Saturday, March 12, 2011

RNA Awards 2011

I'm still trying to find time to do everything, but wanted to post this before another week goes by.
Back in December, TO DEFY A KING was longlisted for the Best Romantic Novel of the year and Best Historical Novel of the year by the Romantic Novelists Association in the UK.
In February it was shortlisted and last week, it won the Historical Prize. Needless to say I am still on cloud 9. To be recognised in the genre is just the greatest feeling. The judges were Richard Lee, founder of the Historical Novel Society, Diane Pearson, president of the RNA and a historical novelist herself, and Elizabeth Hawksley, historical novelist and writing tutor.

This is how the titles are chosen initially.
Taken from the RNA website
"Eighty members of the public, all keen readers, then settle down to some very enjoyable entertainment. Each title is read and scored three times—with criteria including romantic content, readability, characters, plot, dialogue, style and ending. From these scores, a long list of twenty titles is selected. A panel of RNA members then selects the shortlist of six titles. Three external judges read each of the shortlisted books and select the overall winner. The award is presented at the Pure Passion Awards in March."

The awards event, a champagne and canapes reception, was held at The Liberal Club, 1A Whitehall Place in the Gladstone Library, and what a stunning venue it was! I'm going to just let it all hang out with the photographs now. Some are a bit blurred due to lighting levels and excitement, but I've put them up anway. Click to enlarge. Anyone who wants pics for their album, feel free to use. Sorry about the formatting. It seems to have gone particularly insane tonight! To try and mitigate its effects, I've listed the photo identities at the foot of the blog.

Back to historical stuff next time round.

All best
Elizabeth.

Pics with me in them.











































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Picture list

Me
1. The winning screen when the Historical Novel of the Year was announced
2 Me, posing by the Pure Passion Poster
3 Me with my agent Carole Blake
4.Me with Carole Blake again - a matching pair in purple!
5. The winning authors with Katie Fforde in sea-green in the middle
6. In the palatial loos with Kate Furnivall and Jane Judd
7. Me and Liz Fenwick
8. Me and Elizabeth Hawksley

Other folks
9. Diane Pearson, Richard Lee and Elizabeth Hawksley, the Historical Prize judges
10. Jan Jones
11. Jan Jones
12. Jane Jackson
13 Val Loh
14. Sarah Duncan and JoJo Moyes
15. Julie Cohen
16. L to R JoJo Moyes, Moira Briggs, Jan Jones, Roger Sanderson, Jill Mansell
17. Joanna Maitland, Christina Courtnay, Sue Moorcroft
18. Christina's shoes!
19. Jo Dickinson, friend and editor at Sphere
20. Penny Jordan receiving her lifetime award

Objects
21

21. The reception room
22. Mural in reception
23. The Gladstone Library, LittleBrown table
24. Chandelier, Gladstone Library
25 and 26. Plates of canapes
27. The Gladstone Library
28. Fabulous staircase

Out-takes
29 Liz Harris
30 Christina Jones (neither of us had had a drink!)
31 Christina Jones and Jill Mansell


18 comments:

Daphne said...

Congratulations - no one is more deserving than you - and Mahelt. I love that staircase - and your shoes!

Jan Jones said...

Lovely photos! And a lot of that was just as fuzzy as I remembered...

Misfit said...

Congrats from me as well. Well done and well deserved. The next question is, Is. It. June. Yet?

Marilyn said...

Big congratulations. You deserve lots of them.

C said...

Looks like you had a great time. Fab photos. Congrats!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Congratulations and thanks for posting so many excellent photos. I wish I could have been there.

Jane Henry said...

Congrats again!! So sorry I wasn't there to share your moment of glory, but I couldn't have been more pleased that you won!
xxx

Unknown said...

Brilliant photos...all that glamour seems a lifetime ago now :-)

lx

D.J.Kirkby said...

Congratulations!

Marg said...

Thanks for sharing these photos. It looks like a fun time, and winning was an added bonus!

Liz Harris said...

I loved the photos - they are a glorious reminder of a superb occasion in a wonderful venue. Thank you so much for posting them.

Congratulations again on your very well deserved success.

Liz X

Julie Cohen said...

Those are great photos. You look, quite rightly, radiant. And congratulations again!

Nicola Ford said...

Congratulations! There's some serious partying going on there...looks like you're having a real purple patch! ;-)

janem said...

Congratulations. Great that the Pure Passion name & look lives on and that your hard work has been rewarded

Eliza Knight said...

Congratulations--you deserve it, loved the book--and LOVE the shoes!!!

Kate Lord Brown said...

Wonderful photos - and congratulations!

Carla said...

Congratulations!

Gillian said...

Very well-deserved (the award *and* the shoes). (I can't even think of snark, I'm so busy being pleased you got this recognition.)