diff --git a/src/client/components/pages/entities/work-table.js b/src/client/components/pages/entities/work-table.js
index 01c95bf4c9..db239635f6 100644
--- a/src/client/components/pages/entities/work-table.js
+++ b/src/client/components/pages/entities/work-table.js
@@ -64,7 +64,19 @@ function WorkTableRow({showAddedAtColumn, work, showCheckboxes, selectedEntities
 				<a href={`/work/${work.bbid}`}>{name}</a>
 				{disambiguation}
 			</td>
-			{authorData && <td>{authorData.length ? renderAuthors(authorData) : '?'}</td>}
+			{authorData &&
+			<td>
+				{authorData.length ? renderAuthors(authorData) :
+					<a
+						href={`/author/create?work=${work.bbid}`}
+						title="Add Author"
+						variant="link"
+					>
+						?
+					</a>
+				}
+			</td>
+			}
 			<td>{languages}</td>
 			<td>{workType}</td>
 			{showAddedAtColumn ? <td>{addedAt}</td> : null}
diff --git a/src/server/routes/entity/author.js b/src/server/routes/entity/author.js
index 330f8b1b26..6ae7bbb065 100644
--- a/src/server/routes/entity/author.js
+++ b/src/server/routes/entity/author.js
@@ -24,12 +24,14 @@ import * as search from '../../../common/helpers/search';
 import * as utils from '../../helpers/utils';
 
 import {
+	addInitialRelationship,
 	entityEditorMarkup,
 	generateEntityProps,
 	makeEntityCreateOrEditHandler
 } from '../../helpers/entityRouteUtils';
 
 import {ConflictError} from '../../../common/helpers/error';
+import {RelationshipTypes} from '../../../client/entity-editor/relationship-editor/types';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 import {escapeProps} from '../../helpers/props';
 import express from 'express';
@@ -98,11 +100,25 @@ router.get(
 	middleware.loadGenders, middleware.loadLanguages,
 	middleware.loadAuthorTypes, middleware.loadRelationshipTypes,
 	async (req, res) => {
+		const {Work} = req.app.locals.orm;
+		let relationshipTypeId;
+		let initialRelationshipIndex = 0;
 		const markupProps = generateEntityProps(
 			'author', req, res, {
 				genderOptions: res.locals.genders
 			}
 		);
+		if (req.query.work) {
+			const data = await Work.forge({bbid: req.query.work}).fetch({require: false, withRelated: 'defaultAlias'});
+			markupProps.work = data && utils.entityToOption(data.toJSON());
+		}
+
+		if (markupProps.work) {
+			// add initial relationship with relationshipTypeId = 8 (<Work> is written by <Author>)
+			relationshipTypeId = RelationshipTypes.AuthorWroteWork;
+			addInitialRelationship(markupProps, relationshipTypeId, initialRelationshipIndex++, markupProps.work);
+		}
+
 		const nameSection = {
 			disambiguation: '',
 			exactMatches: null,