Three days of romance
The Romantic Novelists’ Association Conference is a three-day extravaganza held every other year (there’s a smaller one-day event in the intervening years), which this year was held at Royal Holloway College in Egham, part of the University of London from 31st July to 2nd August.
The spectacular Founder’s Building looks more like a French château than a university, with its red brick, turrets and towers. Founded by Victorian philanthropist Thomas Holloway to provide higher education for women at a time when their opportunities to attend university were severely limited – most appropriate for a conference where 98% of the attendees are female (they even have to repurpose several of the gents’ loos to reduce queuing time!).
The highlight of the weekend is the barbecue and disco on the Saturday night – footage of which is unfortunately visible on social media! Being more of a geeky type, I really enjoyed the ‘Hopeless Romantics’ quiz and my team came a respectable second. An event like this is a wonderful opportunity to connect with like-minded people and cement friendships with other writers.
The main purpose of the event is to learn and there’s an extensive programme of talks on a wide range of topics, from marketing to the writer’s craft. The keynote speaker was John Yorke, TV producer and author of one of the bestselling books on story structure – Into the Woods – who gave an engaging and extremely well-attended talk enlivened by a number of clips from films.
Freya North’s survey of thirty years as a bestselling author was certainly interesting – she’s self-published four books about Flora’s House (most appropriate!) this year as her publishers planned to publish her next book in 2027, leaving her with no income for 2026. The way the publishing industry treats authors is shocking, so it’s hardly surprising so many of us have gone indie (or hybrid in my case).
I attended fewer talks than usual as I’ve learned to pace myself and was also giving a workshop entitled ‘How to Make Your Prose Sparkle’, which required a little practical and mental preparation. I surprised the assembled company by appearing in a fairy princess dress and presenting two lucky writers with magic fairy wands as prizes for their sparkly prose.
If you’re trying to write romance and would like support on your journey, then join the RNA New Writers’ Scheme. It’s a great way to find companions along the way, with a Facebook group, regular online meet-ups and the opportunity to have your work critiqued by other writers.
Enormous thanks must go to all the volunteers who worked on putting the conference together - and also everyone who runs the RNA. I wouldn't be where I am today without them.
