Joan Hessayon Award Nominee – Me!

This year up for the Romantic Novelist Association Joan Hessayon Award there are eleven contenders including me.

The Joan Hessayon Award is generously sponsored by Dr David Hessayon, in honour of his late wife, Joan, who was a longstanding member of the RNA and a great supporter of the New Writers’ Scheme, and is judged by a panel of experienced RNA members and industry professionals.

It is awarded each year to a debut novelist, who has come through the Romantic Novelist Association New Writers’ Scheme.

The New Writers’ Scheme aims to encourage fresh talent in the writing of romances and novels with romantic elements, in every genre from historical to futuristic, with characters and love stories that reflect the diversity of readers everywhere. Any NWS manuscript that is subsequently published as a debut novel is eligible for the Joan Hessayon Award, provided that the author has remained in membership of the RNA.

It has been an absolutely amazing year. Becoming a published author has been a dream for as long as I can remember and to be a contender for this award amongst such great company must be the icing on the cake.

Everyone has worked so hard to get to this point, so good luck everyone and I look forward to meeting you all next week.

The award will be presented on September 18th 2021 at the York Tea, a celebrated event in the Romantic Novelists annual calendar.