Last Monday saw the Romantic Novel Award for each of nine different categories presented – online.
Normally I would be brushing the cobwebs off the posh frock, polishing the tiara and heading for an evening of fizz, friendship and books to add to the TBR pile in some Big Hall somewhere in central London.
Or I might start with lunch and/or tea with out-of-town friends and rock up to the awards with a good deal of the f and f already under the belt.
This year there were ten awards, nine for books in various categories and one Outstanding Achievement Award for a body of work, many supported by various bookish sponsors, including Libertà. So all of the hive, and friends, were sitting at our computers ready to party.
Getting Ready
Well, no pre-awards cream teas and gossip for us this year. But, for a couple of hours beforehand, short listed authors were posting their bridesmaid-before-the-wedding photos on social media. It really did feel as if the usual party excitement was building. Different from normal but just as fascinating and equally festive.
Like these three, a nice illustration of the general gorgeousness as well as the variety of your modern romantic novelist – from sultry and dangerous to warm and laughing and very practical.
An hour or so before kick off, Nicola Cornick (short listed, Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award) tweeted:
Getting ready for the #romanticnovelawardsparty! The last time this hairdryer was used was to loosen the nuts on the oil tank! #LockdownLife
Well that’s definitely a hack I wouldn’t have thought of. Adding it to the memory palace right now.
Joanna, pre-party and practical as always, mused: Really intrigued to see how this will pan out. I know that the RNA’s IT team have worked really hard to make the evening as slick as possible. I was surprised and intrigued to learn it would be transmitted live—sounded like a recipe for potential disasters—and yet I do understand that, if everyone watching wants the joy and the vibe of seeing the winners’ real reactions, it has to be done that way. So with 10 minutes to go till curtain up, my fingers are very much crossed that the potential disasters don’t happen.
Getting the Party Started
Spot on, that historical novelist! The RNA might be heroic but the Internet was not in the giving vein. “Too much love” said the organisers.
I assume that hairs were being torn out in the Ops Room.
There were a lot of us. I mean, on the screen the numbers clicked up. At 19:44, I noted it down, there were 356.
Presenting the Awards
(Again, some amiable and very funny comments.) It got better, though, and Jane and Larry even managed to chat a bit later on.
And – Ta Dà – the Romantic Novel Award for A Debut and …
Even better, Clare Pooley, winning author of the first (The Debut Romantic Novel Award, sponsored by Katie Fforde) was actually live and audible. Many congratulations on The Authenticity Project
Phew!
Next up was Libertà Books Shorter Romantic Novel winner Kate Hardy for A Will, A Wish and a Wedding. Joanna again: and she was so delightful—and so choked up—in her acceptance speech. Probably made most of the watchers choke up, too. Having commented in the afternoon on which outfit she should wear, I have to admit that she was so close to the screen I couldn’t see which she’d chosen. Didn’t matter. She’s a lovely writer and it’s a delightful book. Much recommended.
On International Women’s Day, as she said, it couldn’t have been more fitting.
Ta Dà – the Romantic Novel Award for consistent wit and humour plus…
Louise Douglas’s The House by the Sea, won the Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller Award. Joanna notes: Louise was totally unable to speak (nothing techy there, just unable to produce a sound) when she won. Definitely worth doing the Awards live for a moment like that. “I’m all a-tremble,” Louise said, when she could speak. Think we all had a lump in our throat.
We’re still wondering…
Authors’ Green Room
One of the innovations that is probably only doable virtually, was giving the short-listed authors of each award their own green room. They’d been called for half an hour before the (intended) start time and had clearly been getting on like a house on fire. Pretty much every author said what fun it was and how much they valued it.


Ta Dà – hic – the Romantic Novel Award set in the present day and…
Joanna says: Wonderful to see M&B Historicals listed in one of the main categories and to win, against such strong competition, is a triumph. Catherine was clearly amazed to have won. She offered kudos to the Irish chapter of the RNA. And a delightful smile.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Joanna: This Award was introduced by Immi Howson in extra-long earrings. Agree with Immi’s conclusion that romantic fiction has made the last year “slightly less horrible”.
Immi reminded us that Mike wrote his first and best-selling novel, My Legendary Girlfriend, after a career in journalism, included a stint as an agony uncle. He became a full time novelist in 1997, since when he has written fifteen novels, including The Man I Think I Know, selected as a World Book Night title, and Half A World Away, selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club. His books have been translated into more than thirty languages.
In his acceptance, Mike congratulated all the Romantic Novel short listed writers and said, “It’s great to be recognised by my peers because it’s so often a genre that’s overlooked – though not by readers.” He also pointed out that Lockdown had been good for reading – Waterstone’s had made the biggest sales ever in March 2020.
He made me hoot when he said he’d been with the same publishers all his writing life, and thanked them for not getting rid of him. I reckon that would definitely have got a cheer in a real-world party.
Joanna: Mike Gayle said he plans to show Immi’s intro to his Mum to prove to her that he does “a proper job”. Loved that.
[Later note from Joanna: The Guardian did a thoughtful profile on Mike Gayle which perhaps surprisingly 😉 made positive comments about the RNA as well. Definitely worth a read.]
AFTER PARTY
Well, there’s always an after-the-party-party. Libertà is no different. We had a lovely gossip and discussion about which award winning book we were going to read first.
We did all agree, though, that the professionals that the RNA had brought in to run the live presentation had proved less than stellar. Everyone at Libertà winced over the 40 minute late start, the dodgy audio, and some embarrassing badly-timed cut aways that left a speaker uncertain whether to carry on or not.
And Finally…
Anyway, many, many congratulations to Julia Williams, Editor with Harlequin Mills & Boon, who edited both the Libertà Shorter Novel Award winner by Kate Hardy and the Goldsboro Historical Award winner by Catherine Tinley.
Seen here raising a celebratory tincture. Count on me for something fizzy the next time we meet in person, Julia!
Sophie
A wonderful round-up of the evening, Sophie (and Joanna). Thank you! Yes there were techie problems, but the organisers, nominees, presenters and audience all coped marvellously – if anything it brought us closer together!
Nothing beats a real live meet-up, but this was a very good substitute, so well done to the RNA. They aimed for the stars, which is what we tell all our wannabe writers.
To do. What we tell them to do! Where is the lovely Julia Williams when you need her?
Absolutely, Sarah. Very well said. (And edited!)
Excellent piece, and I second everything you’ve said. Janet is. so professional and experienced herself, it must have been heartbreaking for her to see what the other “professionals” did to the awards. And yes. Lovely to see Julia Williams get a mention. All in all, I enjoyed it, especially the chat afterwards. First time I’ve attended the awards in my dressing gown, though…
The problems were certainly out of the RNA’s control, but it was enjoyable, all the same. I was tempted to throw a pink feather boa around my shoulders, to show I had made an effort, but in the end settled for a glass of wine to toast the winners. And lovely to chat with you after, Lesley
A dressing gown! So cool, Lesley. I can just see you channelling Noel Coward.
It sounds wonderful, despite the tech horrors. As a zoom veteran of many meetings and gatherings, I have to say it’s par for the course. Something always seems to go wrong! I almost felt as though I’d been there. Thank you!
Oh Liz what a lovely thing to say. That’s exactly what we hoped for. Thank you!
If you missed the live event and would like to take a peek, here is a link to the recording
What a wonderful description of the evening, Sophie and Joanna. It was heart stopping at moments of tech drama – and hats off to Janet Gover for keeping things on track when the professional lot fell apart. Heart warming, certainly. And so great to see the faces of the winners in the moment that they were announced – something we don’t see when we’re sitting in our glad rags in chandeliered splendour. Many congratulations to all the winners and those shortlisted, to Julia Williams and especially to Mike Gayle and The Guardian for being so supportive of romance this year.
I was thinking of benefits that you get online that aren’t there in person, Liz, and the winner’s reaction is certainly one! I also really enjoyed seeing them faffing over hair and what to wear on Twitter, too. Made me laugh a lot. The only problem was I was rooting for all of them!
And well done the Guardian, too!
What a lovely blog post! And wonder no longer – I wore the Viking boots 😊. Maybe it helped?
Ah, thank you, Christina. I was wondering. But it’s a great book and I think you’d have won anyway, even in the sexy boots 😉
Oh brilliant, Christina. Boots by Wicingas Inc.
Thank you for sharing, as they say. I now feel that the final loose end has been neatly tied up. Happy sigh.