RNA Awards 2012

Had a wonderful time in London yesterday at the RNA Awards. It was blowing a gale (and raining heavily) when I left home, but by the time I got to London it was all blue skies (albeit still a bit windy!).

Started off by meeting the M&B editors and my fellow M&B shortlistees for lunch in the Charing Cross Hotel. (Sorry, forgot to take pics of food, but the chicken saltimbocca and the passion fruit creme brûlée were gorgeous.) Thank you to Jessica Hart for taking the pic for me.

After lunch, it was off to 1 Whitehall Place for the awards do and lots of photographs (Marta, the photographer, was great). Sorry, forgot to hand my camera to someone else at that point, but here's RNA chair Annie Ashurst with the backdrop :)

And then a little time to catch up with friends (and, ahem, drink champagne). Here are Julie Cohen (whose latest kept me very entertained on the train on the way down) and Jean Fullerton (shortlisted for the RONA Historical).

Fiona Harper and me (sigh, windswept fringe on my part...)

M&B editor Kim Young and Liz Fenwick (both always look very glam).

Me with lovely Lizzie Lamb.

Then it was in to the Gladstone Library for the awards do itself. The tables were beautifully presented (and I should add that the glasses were for everyone on that side of the table, not just one person!). And they were silk rose petals. It looked really, really pretty.

I had an excellent view of the stage :)

And I would've loved a chance to poke round the Gladstone Library properly - what a room.

Jane Wenham-Jones and Peter James were our hosts - and did a fantastic double act.

First up was the Harry Bowling Prize (sorry, didn't get a pic for that, but the winner gave a beautiful speech.) And then it was the RoNA Rose award. Actually, as everyone on the shortlist is a mate of mine (and a couple are among my bestest author mates), and I'd read all the books on the shortlist (which were great), I was waiting to cheer whoever won. Very loudly.

But forgive me for being a bit indulgent. It isn't every year your book cover goes up on a screen :)

And the winner was Sarah Mallory :) (More pics later, and I really should've got a pic of her shoes because they were amazing!)

Then it was the Outstanding Achievement, and a very popular choice it was too - Karin Stoecker, former editorial director at M&B. She's a lovely, lovely woman, and it was SO well deserved.

RoNA Young Adult: Caroline Green, with Dark Ride.

RoNA Historical - Christina Courtenay with Highland Storms.

RoNA Romcom - Jane Lovering with Please Don't Stop The Music.

RoNA Epic - Rosie Thomas with The Kashmir Shawl.

RoNA Contemporary - Katie Fforde with Summer of Love.

And then it was time for pudding - chocolate fondant pots (Kate the chocolate fiend and the pudding fiend doesn't like chocolate puddings, but I'm told they were very nice), with fabulous presentation!

My lovely ed, Sheila Hodgson.

Sarah Mallory with her trophy! (Big cheer, here.)

Sharon Kendrick (see, Shazza - as I promised, it's the one with the nice smile and not the other one...).

And several of the m&B authors were rounded up afterwards for a photo with Karin. LTR: Liz Fielding, Mary Nichol, Sarah Mallory, Fiona Harper, Carol Townend (hiding behind Karin), Sharon Kendrick, Kate Hardy.

All in all, a lovely day out. Thanks to the organisers for making us all feel so spoiled and so welcome.