UK writer Jack Thorne named president of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain

Jack Thorne has been elected as the new president of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain

Adolescence creator Jack Thorne has been elected as the new president of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), with the celebrated writer stepping into the union role vacated by broadcaster and comedian Sandi Toksvig (QI).

The announcement was made today at the annual general meeting of the WGGB, which represents professional writers working in TV, film, theatre, audio, books, comedy, poetry, animation and video games.

The union negotiates better pay and conditions, as well as campaigning on a broad range of issues to ensure writers’ rights are protected in the changing digital landscape.

Bristol-born playwright, screenwriter and producer Thorne is one of Britain’s most in-demand writers, starting his TV career in the early 2000s with early credits on E4’s youth-skewing drama Skins and Channel 4’s long-running comedy drama series Shameless.

His CV also include Shane Meadows’ This Is England trilogy, the BBC/HBO adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, The Fades and Netflix mini-series Adolescence, one of the most talked-about dramas of 2025.

Thorne said: “This is such a huge honour for me. I think the WGGB is a union to be hugely proud of. I was proud of it from the outside and I’m delighted to now fight for it from the inside.

“And I do think we’re about to be in the battle of our lives. The landscape for writers is brutal right now, and the conservatism that has crept into commissioning is vital to combat.

“But more than all that, there are people coming after our copyright, vultures who’d steal it to put into their machines and we need to make sure the government is robust in defending us.”

Outgoing WGGB president Toksvig said: “During my six years as president we’ve seen a global pandemic, the rise of AI, the fall-out from Brexit, a cost-of-living crisis, the disturbing re-emergence of the far right and brutal cuts to the arts.

“From deep in the trenches, I’ve been proud to witness my union rise to these challenges and fight at every turn to protect writers’ jobs, rights and livelihoods.

“As I hang up my president’s hat, I would like to pay tribute to every activist who I’ve been proud to walk alongside and to all who sail the good ship WGGB. Unions are precious and more important than they have ever been; we must hold on to them tight. It’s been a privilege to serve and I wish my successor Jack Thorne the very best – I know he’ll make a huge success of it.”