@canbook.org

Association des éditeurs de langue anglaise du Québec (AELAQ) – Fondée en 1987, l’Association (aussi connue sous le nom de l’Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec) est un organisme à but non lucratif qui soutient l’industrie du livre de langue anglaise au Québec. Nous représentons une communauté dynamique de 31 membres, incluant des éditeurs d’ouvrages académiques et historiques, de romans, de récits, de poésie, de romans graphiques et de bandes dessinées, d’ouvrages documentaires et de littérature jeunesse. Nous soutenons et promouvons nos membres par le biais d’une variété d’initiatives et de projets, y compris des séminaires de développement professionnel, notre apport à la défense des intérêts communs, la revue littéraire Montreal Review of Books (mRb) et une foire du livre annuelle. Nous sommes un affilié régional de l’Association of Canadian Publishers, un réseau national d’associations de soutien et de défense des intérêts des éditeurs canadiens.

Contact : Rebecca West | Directrice générale | admin@aelaq.org

Canadian Authors Association (CAA) – La Canadian Authors Association (CAA) offre aux écrivains une grande variété de programmes, de services et de ressources pour les aider à développer leurs compétences tant dans l'art que dans les aspects commerciaux de l'écriture, à améliorer leur capacité à gagner leur vie en tant qu'écrivain et à avoir accès à un réseau pancanadien d'écrivains et de professionnels de l'industrie de l'édition. Nous sommes une organisation basée sur l'adhésion pour les écrivains de tous les domaines de la profession - aspirants, émergents et professionnels - dans tous les genres et à travers toutes les professions liées à l'écriture. En tant qu'organisme de services artistiques national à but non lucratif avec un statut d'organisme de bienfaisance, une grande partie de ce que nous faisons profite à tous les écrivains, qu'ils soient membres ou affiliés à nous en tant que partenaires ou par le biais d'autres groupes d'écriture.

Contact: Brandi Tanner | Directrice administrative |

office@canadianauthors.org

Canadian Publishers’ Council (CPC) – Principale association du commerce de l'édition de livres en anglais au Canada, le Canadian Publishers’ Council, a été fondé en 1910 et représente les intérêts des maisons d'édition qui publient des livres et d'autres supports pour les écoles élémentaires et secondaires, les collèges et universités, les marchés professionnels et de référence, ainsi que les secteurs de la vente au détail et des bibliothèques. Nos membres emploient plus de 2800 Canadiens et représentent collectivement près des trois quarts de toutes les ventes nationales de livres en anglais. Les membres dépensent plus de 50 millions de dollars auprès de fabricants de livres basés au Canada et versent plus de 25 millions de dollars en redevances aux écrivains du Canada.

Contact : David Swail | Président | dswail@pubcouncil.ca

Copibec – Copibec est la société québécoise de gestion collective des droits de reproduction, une entreprise d’économie sociale à but non-lucratif spécialisée en gestion des droits d’auteur. Elle représente plus de 30 000 autrices et auteurs, et 1 300 maisons d’édition. Elle offre aux utilisatrices et aux utilisateurs de matériel protégé par le droit d’auteur des solutions simples et adaptées à leurs besoins. À l’échelle internationale, la société de gestion collective a conclu des ententes avec plus de 33 sociétés étrangères afin d’inclure les livres, journaux et revues de ces pays à son répertoire. Elle compte parmi ses membres l’UNEQ, l’ANEL, le RAAV, l’AJIQ, la FPQJ, la SODEP, les Quotidiens du Québec et les Hebdos du Québec.

Contact : Christian Laforce | Directeur général | c.laforce@copibec.ca

Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG) – Fondée en 1975, le Literary Press group of Canada est une association à but non lucratif qui représente des maisons d'édition de livres littéraires détenues et exploitées par des Canadiens, d'un océan à l'autre. Nos membres publient des ouvrages d'auteurs parmi les plus novateurs et créatifs du Canada, offrant aux lecteurs l'accès à des voix diverses qui n'ont pas été suffisamment représentées dans l'édition grand public. En plus de leurs contributions culturelles, les membres de LPG sont des petites entreprises qui soutiennent les économies locales à travers l'ensemble de leurs activités commerciales, de l'édition, de la conception et de la production au marketing, aux ventes et à la distribution.

Contact : Laura Rock Gaughan | Directrice générale | laurag@lpg.ca

Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens – Le Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens (REFC) a été créé dans le but de permettre aux maisons d’édition francophones de mener des actions concertées dans le domaine de la commercialisation, de la promotion, de la représentation et de la formation. Il favorise également une approche axée sur le partenariat en encourageant la coopération entre les membres et les principaux intervenants de l’écosystème du livre, assurant ainsi la consultation, le dialogue et la collaboration des organismes engagés dans le développement culturel des communautés francophones du Canada.

Contact: Stéphane Cormier | Président | scormier@prisedeparole.ca

Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois (UNEQ) – Fondée en 1977, l’Union des écrivaines et des écrivains québécois est un syndicat professionnel qui œuvre à la défense des droits socioéconomiques des artistes de la littérature, ainsi qu’à la valorisation de la littérature québécoise. Reconnue en 1990 comme l’association la plus représentative des artistes du domaine de la littérature en vertu de la Loi sur le statut professionnel des artistes en arts visuels, des métiers d’art et de la littérature et sur leurs contrats avec les diffuseurs (ainsi que par la réforme de 2022) et accréditée en 1996 par le Tribunal canadien des relations professionnelles artistes-producteurs pour négocier, de façon exclusive, avec les producteurs relevant de la compétence fédérale, l’UNEQ regroupe aujourd’hui près de 1800 membres de toutes les pratiques littéraires.

Contact : Lucas Prudhomme-Rheault | Responsable des communications et adjoint à la direction générale | lucas.prudhomme@uneq.qc.ca

The Writers' Union of Canada – La Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC) est l'organisation nationale des écrivains professionnellement publiés. La TWUC a été fondée en 1973 pour collaborer avec les gouvernements, les éditeurs, les libraires et les lecteurs afin d'améliorer les conditions des écrivains canadiens. Forte de plus de 2 600 membres, la TWUC plaide en faveur des intérêts collectifs des écrivains et offre une valeur ajoutée à ses membres grâce à la défense de leurs droits, à la création d'une communauté et le partage d'informations. La TWUC croit en une culture canadienne prospère et diversifiée qui valorise et soutient les écrivains.

Contact : John Degen | Directeur général | jdegen@writersunion.ca

 

Call for Entries

The National Media Awards Foundation is excited to announce we are now accepting submissions for the 47th annual National Magazine Awards! The 2024 National Magazine Awards feature 29 categories, with two special awards, and seven additional categories that are part of a cross-programming initiative with the Digital Publishing Awards.

Submissions are open to Canadian print and digital magazines and to Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents (landed immigrants) whose work has appeared in them during the 2023 calendar year.

Deadlines

Early Bird Deadline: January 12, 2024

Final Submission Deadline: January 19, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST

Submit Your Entries

How to Submit

Register online at https://submissions.mediafoundation.ca/login

Review the Rules and Submission Requirements to ensure eligibility

Review the Categories and complete the submission form(s)

Pay the required entry fees

Small Magazine Rebate

The NMAF strives to ensure that the awards recognize the best work from a broad range of Canadian magazines and, to that end, is offering the SECOND ENTRY FREE to magazines whose annual revenue is $200,000 or less. If eligible, your magazine will receive two entries for the price of one. The rebate applies only to the first two entries.

Freelancer Support Fund

To ensure our awards are more accessible to everyone in the industry, we encourage independent writers, illustrators, photographers, and art directors to take advantage of our Freelancer Support Fund, which offers the following discount options on the submission fee:

Submit one entry for $90 (early bird rate $75)

Submit two entries for $125 (early bird rate $110)

Digital Publishing Awards and National Magazine Awards: B2B

Don’t see a category that fits your work? Try the Digital Publishing Awards, where Canadian digital publishers and creators are invited to submit their content to 25 different digital categories. If you’re looking to submit content from trade, professional, or alumni association magazines, be sure to check out the National Magazine Awards: B2B’s 27 unique categories.

With just over a week to 2023 Troubadour International Poetry Prize closing date, here are some details for those poets who might be interested.

Poems on any subject by Sunday 10th December.

Prizes of £2,000, £1,000 & £500, plus 20 commendeds, & a chance to read online alongside judges Mona Arshi & Tom Sleigh, & fellow prize winners, at the fabulous Bedford Park Festival 'Yeats Birthday' event in Chiswick in June '24...

...which will be a superb poetry evening with drinks on the lawn beforehand & your chance to catch up with the poetry world (online too for anyone who can't make the event). Proceeds from this year's prize submissions go towards completing the WB Yeats Bedford Park Artwork project... which has created the dazzlingly Yeatsian artwork & unique Yeats/Bedford-Park smartphone tour that you can see/experience on prizegiving evening, if you've not already done so.

troubadour international poetry prize 2023
(supporting WB Yeats Bedford Park Project, Reg. Charity 1172224)

judged by mona arshi & tom sleigh

• first prize £2,000
• second prize £1,000
• third prize £500
• plus 20 commendeds
• plus – winners & commendeds will be invited to read with judges (live & online) at the Bedford Park Festival ‘Yeats Birthday’ poetry event in June 2024.

poems on any subject
submit via email by sun 10 dec 2023
results announced wed 28 feb 2024

submission rules & payment options on www.coffeehousepoetry.org/prizes

(Check out winners, winning poems & judges’ reports, 2022 & prior, on our previous-winners’-poems page.)

Judges:

• Mona Arshi worked as a Human Rights lawyer at Liberty before starting to write poetry: her collection, Small Hands, won the 2015 Forward Prize, her poems have featured in Poems on the Underground, was recently commissioned to write a programme on The Odyssey for BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week & she is Visiting Fellow Commoner in Creative Arts at Trinity College, Cambridge. Her latest poetry collection Dear Big Gods (Pavilion Poetry, 2019), was followed by her debut novel, Somebody Loves You, in 2021.

• Tom Sleigh’s ten poetry collections include House of Fact, House of Ruin, Station Zed &, just published, The King’s Touch (Graywolf, Feb 2022): he is the author of the essay collections The Land between Two Rivers & Interview with a Ghost. A Distinguished Professor in the MFA Program at Hunter College (City University of New York), Tom lives in Brooklyn, & during the last ten years, has also worked as a journalist in Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Kenya, Iraq, & Libya.

judges read all poems submitted

rules

• Poems: Poems may be submitted from any country, may be on any theme, & must be in English, must each be no longer than 45 lines, must show title & poem only, must not show poet’s name, must be the original work of the entrant (no translations) & must not have been previously published; no text alterations accepted after submission; no limit on number of poems or number of subsequent submissions.

• Submission: Email only, no postal entries: email your poems as attachments (.doc, .docx, .pdf, .rtf only) to  poems@coffeehousepoetry.org ; include in email: Poet’s Name & Address, Phone Number, List of Titles, Number of Poems, Total Fees, & PayPal Receipt Number.

• Fees: £6/€7/$8 per poem (Sterling/Euro/US-Dollars only); pay online (see below, PayPal account not required).

• Timeline: Submit by midnight (your local time) on Sun 10 Dec 2023; prize-winners will be contacted in week commencing Mon 19 Feb 2024.

• Acknowledgement/Results: Submissions acknowledged within 14 days of receipt; results posted on website after Mon 28 Feb 2024; judges’ decision is final; no correspondence entered into.

• Email Address: By including email address you agree to receiving emails regarding annual Troubadour International Poetry Prize.

All proceeds from this year’s poetry prize go to ongoing development at the recently unveiled/launched Yeats #EnwroughtLight artwork & visitor experience (details here) celebrating Yeats’s Nobel-Prize Centenary 1923-2023: closing date for submissions is Sunday 10th December, the date on which Yeats received his Nobel Prize for Literature in Stockholm!

For immediate release

Moncton, NB, November 24, 2023- The 2024 annual New Brunswick Writing Competition judges have been selected, and they will review submitted unpublished manuscripts from New Brunswick writers between January 1 and March 31, 2024. The program celebrates eight categories of unpublished writing in the genre of story collection/novel, short story, single poem, poetry manuscript, books for young people, and stories by teens, as well as unpublished short film script, and narrative non-fiction.

The competition is open to all New Brunswickers. If you live outside of New Brunswick, you must be Writers' Federation of New Brunswick member to participate.

The judges for 2024 are as follows:

The David Adams Richards Prize for Fiction Manuscript – Trudy J. Morgan

(15,000 to 30,000 words - Individual stories in a collection can be previously published, but a novella or novel extract must be unpublished. First Prize $400, Second Prize $200, Third Prize 1 year WFNB membership)

Trudy J. Morgan is a writer and educator in St. John's, Newfoundland. She is the author of numerous works of historical fiction including By the Rivers of Brooklyn, Most Anything You Please, and A Sudden Sun. Her latest work, the Cupids Trilogy (A Roll of the Bones, Such Miracles and Mischiefs, A Company of Rogues), is a fictional exploration of the earliest English settlements on the island of Newfoundland. Trudy's particular interest is in uncovering and re-imagining the lost and silenced voices of women in history.

The Douglas Kyle Memorial Prize for Short Fiction – Willow Kean

(Single story - 2,000 to 4,000 words. First Prize $250, Second Prize $150, Third Prize 1 year WFNB membership)

Willow Kean Willow Kean is an actor and writer from Labrador West who now resides in St. John’s. She holds a BFA in theatre from Grenfell College and has spent over twenty years working for several theatre companies across Newfoundland and Labrador. Her work on film includes The Death of Winter, Hard Light, Away From Everywhere, and The King Tide. While living in South Korea, Willow was employed as a teacher, voice recording artist, and writer, researching and writing biographies and historical fiction for ESL students of all ages. She started writing collaboratively for the theatre in 2009 and has had several children’s theatre productions tour schools around the province. Willow’s five-woman comedy Supper Club was developed and workshopped with Resource Centre for the Arts Theatre and was selected for the Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre (PARC) Colony in Sackville, New Brunswick, held virtually over a two-week period in May of 2020. Supper Club premiered in St. John’s at the LSPU Hall in November of 2021, and completed an island-wide Arts and Culture Centre provincial tour this past fall. She’s won NL Arts and Letters awards in both fiction and non-fiction, been shortlisted for the Cuffer Prize, the WANL Postcard Story Contest, and most recently was longlisted for the 2022 NLCU Fresh Fish Award. Willow was the recipient of the 2016 Rhonda Payne Theatre Award, and in 2018 she won the Percy Janes First Novel Award. Her novel, Eyes in Front When Running, was published by Breakwater Books in June of 2023. Willow gets angry, cooks, and writes about it at thelittleredchicken.substack.com.

The Alfred G. Bailey Prize for Poetry Manuscript – Susan Gillis

(48 to 96 pages - Individual poems can be previously published, but the manuscript must be unpublished. First Prize $350, Second Prize $200, Third Prize one year WFNB membership)

Susan Gillis has lived on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and along the St. Lawrence River, and now makes her home near Perth in eastern Ontario. Her most recent book, Yellow Crane (Brick 2018), is a meditation on ecologies of place, writing, and desire. Volta, her second book, was awarded the AM Klein Prize for Poetry; her other books have been finalists for awards from  the Quebec Writers Federation, the Association for Studies in Literature and the Environment, Relit and the League of Canadian Poets. Her work has been featured in Best Canadian Poetry, Juniper, The Fiddlehead, Grain, and other journals in print and online. A member of the collaborative group Yoko’s Dogs, Susan also works as a poetry editor and mentor.

The Quantiphi Books for Young People Award - Lorna Schultz Nicholson

(Short stories or poems written for young people - children’s, middle grade or YA - up to 4,500 words. First Prize $200, Second Prize $100, Third Prize one-year WFNB membership)

Lorna Schultz Nicholson is full-time writer who divides her time between Edmonton, Alberta and Penticton, British Columbia. She has published children’s picture books, middle grade fiction, YA fiction and non-fiction sports books. Lorna’s books are about family, friendships, and, well, the ups and downs of life. We all have those, right? They are also diverse, featuring many different characters. Many of her books are about sports, (yes, hockey), so she can answer a lot of questions about that too. Of course, she loves talking about writing and her process, and she loves giving tips to students on how they can make their writing better. Lorna is a lively presenter and has been in schools across Canada. She loves instilling her love of reading and writing to any grade. 

The Dawn Watson prize for Single Poem – Jeanette Lynes.

(Single poem, up to 100 lines. First Prize $200, Second Prize $100, Third Prize one-year WFNB membership)

Jeanette Lynes Jeanette Lynes is the author of seven books of poetry and three novels. Her third novel, The Apothecary’s Garden (HarperCollins Canada, 2022) was a finalist for a High Plains Book Award and two Saskatchewan Book Awards. Jeanette’s fourth novel is forthcoming from HarperCollins Canada in 2025. Jeanette’s personal essays, Apron Apocalypse, won the John V. Hicks manuscript competition in 2023. Jeanette’s most recent poetry book, Bedlam Cowslip: The John Clare Poems (Wolsak and Wynn/Buckrider Books) won the 2016 Saskatchewan Arts Board Poetry Award. Jeanette directs the MFA in Writing at the University of Saskatchewan.

The Sheree Fitch Prize for Teen Writers – Jay McGrath

(Short story - 400 words, or poem - up to 100 lines, written by teens age 13 to 18. First Prize $100, Second Prize $50, Third Prize one-year WFNB membership)

Jay McGrath is an emerging author, originally from Branch, NL and currently resides in Mount Pearl, NL. Born into a community of storytellers, Jay has been putting pen to paper his whole life and enjoys writing speculative fiction. He holds an Arts Degree with a double major in English and History, as well as, a Business Degree from Memorial University. He also completed his Master of Arts in History. His debut novel, We’d Rather Fight Than Eat is available through Flanker Press. His second novel is due out in Fall 2024. He is one of the hosts of the Writer’s NL podcast Inkpod. You can follow his Author Page on Facebook – Jay McGrath, Writer.

The narrative nonfiction prize - Shelly Kawaja

(Narrative nonfiction prose - 1,500 to 3,000 words. First Prize $200, Second Prize $100, Third Prize 1 year WFNB membership)

Shelly Kawaja won the 2022 BMO Winterset Award for her debut novel, The Raw Light of Morning. Her work can also be found in Riddle Fence, Horseshoe Literary Magazine, The Humber Literary Review and The Dalhousie Review. She was longlisted for the Bridge Prize, the Fresh Fish Award, and won the GritLIT 2020 short fiction contest. Shelly teaches creative writing at Memorial University’s Corner Brook campus and is the Fiction Reviews Editor at The Artisanal Writer Magazine. She’s a graduate of UBC’s MFA program, The Humber School for Writers and Memorial University of Newfoundland. She lives in Corner Brook with her family.

The Jane LeBlanc Screenwriting Award – Carlos Anthony

(Short Film Scripts (up to 15 minutes in length), Unproduced or produced accepted. Must have been written within the last two years. First Prize $500, Second prize, $150, Third Prize, one-year WFNB membership.)

Carlos Anthony is a filmmaker and author who writes about the experiences that Black men have historically avoided talking about. He has been recognized for his video web series, short story series, published essays, and short films that explore the themes of Black adolescence, fatherhood, fidelity, provision and work ethic, healthy relationships, sex and intimacy, overcoming addiction, and abuse. Shades of Black, his first novel, was published in April, 2023. With his wife and children, Carlos lives in Windsor, Ontario. 

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MORE THAN WORDS: Navigating the Complex World of Communication. 

Valerie Sherrard and Natalie Hyde invite you to join them on NOVEMBER 15 as they launch their new non-fiction title for middle grades. With a look at non-verbal communication, listening skills, speaking effectively, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and more, the content in MTW is supported by activities at each chapter's end, and fun artwork from David Jardine. 

Friends, family, teachers (along with their classes) ALL are welcome to join us! 

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/746340403237?aff=oddtdtcreator 

The Canadian Artists Network, the voice of Canada's experienced professional artists, will present its annual virtual conference Maintaining Creativity 8 from October 30-November 3, 2023 with three chapters on the theme Artists as Agents of Change. 

The Maintaining Creativity 8 conference will explore a different aspect of Artists as Agents of Change in each two-hour chapter with moderators including Laurie Brown, Steven Loft, and Garry Neil. This annual conference is an online gathering place for professional artists of all disciplines in Canada to come together to examine new ideas for innovation, support, and craft.

Maintaining Creativity 8 is presented free of charge, with registration now open at https://www.csarn.ca/conference/. Participating panelists will be announced in the coming weeks.

Chapter One
Women Warriors for Change

Monday, October 30^th at 1pm Eastern time

What does it mean for an artist to be a warrior? Starting something that needed starting? Stopping something that never should have started in the first place? An artist who works to change the system? For moderator Laurie Brown, being a warrior means searching, exploring until we find authenticity, honesty, purpose and meaning coming together. Broadcaster, writer, journalist Laurie Brown will dig deeply into the topic of Women Warriors with three remarkable guests. 

Chapter Two
Inclusion: Where Are We?
Wednesday, November 1^st at 1pm Eastern time

Canadian artists from diverse communities have been at the forefront of issues involving equity, representation and inclusion. Much has happened and a lot still needs to happen. Where are we when it comes to social justice in the arts and beyond, in the areas of race, reconciliation with Indigenous communities, gender, sexual orientation, and people with disabilities? What are the most effective ways to be an ally for these communities? What is the role of artists in mobilizing their own community and the wider community? What role can/do arts institutions play? Does ageism fit into this discussion?

Inclusion: Where Are We? will be moderated by Steven Loft, Vice-President, Department of Indigenous Ways and Decolonization at the National Gallery of Canada.

Chapter Three
The Original Gig Workers: Strategies Towards Economic Stability
Friday, November 3^rd at 1pm Eastern time

Artists are fundamental to society, but they are the original gig workers. The median income of professional artists is 44 per cent lower than that of all workers; many earn less than the poverty line. Thirty years after the Status of the Artist Act was adopted, have we made any progress? What more needs to be done? 

The Original Gig Workers moderator will be Garry Neil, whose 40-year-career in arts and culture policy includes the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

For more information visit: www.csarn.ca/conference.

The Canadian Artists Network (CAN, formerly CSARN) is the voice of Canada's elder professional artists across all disciplines. CAN offers programs and services that enable artists to remain relevant, connected, informed, and motivated. Artists don't retire. Their creativity and skills do not diminish with age. Creativity Lives Forever. The Canadian Artists Network is committed to raising awareness of the value of these artists as resources for the future and role models for emerging talent. CAN is dedicated to supporting, celebrating, and inspiring these senior artistic voices through its advocacy work and programs.

October 19, 2023

Several key cultural industry associations and groups met recently to discuss the state of the arts and culture sector in NB. As important voices advocating for the arts and culture sector, we submit these insights and recommendations to further strengthen and support the vital contributions made by this sector.

It is time to recognize the importance of arts and culture in New Brunswick.

In 2021 — despite a 5% workforce decline from 2020 — New Brunswick’s arts and culture sector employed 7,050 people and contributed $578 million to the province's GDP. Recovery from the pandemic remains a challenge, with fewer organizations and businesses from 2020 to 2022.

Inflation has raised costs by over 16% since 2019, impacting the ability of cultural organizations to fulfill their essential role within the sector's framework. The foundation of the cultural ecosystem is made up of community centres, festival organizers, art spaces, and other cultural assets. Arts organizations offer funding for creation, distribution, and presentation, as well as for training and employment of artists, and a place for artists and the public to assemble, study, explore, and develop as a community.

The Arts and Culture Branch of the Department of Tourism, Heritage, and Culture faces severe underfunding, making it difficult to meet the sector's needs. We urge the government to recognize the value of investing in arts and culture in order to sustain and grow these essential contributions to our society and economy.

We recommend a minimum investment of $25M in arts and culture for the 2024-25 Provincial Budget, including the following:

Increase the Core Support Programs by $2.5M for cultural organizations’ base funding.

Allocate $2.5M to support festivals, including Arts in Communities and the Invitation Festival Fund.

Boost the Music Industry Development Program (MID) by $460,000.

Provide an additional $2M to the New Brunswick Arts Board through the Arts Development Trust Fund.

Allocate funding towards the local governance reform project to develop and implement new municipal cultural strategies.

Uphold the commitment to the Film, Television, and New Media Industries by increasing film industry funding by $5M to reach the 2025 target.

Your leadership in bringing these recommendations to the forefront will pave the way for a brighter future for all New Brunswickers and our economy. We are ready to discuss these proposals with you and explore collaborative initiatives and solutions toward implementing positive change and prosperity.

Thank you for your time and commitment to our province’s arts and culture sector.

***

19 octobre 2023

Plusieurs associations et groupes clés de l'industrie culturelle se sont réunis récemment pour discuter de l'état du secteur des arts et de la culture au N.-B. En tant que représentant.e.s de ces associations et groupes, nous soumettons ces réflexions et ces recommandations à votre gouvernement dans le but de renforcer et de soutenir convenablement les contributions inestimables de ce secteur.

Il est temps de reconnaître l'importance des arts et de la culture au Nouveau-Brunswick.

En 2021, malgré un recul de 5 % de l'emploi depuis 2020, le secteur des arts et de la culture du Nouveau-Brunswick employait 7 050 personnes et contribuait au PIB de la province pour un montant de 578 millions de dollars. La relance après la pandémie reste un défi, avec moins d'organismes et d'entreprises de 2020 à 2022.

L'inflation a fait augmenter les coûts de plus de 16 % depuis 2019. Cela a eu un impact sur la capacité des organismes culturels à remplir leur rôle essentiel dans le cadre du secteur. Le fondement de l'écosystème culturel est constitué de groupes artistiques: centres communautaires, organisations de festivals, espaces artistiques et autres biens culturels. Les organismes artistiques fournissent des fonds pour la création, la distribution, la présentation, la formation et l'emploi des artistes, ainsi qu'un lieu où les artistes et le public peuvent se rassembler, étudier, explorer et grandir en communauté.

La section des arts et de la culture du ministère du Tourisme, du Patrimoine et de la Culture souffre d'un grave sous-financement, ce qui l'empêche de répondre aux besoins du secteur. Nous plaidons pour des investissements significatifs afin de soutenir et de développer ce secteur essentiel qui contribue grandement à notre société et à notre économie.

Nous recommandons un investissement minimum de 25 millions de dollars dans les arts et la culture pour le budget provincial 2024-25, qui comprend ce qui suit :

Augmenter le Programme de soutien de base de 2,5 millions de dollars afin de fournir un financement de base aux organismes culturels.

Allouer 2,5 millions de dollars pour soutenir les festivals, notamment le Programme des arts dans les communautés et le Fonds pour les festivals «l'Invitation».

Augmenter le Programme de développement de l'industrie de la musique (DIM) de 600 000 dollars.

Fournir 2 millions de dollars supplémentaires au Conseil des arts du Nouveau-Brunswick par le biais du Fonds en fiducie pour l'avancement des Arts.

Allouer des fonds au projet de réforme de la gouvernance locale afin d'élaborer et de mettre en œuvre de nouvelles stratégies culturelles municipales.

Respecter l'engagement pris à l'égard du Programme de soutien à l'industrie du film, et de la télévision et des nouveaux médias en augmentant le financement de l'industrie cinématographique de 5 millions de dollars pour atteindre l'objectif de 2025.

Le leadership dont vous ferez preuve en mettant en avant ces recommandations ouvrira la voie à un avenir meilleur pour tous les gens du Nouveau-Brunswick et pour notre économie. Nous sommes prêts à discuter de ces propositions avec vous et à explorer des initiatives et des solutions de collaboration pour mettre en œuvre des changements positifs et favoriser la prospérité.

Nous vous remercions de votre temps et de votre engagement envers le secteur des arts et de la culture de notre province.

Participating Organizations/Les organisations participantes : ArtsLink NB, CraftNB, Creating Access, Mawi’art: Wabanaki Artist Collective, Media NB, Music•Musique NB, NB Arts Centre Association INC / Association des centres des arts du NB INC., RADARTS inc.

The New Brunswick Arts Board (artsnb) is pleased to have launched its remodeled Artist in Residence Program. Professional artists, arts organizations, non-profit and for-profit organizations, institutions, municipalities, councils, and bands are eligible to apply to artsnb’s Artist in Residence Program.

The Artist in Residence Program is intended for individual artists to participate in residencies here or elsewhere, and for New Brunswick public or private institutions and organizations to host professional artists and enable them to pursue specific projects relating to their creative work. The artists in residence are also to contribute to the promotion and understanding of the arts by means of the artists’ contact with the clientele of the establishments. This program now has 6 annual deadlines.

What is an artist residency?

An artist residency offers artists a space and time outside of their regular environment to do one or a combination of the following: create or develop new or in-progress work; engage in mentorship or gain new skills; broaden the network and audience for their professional artistic practice; and/or community engagement.

For more information on this program and to apply please visit https://artsnb.ca/web/programs/artist-in-residence/

artsnb Lunch and Learn presentation about the Artist in Residence Program

Join artsnb staff members in their Lunch and Learn presentation (online) on TUESDAY OCTOBER 10, 2023, FROM 12PM to 1PM and find out everything there is to know about submitting an application to the remodeled Artist in Residence Program.

For more information on this information session and to register please visit https://artsnb.ca/web/2023/10/artsnb-lunch-and-learn-the-new-artist-in-residence-program-at-artsnb/

For questions or concerns about the Artist in Residence Program, please reach out to our Program Officers by email at prog@artsnb.ca.

---

Bonjour aux intervenant.es culturels, galeries, municipalités, institutions, associations multiculturelles, bandes et conseil, centres d'art, et organisations artistiques et culturelles.

Le Conseil des arts du Nouveau-Brunswick (artsnb) est heureux d’avoir lancé son nouveau programme d'Artiste en résidence. Les artistes professionnel.les, les organisations artistiques, les organisations à but lucratif ou non, les institutions, les municipalités, les conseils et les bandes peuvent déposer une demande de financement au programme d'Artiste en résidence d'artsnb.

Le programme d’Artiste en résidence s’adresse aux artistes pour leur permettre de participer à des résidences, ainsi qu’aux institutions publiques ou privées et aux organismes néo-brunswickois qui désirent accueillir des artistes professionnel.les dans le cadre de projets leur permettant de se consacrer à leur activité créatrice. Les artistes en résidence doivent contribuer à la promotion et à la compréhension des arts par leur présence auprès de la clientèle de l’établissement hôte. Ce programme a maintenant 6 dates limites annuelles.

Qu’est-ce qu’une résidence d’artiste?

Une résidence d'artiste offre à un.e artiste un espace et du temps en dehors de son environnement habituel pour réaliser une ou plusieurs des activités suivantes : créer ou développer une nouvelle œuvre ou travailler à une œuvre en cours de réalisation ; bénéficier d'un mentorat ou acquérir de nouvelles compétences ; élargir son réseau et le public pour sa pratique artistique professionnelle ; et/ou s'engager auprès de la communauté.

Pour plus d’information sur ce programme et pour déposer une demande, visitez https://artsnb.ca/web/programs/artist-in-residence/?lang=fr

Midi-Causerie sur le programme Artiste en résidence

Rejoignez l'équipe d'artsnb pour un Midi-causerie (en ligne) le MERCREDI 11 OCTOBRE 2023 DE 12H À 13H, pour tout savoir à propos du nouveau programme d’Artiste en résidence.

Pour plus de détails sur cette session d’information et pour s’inscrire, visitez https://artsnb.ca/web/2023/10/midi-causerie-artsnb-le-nouveau-programme-artsnb-dartiste-en-residence/?lang=fr

Pour toute question sur le programme d’Artiste en résidence veuillez communiquer avec nos agent.es de programme par courriel à prog@artsnb.ca.

Dear friends –

I wanted to let you know about the Sackville Arts Wall Celebration this fall where Janet Crawford, Dan Steeves and I will be honoured. The celebration is always a joyful affair, and I hope you will be able to come and celebrate with us!  For the exact date, time and location please click below.

https://sackville.com/calendar/arts-wall-induction-ceremony/

Warmly,

Marilyn

PRESS RELEASES

Artificial Intelligence

September 20, 2023

New York, N.Y., September 20, 2023—The Authors Guild and 17 authors filed a class-action suit against OpenAI in the Southern District of New York for copyright infringement of their works of fiction on behalf of a class of fiction writers whose works have been used to train GPT. The named plaintiffs include David Baldacci, Mary Bly, Michael Connelly, Sylvia Day, Jonathan Franzen, John Grisham, Elin Hilderbrand, Christina Baker Kline, Maya Shanbhag Lang, Victor LaValle, George R.R. Martin, Jodi Picoult, Douglas Preston, Roxana Robinson, George Saunders, Scott Turow, and Rachel Vail.

“Without Plaintiffs’ and the proposed class’ copyrighted works, Defendants would have a vastly different commercial product,” stated Rachel Geman, a partner with Lieff Cabraser and co-counsel for Plaintiffs and the Proposed Class. “Defendants’ decision to copy authors’ works, done without offering any choices or providing any compensation, threatens the role and livelihood of writers as a whole.”

Scott Sholder, a partner with Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard and co-counsel for Plaintiffs and the Proposed Class, added, “Plaintiffs don’t object to the development of generative AI, but Defendants had no right to develop their AI technologies with unpermitted use of the authors’ copyrighted works. Defendants could have ‘trained’ their large language models on works in the public domain or paid a reasonable licensing fee to use copyrighted works.” 

The Authors Guild organized the lawsuit after witnessing first-hand the harm and existential threat to the author profession wrought by the unlicensed use of books to create large language models that generate texts. According to the Guild’s latest author income survey, the median full-time author income in 2022 was just barely over $20,000, including book and other author-related activities. While 10 percent of authors earn far above the median, half earn even less. Generative AI threatens to decimate the author profession. The council of the Authors Guild and the board of the Authors Guild Foundation voted unanimously (with abstentions) to file the suit because of the profound unfairness and danger of using copyrighted books to develop commercial AI machines without permission or payment.

Maya Shanbhag Lang, president of the Authors Guild and a class representative, stated, “The Authors Guild serves to protect the literary landscape and the profession of writing. This case is merely the beginning of our battle to defend authors from theft by OpenAI and other generative AI. As the oldest and largest organization of writers, with nearly 14,000 members, the Guild is uniquely positioned to represent authors’ rights. Our membership is diverse and passionate. Our staff, which includes a formidable legal team, has expertise in copyright law. This is all to say: We do not bring this suit lightly. We are here to fight.”

The complaint draws attention to the fact that the plaintiffs’ books were downloaded from pirate ebook repositories and then copied into the fabric of GPT 3.5 and GPT 4 which power ChatGPT and thousands of applications and enterprise uses—from which OpenAI expects to earn many billions. These “professionally authored, edited, and published books” are “an especially important source of LLM ‘training’ data,” as the complaint states, because they allow GPT to provide better, more commercial outputs.  

GPT is already being used to generate books that mimic human authors’ work, such as the recent attempt to generate volumes 6 and 7 of plaintiff George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series A Song of Ice and Fire, as well as the numerous AI-generated books that have been posted on Amazon that attempt to pass themselves off as human-generated and seek to profit off a human author’s hard-earned reputation.

Authors Guild CEO Mary Rasenberger commented, “It is imperative that we stop this theft in its tracks or we will destroy our incredible literary culture, which feeds many other creative industries in the U.S. Great books are generally written by those who spend their careers and, indeed, their lives, learning and perfecting their crafts. To preserve our literature, authors must have the ability to control if and how their works are used by generative AI. The various GPT models and other current generative AI machines can only generate material that is derivative of what came before it. They copy sentence structure, voice, storytelling, and context from books and other ingested texts. The outputs are mere remixes without the addition of any human voice. Regurgitated culture is no replacement for human art.”

This suit highlights the particularly egregious harm to the fiction market. For fiction writers, OpenAI’s unauthorized use of their work is identity theft on a grand scale. Fiction authors create entirely new worlds from their imaginations—they create the places, the people, and the events in their stories. According to Rasenberger, “People are already distributing content generated by versions of GPT that mimic or use original authors’ characters and stories. Companies are selling prompts that allow you to ‘enter the world’ of an author’s books. These are clear infringements upon the intellectual property rights of the original creators.”  

She added, “This class-action suit focuses on fiction writers as a first step, as it is a well-defined and cohesive class of writers, as works of fiction are already being widely mimicked with GPT; we do of course also see harm to nonfiction markets and are addressing that as well. In all events, a positive outcome of this case will resound to the benefit of writers from all genres.”  

Class representative George Saunders stated, “I’m very happy to be part of this effort to nudge the tech world to make good on its frequent declarations that it is on the side of creativity. Writers should be fairly compensated for their work. Fair compensation means that a person’s work is valued, plain and simple. This, in turn, tells the culture what to think of that work and the people who do it. And the work of the writer—the human imagination, struggling with reality, trying to discern virtue and responsibility within it—is essential to a functioning democracy.”

Fiction writers are not the only ones being hurt, however. Nonfiction writers are also being robbed of their work. In August, Jane Friedman posted a thread on social media about how there were books listed on Amazon with her byline, when she had not in fact authored them. These books were then listed on Goodreads as well, under her author profile. She worked with the Authors Guild to get these books removed. Misappropriating authors’ names to sell scam books though Kindle and Goodreads is not new, but has gotten worse with the advent of AI-generated content.

Class representative Jonathan Franzen stated, “Generative AI is a vast new field for Silicon Valley’s longstanding exploitation of content providers. Authors should have the right to decide when their works are used to ‘train’ AI. If they choose to opt in, they should be appropriately compensated.”

The economic ramifications to the author profession stand to adversely affect all cultural production. For one, emerging writers will be less likely to enter the profession or sustain themselves as creatives. The loss of diverse perspectives, stylistic variety, and innovative approaches will indeed be to the detriment of all. The prospect of a future dominated by derivative culture is a matter of grave concern for everyone and this lawsuit is one of many efforts on various fronts to prevent that from happening.

Read the full complaint here (PDF).

About The Authors Guild

With near 14,000 members, the Authors Guild is the nation’s oldest and largest professional organization for published writers. It advocates on behalf of working writers to protect free speech, freedom of expression, and authors’ copyrights; fights for fair contracts and authors’ ability to earn a livable wage; and provides a welcoming community for writers and translators of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and journalism. Through its educational and charitable arm, the Authors Guild Foundation, it also offers free programming to teach working writers about the business of writing, as well as organizing public events that highlight the importance of a rich, diverse American literary culture and the authors who contribute to it.

Contact:
Raluca Albu
Communications Director, Authors Guild
RAlbu@authorsguild.org

About The Law Firms

Lieff Cabraser

Among the largest law firms in the U.S. representing only plaintiffs, Lieff Cabraser continues its 50-plus year commitment to corporate accountability; promoting fair competition and business practices; safeguarding product safety; protecting our environment; securing justice for consumers, employees, patients, investors, and business owners; ensuring our rights to privacy; and upholding the civil rights of citizens worldwide.

Rachel Geman
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
212-355-9500
rgeman@lchb.com

Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP 

For nearly three decades, Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP has provided legal counsel to leading media, art, technology, and entertainment clients, from individual creators to corporations, associations, and non-profit organizations. See https://cdas.com for more information.  

Scott Sholder
Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP
212-974-7474
ssholder@cdas.com