ALCS pays tribute to advocate of writers’ rights Janet Anderson MP, who has died aged 73

Janet Anderson, former chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Writers’ Group and Rossendale and Darwen MP, has died aged 73.

Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Anderson was Minister for Tourism, Film & Broadcasting during Tony Blair’s premiership, and presented the first proposal to outlaw stalking to the House of Commons.

She was chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Writers’ Group, which was established in November 2007 to represent the interests of all writers, safeguard their intellectual property rights and ensure they receive a fair level of recognition and reward for their contribution to the economy and society as a whole, from 2009 to 2010.

She worked on a number of campaigns with ALCS on behalf of authors; was a supporter of writers and their rights, standing up for fair remuneration during the Hargreaves review of intellectual property and growth and arguing for the importance of public libraries and PLR in the face of public sector funding cuts. She also worked with the ALCS on campaigns for fair contracts for writers and was involved in its work in the EU on the EU Directive on the Digital Single Market, most recently working to help ensure authors were protected through the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Barbara Hayes, chief executive of the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS) told The Bookseller: “The ALCS team were incredibly sad to learn of the death of Janet Anderson. A former DCMS minister, she was a passionate advocate of writers’ rights and the arts and was one of the earliest members of the All-Party Parliamentary Writers’ Group which she went on to chair. 

“After she left parliament she worked with us at ALCS for many years as an advocacy consultant where I hugely valued her mentorship and counsel; Janet was warm, funny, compassionate and a lot of fun to be around. She will be very much missed.”