We are delighted to announce the shortlists for our annual Industry Awards for 2023. The awards celebrate the hard work and talent of any person, group or organisation who has championed the broad genre of romantic fiction in a positive way.

The ten categories are: The Romantic Bookseller of the Year, Inclusion Award, Indie Champion of the Year, Library or Librarian of the Year, Cover Designer of the Year, Narrator of the Year, Media Star of the Year, Agent of the Year, Editor of the Year, and Publisher of the Year.

The awards have been held for the past nine years and are highly respected in the UK publishing industry. The finalists are nominated by the full and probationary membership of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, with a panel of independent judges selecting the shortlists.

RNA Chair, Jean Fullerton, said, ‘We, the RNA, are so pleased to be able to celebrate with our publishing industry partners the many talented individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to romantic fiction.’

Laura James, the RNA Industry Awards organiser, commented, ‘For the past five years as Industry Awards Organiser, I’ve witnessed many changes in the world, including the role of social media within the publishing industry, but the passion for romantic fiction remains. It grows stronger by the letter; by the chapter; by each book. In both self-published and traditionally published novels, industry professionals work together to produce quality happy ever afters, from writers to editors, cover designers and publishers, book bloggers, reviewers and social media experts, narrators, agents, booksellers and librarians. The RNA Industry Awards are our way of thanking and celebrating the hard-working industry professionals. Congratulations to all our finalists.’

This year’s awards are sponsored by ProWritingAid, a manuscript editing software programme with in-app video learning for writers. Hayley Milliman, Head of Education at ProWritingAid, said, “Congratulations to the finalists for the 2023 RNA Industry Awards! We applaud your accomplishments and hard work bringing beautiful stories to life.”

The winners of the ten awards will be announced during the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Winter Party and Industry Awards ceremony, which is being held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London City, 8-14 Cooper’s Row, London EC3N 2BQ, on Monday 13th November 2023 at 6.30pm.

JOIN US TO CONGRATULATE OUR FINALISTS! PURCHASE TICKETS HERE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/romantic-novelists-association-winter-party-and-industry-awards-2023-tickets-708492398837?aff=oddtdtcreator

The categories and shortlists are as follows:

The Romantic Bookseller of the Year
Diss Publishing Bookshop
Hungerford Bookshop

Inclusion Award
Hera Books
Claire Wade

Indie Champion of the Year
Carrie Elks
Lizzie Lamb

Library or Librarian of the Year
Ripley Library
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Libraries

Cover Designer of the Year
JD Smith
Berni Stevens

Narrator of the Year
Anne Dover
Susie Riddell

Media Star of the Year
Fiona Lucas
Babs Wilkie

Agent of the Year
Lina Langlee
Hannah Schofield

Editor of the Year
Charlotte Ledger
Sara-Jade Virtue

Publisher of the Year
Boldwood Books
Joffe Books

ABOUT THE AWARD SPONSOR:

ProWritingAid

ProWritingAid uses AI to check your writing for spelling and grammar, alongside powerful reports to help you improve readability, consistency and more. With ProWritingAid, you receive feedback tailored to your specific document type. You can use ProWritingAid for spelling, grammar and style suggestions to improve your writing, and even join our writing community to connect with other writers and participate in free events with bestselling authors. Website: https://prowritingaid.com/

HOTEL OPTIONS

The RNA Winter Party & Industry Awards 2023 will be held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London City, 8-14 Cooper’s Row, London, EC3N 2BQ on Monday 13th November. This beautiful hotel overlooks the Tower of London and has a slap up breakfast included in the price.

However, we appreciate the hotel’s prices have increased, so you my wish to try a cheaper alternative nearby.

For example, the Premier Inn is only a five minute walk away at a fraction of the cost!
https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/greater-london/london/london-city-tower-hill.html?ARRdd=13&ARRmm=11&ARRyyyy=2023&NIGHTS=1&ROOMS=1&ADULT1=1&CHILD1=0&COT1=0&INTTYP1=DB&BRAND=PI