Literature Wales relies on freelancers to deliver our vision effectively. We care about treating this vital workforce fairly and ethically and are improving our practices every year. All freelancers (creative or otherwise) can expect opportunity, security, enjoyment, respect, and a voice in what we do. We will work collaboratively with freelancers who will:

• Receive a fair fee (see below)
• Receive a contract which clearly and concisely sets out what is expected from the freelancer, and what support they can expect from Literature Wales.
• Receive support in understanding and working in line with our policies, e.g. Safeguarding, Health & Safety and Accessibility, and be offered specific training where required.

Most of our opportunities for freelancers, from opportunities to run projects to delivering and ambassadorial roles such as the National Poet of Wales, are advertised as open and transparent callouts. . This ensures a democratic and fair approach to contracting freelancers. We also conduct annual callouts for freelancers with certain skills (tradespeople, photographers, videographers) to create an up-to-date preferred supplier list rather than requiring applications, or numerous quotes, for every project.

One of the key parts of providing fair work for freelancers is ensuring fair fees. In 2022 we engaged Aberystwyth University to compile a Wales-specific study into fair fees. The research engaged 111 writers and event organisers in surveys and interviews to determine a variety of barriers to writers receiving fair pay. Examples include organisations not understanding the work and costs involved for writers in delivering work, or writers not having the confidence to negotiate for a higher fee.

This research clearly shows the issues within the literary ecosystem in Wales around fair work. However, the necessary action is not clear or easy. It will require the whole literary community – audiences, writers, community organisers, festivals, bookshops, larger organisations, and funders – to work together to create a strong and representative sector that supports writers to develop sustainable careers. Talking about money can be uncomfortable but it’s really important and it’s the only action which will lead to meaningful change.

As the national company for the development of literature, we want to lead by example. Therefore, we are committing to annually publishing fees we have paid, and setting fee ranges for the upcoming year. In addition, we will only partner with organisations who also commit to paying these rates, and we will not distribute funding to organisations who don’t pay fair fees.

We do not seek to ostracise writers who wish to work for free or for lower fees within their communities or for specific events to support a cause or to advance their careers, however we do ask them to articulate why their rate is discounted/free to event organisers to facilitate wider understanding of the importance of fair work for writers. We ask all event organisers to think carefully about writer fee offers before engaging writers, and to be open and willing to negotiate with writers.

As a result of this report, we will implement:

• Transparency: Annually updating our fee guidelines, and reporting on the fees we have paid to artists for different types of literary activity during the previous year on our website.

• Respect: We promise to pay writers fairly and promptly, taking preparation work and expenses into account.

• Power: We will give writers the tools to negotiate effectively, running open webinar training sessions designed to build confidence, skills and knowledge. In addition, all our long-term writer development programmes will include content on developing professional skills alongside their writing.

• Support: We will increase our Inspiring Communities Fund to £30,000 per year from 2024, and increase the maximum event organisers can apply for up to 75% of writers’ fees and expenses. In addition to pledging this amount for 2024, we will actively fundraise to increase funding available for the future.

• Platform: We will use our platform and networks to advocate for change. We will support community event organisers through our Inspiring Communities Fund to understand the issues facing writers and advocate for fair fees. We will run an ongoing communications campaign showcasing the variety of career routes and income streams available for writers. Our messaging will aim to inform audiences of the realities – both the opportunities and challenges – of the writing profession.

At the heart of Literature Wales are its employees and we rely on them to effectively deliver the ambitions and priorities of the Strategic Plan for 2022-2027. We care about the health and well-being of our team and recognise the importance of sustaining a healthy, supportive, and inclusive culture, that is also reflective of the true nature of Wales’ rich and diverse communities.

Our approach to human resources is based on transparency, consultation, accountability, and learning.

Fair Work is work that offers employees opportunity, security, enjoyment, respect, and a voice, whilst also managing and balancing the organisation’s rights and responsibilities with those of its workers.

Key to ensuring fair work for all contracted staff includes the following:

• Ensuring that the Management Board of Trustees reviews and updates the Pay Policy This ensures salaries remain competitive in the labour market, through conducting pay reviews, paying individuals in line with normal industry practice and standards.
• Updating the Equal Opportunities Policy annually to ensure staff and potential workers are not discriminated against because of gender, marital or civil partnership status, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, or because they work part time or on a fixed term contract.
• We will not offer zero-hour contracts to any staff, and we will always pay contracted staff the current UK Real Living Wage.
• We recognise the importance of work/life balance and offer 25 days pro rata annual leave, plus bank holidays and privilege days as well as volunteering opportunities, and training within work time.
• We will ensure our recruitment practices – internal and external – are fair and transparent, and comply with our Equal Opportunities Policy, and with the law.
• We offer hybrid working arrangements, an informal flexible working arrangement which allows workers to split time working between their workplace and a remote working location (e.g. at home). However, this may differ between workers dependent on the nature of tasks/responsibilities and to support well-being.
• We will always encourage trade union .
• We encourage a culture of openness within our organisation and believe it can help prevent malpractice – prevention is better than cure. However, we operate a Whistle blowing policy and grievance processes to ensure workers are treated fairly, and according to the law, if and when raising issues/concerns.
• Review policies and procedures annually in consultation with workers and Trustees.

Aligning with the Well-being of Future Generations Act (Wales) 2015, Literature Wales acknowledges and recognises the climate emergency and its devastating impact on our world and the lives of people, with the poorest hardest hit. We will act where we can, to mitigate further escalation of the crisis and raise awareness through our work.. We will work with partners and our audiences to aim towards a greener, fairer, and more prosperous Wales. To help address these challenges and make Literature Wales as sustainable as possible:

• We will actively act upon our Sustainability Action Plan which outlines strict operational measures to limit our carbon footprint and details how some of our creative projects can address the climate crisis thematically.
• Whilst being mindful of digital poverty and those less fluent in technology, we will reduce the carbon footprint of literary events by increasing virtual or hybrid events compared with in-person events.
• We will use creativity to educate, explore and challenge, increasing knowledge of the climate emergency and inspiring lasting change.
• We will support local producers and suppliers when sourcing ingredients and produce for Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre, benefiting from seasonal produce and lower food miles.
• We will focus on working locally and we will assist the development of resilient communities by supporting local literature events and meaningful literature for health and well-being projects.
• We will not use air travel as a business, and will also encourage staff, trustees, and the writers that we work with to use public transport options where possible.

Literature Wales is a charity and needs to raise money from a variety of funders and partners to achieve our vision. Quite simply; the more money we raise, the more impact we can have.

However, we care about where our money comes from and we try to fundraise as ethically as possible. Our Ethical Fundraising policy outlines examples of what we don’t do (such as taking funding from people or organisations involved in the fossil fuel business, or on behalf of political parties), but many potential funding sources lie in an ethically grey area. We have developed a rigorous internal system for weighing up the potential benefits or adverse effects of funds, which is overseen by our Board of Trustees.

A lot of Literature Wales’ work is delivered in partnership with other charities and businesses. Often our partners help us reach a particular community or are the experts in their field.

It’s important to us that our partners share our values and vision. That’s why we have a rigorous process to develop partnerships, including a conversation at the outset about our values and delivery principles, which are then built into partnership agreement documents.

We aim to be transparent about where our money comes from and how its spent. If you’re interested in finding out more, you can read our annual reports or get in touch.

Literature Wales aims to establish a welcoming and kind approach to bringing a diverse range of people together within the arts and literature sector – whether as writers, audiences, literature professionals, producers, staff, readers or participants – regardless of their background. We are a national company with inclusive values, and we welcome everyone in Wales to engage with us and our work. We know that the sector still presents a range of barriers which prevent writers, readers and audiences accessing literature. To help address these barriers and make Literature Wales as inclusive as possible:

• We will invite all contracted facilitators who run projects for us to provide us with their Access Riders ensuring we can provide an accessible, safe and comfortable environment for them to work. Every individual’s access requirements will be unique, but through these Riders, we hope to learn more about how to make our events and projects more inclusive and accessible to all.
• As detailed in the Communications section, we will provide content in multiple formats, so that our audiences can access them easily.
• The Literature Wales team of staff will regularly engage in range of inclusion training sessions, including Accessibility Training, Anti Racism Training, Disability and Deaf Awareness Training.
• We will be actively anti-racist, supporting the Government initiative to make Wales an Anti-Racist nation.
• We will continue to use recruitment process that encourage inclusion and transparency. For example, we take positive action by offering guaranteed interviews to applicants who meet the suitability requirements of the role and who identify as under-represented within the literary sector.
• Most of our activities will be free of charge, and aimed at under-represented groups. For the Tŷ Newydd programme of open courses, bursaries will be available for writers who cannot afford to attend, and a parallel programme of strategic courses will run to provide writer development training free of charge for specific groups.
• We will aim to employ more staff, and contract (and train) more facilitators and tutor with a wide range of lived experience to run our activities, acting as role models and encouraging under-represented groups to feel comfortable in taking part in our work.
• We will experiment with different platforms to try and reach audiences, using virtual meeting rooms to reach those who cannot travel, but being mindful of the challenges of digital poverty.
• Our Welsh Language Development Plan outlines our responsibility towards the Welsh language. We will ensure that it’s treated equally to the English in all that we do, and that Welsh speakers are included in our programmes.

Literature Wales aims to ensure that all its communications are useful and relevant to its audiences, and that they can engage with it in the manner which best suits them. We aim to achieve clear, concise, and correct communications, whilst ensuring that the tone and content is appropriate for the intended audience.

• Values-led: We will always uphold our values, and they will inform our communications, including which newspapers we approach for coverage, where we place adverts, what external social media posts we share, and what kind of events we will contribute to.
• Inclusive: We will aim to provide content in multiple formats, so that our audiences can access them easily. This includes providing subtitles to our videos, providing Dyslexia friendly versions of public documents, provide live captioning for online events wherever possible, and more.
• Professional: We will be polite, fair and respectful.
• Responsible: We will be considerate of other people’s privacy and respect confidentiality. We will always act on communications that displays conduct or language that we deem inappropriate and report any correspondence or messaging that crosses a line to the relevant authorities. We will abide by all of Literature Wales’ policies associated with communications, including our IT, Telephone and Communications Policy, Social Media Policy & Community Guidelines, Welsh Language Development Plan and the terms of use of the social media platforms we use.
• Accurate: We endeavour to ensure that our content is accurate and fact-checked where needed. If we make a mistake, we will correct it promptly.
• Transparent: We will be clear and open about our activity – how decisions are made and how they are delivered and funded.
• Language: We will share our content in both Welsh and English and ensure that our community can engage with us in either language. We will be respectful of all of Wales’ languages and celebrate the multilingualism of our communities.

Literature Wales recognises the need for transparency. We want to be accountable to our funders, stakeholders and the general public. We will ensure relevant information is available to the public and we respond to reasonable requests for additional information in an appropriate manner.

We will always:

• Share our annual report and accounts on our website and Companies House. This will include:
  • annual spend on writers’ fees and expenses during the financial year
  • Income analysis, % of income received from public funds, commercial income, donations, etc.
• Publish our quarterly impact reports on our website, which include our progress against goals set by Arts Council Wales, as well as operational targets such as EDI and Sustainability.
• Complete the Charity Commission annual return on time each year, reporting on income levels and expenditure for the previous financial year.
• Properly record any payments to its trustees for services, i.e., writers’ fees, in a Register of Benefits. This is updated quarterly and published on the organisation’s website.
• Recognise our partners’ contributions to projects and reflect this in any promotional materials, i.e., social media, leaflets, posters.
• Share creative and operational learning points with the sector, via our organisation reports, through networks and with interested parties.
• Respond to reasonable requests for information about our programme, or advice, within 10 working days. Complex requests may take longer, but within that time frame you can expect a response explaining when you should hear back, and provide you with a designated contact person.

Respond to complaints in a timely and reasonable manner.