Donachie succeeds Horwood as SoA chair

Chair of the Society of Authors (SoA), William Horwood, has stepped down from his position on the the Management Committee for "personal reasons".

Horwood, the fantasy author behind The Duncton Chronicles series (Pan Macmillan), was only voted into the role by members in January, succeeding previous chair Daniel Hahn.

The SoA committee has elected David Donachie, the author of over 40 novels, to replace him as chair effective immediately. 

In a profile on the SoA's website, Donachie said he feels a "personal debt" to the organisation, after an unnamed publisher tried to "cheat him" out of £15,000 - an issue since resolved with the help of the SoA.

"The SoA would like to thank William for all the time, thought and work he has put in to his role over the last few years," said the SoA. "He will leave a lasting legacy in the form of the revised Constitution. We are delighted that William will remain an active member of the SoA through his position on our council and we wish him every happiness and success in his future endeavours."