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