The Writers’ Guild of Ireland (WGI) has been announced as the host of the sixth World Conference of Screenwriters (WCOS), which will be held in Galway next October.

The 2024 Emerald World Conference of Screenwriters is being held in Ireland to celebrate the WGI’s Emerald Anniversary and is expected to attract hundreds of screenwriters and writers guilds from around the world.

WCOS 2024 will have the theme ‘Global Power, Global Solidarity’ because of the increasing globalisation of content creation and the fact that threats to writers’ incomes, such as that posed by the use of generative AI, are global in nature.   

The announcement of the prestigious event comes a month after the five-month strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) over issues relating to pay, recognition and the use of generative AI was finally resolved. 

The WGI was awarded the conference after the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds and the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe unanimously approved their proposal to host it, and were particularly keen for it to be in Galway, a UNESCO city of film.

Firm dates and venues for the conference in Galway have yet to be established but it will be in early October 2024.  

The WGI campaigns for rights, remuneration, more control of work and better recognition for its members. 

Jennifer Davidson, Chair of the Writers’ Guild of Ireland, said:

“We are delighted to have the honour of hosting WCOS 2024 during our Emerald Anniversary year. It is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the work that the WGI has done in fighting for writers’ rights domestically and globally over the 55 years since it was established. It is also an opportunity to emphasise the importance of guilds, of building power, and of establishing connections, affiliations and solidarity.

“A World Conference focused on global power and global solidarity –  especially around issues of copyright, ensuring the continued participation of writers in the production of their work, allowing writers to fulfil their capacity for creative expression and encouraging the distinct cultural identity of each country in an increasingly globalised industry – is an essential next step following on from the WGA strike, which exposed issues that affect writers all around the world, not just in America. We want WCOS 2024 to show our industry the strength and power of the collective voice of screenwriters worldwide.”