As we begin to wind down towards the festive season, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support of the Guild. Without your membership we wouldn’t get to achieve all that we do, and especially in these times of economic uncertainty, we’re grateful that you continue to see the Guild as something worth investing in.

It’s been a year of big change for us – and we’re looking forward to hitting the ground running in 2026. This year saw us celebrate the 18th Annual Zebbie Awards. We launched Script Biz, our first business skills masterclass for members. And we finally saw both the publication of the Competency Framework for screenwriters and the introduction of the  Interim Guidelines for the Copyright Directive.

More than ever, we saw you coming to us with your contract queries, and we hope that you continue to do so in the coming year. Again, we’d urge you to never sign a contract without getting some advice, and to remember that you never have to say yes to a bad deal. Recently, we launched our “ask the last writer” campaign, and we’d encourage you to take those simple steps on board. We’ve continued to advocate for you when it comes to protecting your rights – and in particular around Generative AI and its impact on your copyright. We’ve worked closely with our colleagues in the screen sector here in Ireland – through our fellow Guilds, and stakeholders, and on the international front through the IAWG and the FSE.  We’ve lobbied and debated and raised questions on your behalf on everything from contract terms to late payments to eligibility for funding rounds. We’ve sponsored awards and spoken at festivals and on panels and hosted a number of events and panel discussions. 

At our recent AGM, we were asked by members how we might meaningfully show support for the situation in Palestine. We know how important a topic this is for so many of you, and we’re also mindful of our remit as a Writers’ Guild. Having discussed this in depth at board level, we thought that the best action we could take would be to support Palestinian writers. And so we’re going to organise a mentorship and support scheme in 2026, pairing experienced WGI members and Irish writers with Palestinian writers for support, advocacy and mentorship. We’re in the very early stages of planning this, so bear with us while we figure out the logistics. But rest assured you’ll be hearing more from us on this front in the new year. 

On a personal note, my thanks to our board for their time, commitment and energy to the Guild. It’s my pleasure and privilege to be your Chair. To our staff and freelance team – Ciarán and Miriam, to Steven and David, and to Clíona, who we very much hope will be back with us before long – my huge gratitude for all the work you do on behalf of the Guild, and the energy and kindness you bring to the job. 

And to you, our members –  I wish you the happiest of Christmas seasons, with no rejection emails, endless funding awards and only constructive script notes. 

Jennifer

WGI Chair