The Last Concubine shortlisted for Romantic Novel of the Year

Romantic Novel of the Year

Bestselling author Cecelia Ahern is one of the six authors shortlisted for the Romantic Novel of the Year 2009, which is organised by the Romantic Novelists’ Association. The final six novels are currently being read by a panel of three judges, who will select the winner in time for the presentation at the Awards Lunch to be held on 10th February 2009 at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington.

This year’s award has a truly international flavour, with authors living far afield and books set in Japan, Canada, India, Dublin and Skye. Cecelia Ahern, whose hero is American, comes from Ireland. She is joined by Susanna Kearsley, who hails from Canada , and Linda Gillard, who lives in Glasgow. England is well represented by Lesley Downer, based in London, Judith Lennox from Cambridgeshire and Julia Gregson, whose shortlisted novel was one of Richard and Judy’s summer reads, from Monmouthshire.

The shortlisted novels are:

Thanks for the Memories – Cecelia Ahern (Harper Collins)

The Last Concubine – Lesley Downer (Transworld/Bantam)

Star Gazing – Linda Gillard (Little, Brown/Piatkus)

East of the Sun – Julia Gregson (Orion)

Sophia’s Secret – Susanna Kearsley (Allison & Busby)

Before the Storm – Judith Lennox (Headline Review)

Lesley Downer says: “I’m thrilled and flattered to have been shortlisted. I grew up with Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice and hugely enjoyed creating a romantic world of my own. I found it utterly gripping to write about a society which has no concept of romantic love. It made it all the clearer what a powerful and primeval force love is.” Readers agreed, saying, “a real magic carpet of a book… truly moving… a hero to die for…couldn’t put it down.”

The panel with the difficult task of picking a winner from this page-turning collection of romantic novels comprises Alice O’Keeffe, Books Editor at the Bookseller, Fanny Blake, Books Editor of Woman & Home, and Peter Crawshaw, who runs Lovereading.co.uk.