Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG) group CEO Jacqueline Elaine is resigning after 15 years at the helm of the organisation due to a health condition.
Having battled illness for some months, the guild reported today that Elaine has stepped back from both AWG and the Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society (AWGAC) to focus on regaining her health.
AWG president Shane Brennan said that both the guild’s national executive council and the board of AWGACS fully support her and wish her a speedy and full recovery.
“With her passion and dedication to the writers’ cause, Jacqueline has been tireless in the never-ending quest to protect and promote the interests of writers, both for screen and stage,” Brennan said, noting her impact would be long-lasting.
“There is little doubt she leaves the guild a stronger, more vibrant and more relevant organisation than when she first joined it.”
AWGACS chair Jan Sardi also paid tribute to Elaine, noting her responsibilities went far beyond managing the day-to-day.
“Jacqueline’s achievements for the membership are wide-ranging and too numerous to list, but include the negotiation of many funding initiatives with various state and federal bodies, the ongoing fight to improve contracts and terms for writers with producers, networks and broadcasters and the recent lobbying successes in Canberra with the Make It Australian campaign,” he said.
“The Guild is now in the strongest position it has ever been in; that’s why we owe her an enormous debt of gratitude for her outstanding service, her tireless dedication, her single-minded determination and her fierce defence of writers’ rights.”
A search for her replacement is underway.