Romance Media Award
ROMA Winner 2010
My Secret Art Life: Romance Writer,
Robert Hayward, Art Nation, ABC Arts & Entertainment
"I really enjoyed making this piece, and am happy that both Alison and the RWA understood the spirit in which it was made. We tried to have a bit of fun, but simultaneously show the dedication and craft that go into writing romance. Of course, Alison was the ideal character to help us achieve these aims."
Robert Hayward.
ROMA Finalists 2010
Romance Writers of Australia, Inc. (RWA) is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2010 ROMA (Romance Media Award). The award is for the best media coverage of romance writing in Australia.
Both print and electronic media are eligible. Qualifying articles or programs must focus on some aspect of romance novels, romance writing, or romance publishing and must be published some time during the financial year prior to the RWA annual conference. Thus, articles considered for the 2010 ROMA must be published between 1/7/09 and 30/6/10.
The finalists (in no particular order) are:
Thrills and boom in writing racy reads, Deborah Bogle, The Daily Telegraph
Romance a career for local author, Adelaide hills Weekender
My Secret Art Life: Romance Writer, Robert Hayward, Art Nation, ABC Arts & Entertainment
Feminists read between loins, Kate Emery, The West Australian
Rewriting Mills & boom, Sarina Talip, The Canberra Times
ROMA Finalists 2009
Four articles were shortlisted for the 2009 ROMA and were displayed at the 2009 annual RWAconference.
The winners were announced at the Annual RWA Awards Dinner on Saturday 15th August, 2009 at the Citigate Sebel Hotel in Brisbane, and a press release sent out.
The winners were Lisa Chant & Michelle McLochlan of The Weekender, Sunshine Coast Publishing Pty. Ltd. ( 22/1/ 2009) "True Romantic"
The ROMA 2009 Finalists: (in no particular order) were:
1) (TV): Evelyn Ek ( Segment Producer) Kim Watkins, Steven Quartermain (presenters) 9am with David and Kim, Channel 10 Friday 8th May 2009 "Interview with Anne Gracie"
2) (Print) Lisa Chant & Michelle McLochlan of The Weekender Sunshine Coast Publishing Pty. Ltd. ( 22/1/ 2009) "True Romantic"
3) (Print) Margaret Burin , Williamstown Advertiser , 21/1/09 "Novel Way to Woo Readers."
4) (Print) Fiona Purdon The Courier Mail, Brisbane 19/07/09 "Fans Thirsty for Blood."
ROMA Finalists 2008
Eight articles were shortlisted for the 2008 ROMA and were displayed at the 2008 annual RWAconference.
The winner was announced at the Annual RWA Awards Dinner on Saturday 23rd August, 2008 in Melbourne, and a press release sent out.
The winner was:
Martin King, (A Current Affair ) for the interview he did with Ally Blake, aired on Thurs 27th December 2007
ROMA 2008 Finalists: (in no particular order) are:
1) Belle Taylor, The West Weekend Magazine (the West Australian Newspapers) "The Language of Love" article 17 May 2008
2) Sarah-Jane Burton That's Life! Special. "Recipe For Fiction"
Summer 2008
3) Lou Robson The Sunday Mail. "Renouf My Pulp Fiction Pinup"
Dec 16th 2007
4) Kate Cuthbert, The Courier-Mail, Brisbane. "Recognition for the Romantics in Us All" August 25-26, 2007
5) Martin King, Interview with Ally Blake for A Current Affair
Thurs 27th December 2007
6) Claire Low Canberra Times. "Reaffirming Romance Joins Final Fantasies"
7) Jane Sullivan - The Age. "Remember to Pack Writing Paper" November 24 2007
8) Nicholas Price, Series Producer, Jennifer Byrne Presents
ABC TV. Tuesday June 24th 2008
ROMA - The 2007 Results:
Winner ~
Kate Cuthbert, The Courier-Mail,
Runner-up ~ Nerida Blok, The Northern Star (Weekender)
An honorable mention to:
Judith Johnson, RWA member who decided to go all out to promote better understanding of romance writing in her local community, resulting in a major full-page spread.
Judges' comments:
The winner was chosen because the journalist has brought her in-depth knowledge of romance publishing and the romance writing community to a wide general audience, demonstrating over time the huge variety and range of fiction that is romance, and thereby challenging assumptions about the genre.
The eight articles shortlisted for the 2007 ROMA were:
1) Sian Briggs , Sunday Times magazine, March 2007, Two of Us
2) Linda Smith, The Mercury, Hobart, "Love in the Royal a bestseller." Feb 15th 2007.
3) Kate Cuthbert, The Courier-Mail, Brisbane. The fortnightly "Romance" series of articles
4) Jane Sullivan, The Age , Melbourne. "A vampire ripped my bodice" Feb 10th 2007.
5) Harriet Spooner, Mandurah Mail , "Award for romance writer" August 24th 2006,
6) Nerida Blok, The Northern Star (Weekender), "Romancing the Pen" Nov. 25th 2006
7) Nelina Choahan - the Tweed Daily News, "Love, Sex and passion...tools of a romance writer" August 19th 2006
8) Lisa Symonds, The Courier, Sth Australia, August 30th 2006 "Hills writer has hot topics"
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