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HarperCollins triumphs at RNA awards with five wins
HarperCollins triumphed at last night’s Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards, scooping five winners across four categories.
The awards were held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London City, compèred by novelist Jo Thomas, with Bafta-longlisted film producer Lizzie Gillett presenting the Jackie Collins Award for Romantic Thrillers on behalf of sponsor Simon & Schuster UK, and actor Larry Lamb presenting the remainder of the awards.
A toast was also held for Jane Wenham-Jones, who passed away last year. The Romantic Comedy Novel Award was renamed in her honour.
Sharon Ibbotson, awards co-ordinator, said: “More than ever, readers needed a year in which to laugh, cry and fall in love. Our winning authors, with style and grace, delivered those smiles, tears and romances. The Romantic Novelists’ Association is proud of them all, and congratulates them for their achievement.”
Liz Fenwick had previously been announced as the winner of The Popular Romantic Fiction Award for The River Between Us (HQ). Other HarperCollins winners were Mills & Boon’s Louise Allen for The Shorter Romantic Novel Award with A Proposal to Risk Their Friendship.
Mills & Boon also scooped The Historical Romantic Novel Award with Catherine Tinley’s A Waltz with the Outspoken Governess. HarperCollins likewise had both of the joint winners for this year’s Jane Wenham-Jones Award for Romantic Comedy with Mr Right Across the Street by Kathryn Freeman (One More Chapter) and The Promise of Summer by Bella Osborne (Avon).
The Fantasy Romantic Novel Award went to A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (Pan Macmillan) while The Jackie Collins Award for Romantic Thrillers was won by All That We Have Lost by Suzanne Fortin (Aria).
The Katie Fforde Debut Romantic Novel Award was scooped by Two Metres From You, by Heidi Stephens (Headline Accent), with The Christmas/Festive Holiday Romantic Novel Award going to Winter at Cliff’s End Cottage by Sheila Norton (Little, Brown Book Group).
The Romantic Saga Award was awarded to The Mother’s Day Club by Rosie Hendry (Little, Brown Book Group) and The Contemporary Romantic Novel Award was won by A Sky Full of Stars by Dani Atkins (Head of Zeus).
