Photo caption: (l to r) Laura James, RNA Industry Awards organiser, Amanda Preston, (Clare Wade’s representative), Fiona Lucas, Birgitte and Nicholas Mager, Hannah Schofield, Ashley Copeland, Amanda Ridout, Nia Beynon, Hayley Milliman, Charlotte Ledger, Isobel Akenhead, Adrienne Vaughan, Naiba De Bona, Lizzie Lamb

TUESDAY 14TH NOVEMBER 2023 We are delighted to announce the winners 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 for this year were as follows: 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 were nominated by the full and probationary membership of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, with a panel of independent judges selecting the shortlists and winners. This year’s awards were sponsored by ProWritingAid, a manuscript editing software programme with in-app video learning for writers.

Laura James, the RNA Industry Awards organiser, said, “The task laid out before our panel of judges is never simple. The members are as passionate in their nominations as they and the industry professionals are in producing, supplying and promoting quality romantic fiction, so it is with great pleasure we salute and celebrate our 2023 winners.”

Sue Moorcroft, President of the RNA and Head Judge of the Industry Awards, commented, “I was bowled over by the excellence of the nominees for the RNA’s Industry Awards and thoroughly enjoyed the judges’ deliberations as they came to their conclusions. We have a host of wonderful winners, all connected to the bestselling genre of romantic fiction. It’s my pleasure to be connected to these prestigious awards.”

Hayley Milliman, Head of Education at ProWritingAid, added her congratulations. “The entire team at ProWritingAid would like to congratulate the winners of the 2023 RNA Industry Awards! We know that your work is essential to finding, editing, and sharing powerful stories. We are so thrilled to celebrate you and the books that you’ve helped bring to the world.”

The winners of the ten awards were announced during the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Winter Party and Industry Awards ceremony, which was held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London City on Monday 13th November 2023. Regency Romcom author Virginia Heath compèred the ceremony, Hayley Milliman from ProWritingAid presented the Romantic Bookseller of the Year and the Inclusion Award, Adrienne Vaughan, RNA member, Author and the originator of the Industry Awards, presented both the Indie Champion and Media Star of the Year Awards, Sue Moorcroft, President of the RNA, presented the Editor of the Year Award and the RNA’s Chair, Jean Fullerton, presented the remaining awards. 

The categories and winners are as follows:

The Romantic Bookseller of the Year
Diss Publishing Bookshop

Inclusion Award
Claire Wade

Indie Champion of the Year
Lizzie Lamb

Library or Librarian of the Year
Ripley Library

Cover Designer of the Year
JD Smith

Narrator of the Year
Anne Dover

Media Star of the Year
Fiona Lucas

Agent of the Year
Hannah Schofield

Editor of the Year
Charlotte Ledger

Publisher of the Year
Boldwood Books

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Annette Hannah, RNA Press Officer: annettehannah@romanticwriters.co.uk

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/