Mission & Objectives
OVERVIEW
ANFASA was formed as a national association especially for authors of general non-fiction works, textbooks and academic works, but it does not exclude authors of fictional works from membership. Many authors of fiction write non-fiction as well, and vice versa. ANFASA’s programmes, and its objectives, apply broadly to all authors. ANFASA is dedicated to defending their intellectual property rights, to promoting their works and to sharing information and offering advice and expertise on writing and publishing.
ANFASA’s vision is to be a member-driven association to uphold and enhance the profile and status of authors in South Africa, through advocating for the recognition of their works and protection of their rights, in collaboration and cooperation with other stakeholders in the book value chain such as publishers, booksellers and libraries.
ANFASA recognises that authors have the potential to influence society for the better, as expressed in the United Nations development goals of campaigning to end poverty, protecting the environment and promoting peace and prosperity. Authors played a significant role in the South African struggle for democracy and showed that authors can have power. ANFASA’s overriding objective is to strengthen the voice of authors in the service of a democratic and egalitarian society.
ANFASA is a member of the Network for African Academic and Non-Fiction Authors (NAANA)and of the International Authors Forum (IAF).
ANFASA’S MISSION
- To build a strong organisation to support and respond to authors’ needs and interests and to enable their agency in directing their personal development as creative workers.
- To inform authors of their intellectual property rights and ensure that they are properly remunerated for their work, and to maintain good relationships with rightsholder bodies and other sectoral stakeholders with the objective of advancing the growth of a writing and reading society.
- To make a contribution to South African culture, heritage, economic and human development through the growth of a literate society, and to encourage and support written communication in the arts, sciences and humanities.
- To sponsor and encourage the writing and publication of new works especially those which tackle themes of striking relevance such as human rights, social and economic development and all aspects of the environments
ANFASA’S ACTIVITIES
- Workshops and seminars for information, interaction and skills development
- Conferences
- Expert advice on publishing contracts
- Telephonic and e-mail assistance with copyright and publishing queries
- Annual Grant Scheme for Authors
- Networking platform
- Access to the JSTOR research portal
- Research into scholarly journals
- Promotion of members’ published works
- Lobbying for schemes to benefit authors, such as copyright legislation and Public Lending Right