with Debbie Phillips from ARRA
ARRC09 in Melbourne was truly awesome! Along with the hard work of our committee members we had support from the amazing community of romance authors. A number of international guests—Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, MaryJanice Davidson, Susan Grant, Liz Maverick—came to the event (at their own expense)—and we were delighted to welcome them as keynote speakers. Add in a host of our favourite local authors—such as Keri Arthur, Stephanie Laurens, Anna Campbell and Melanie Milburne—and we ended up with about 30 romance authors attending. There were speeches, panels, giveaways and a mass book-signing event—the first of its kind in Australia. And, of course, we held our inaugural awards. (australianromancereaders.com.au/2009.html) All in an environment that celebrated romance—where not one person sneered at another person’s choice of reading matter.
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| Inaugural Australian Romance Readers Convention |
The huge success of that convention boosted our membership; by the end of 2009 we had over 150 members. We had also established a monthly newsletter, regular lunches in some cities, and we had started planning our first RWA/ARRA signing event. But in the meantime we had to consider what to do about our annual awards—they could hardly be annual if only held at our biennial convention.
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| People's Choice Awards 2013 Anna Campbell, Amy Andrews, M J Scott, Anne Gracie |
Each year ARRA members nominate and vote in their very own awards. That’s right—not only do they vote for the winners, but all nominated titles are put forward by ARRA members. When the awards started in 2009 there were 5 categories. That later expanded to 9, with an additional 3 ‘fun’ Members’ Choice awards selected by members each year.
The second awards night was held in 2010 at the gorgeous Cello’s Restaurant in the Castlereagh Hotel, Sydney. Nalini Singh was our dinner speaker (and scooped up a good portion of the awards). We have also been back to Cello’s for the awards dinner in 2012 and 2014.
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| Shannon Curtis (top), Kat Mayo |
The next awards dinner will be held on 19 March, once again at Cello’s restaurant, with Shannon Curtis as MC and guest speaker Kat Mayo from Book Thingo. If you haven't got your ticket yet, follow the link:
australianromancereaders.wordpress.com/2016/01/16/awards-dinner-tickets-on-sale-3/
But in amongst all that we have been doing a lot of other things too. We’ve held three more romance reader conventions
2011 in Sydney http://australianromancereaders.com.au/2011.html
2013 in Brisbane http://australianromancereaders.com.au/2013.html
2015 in Canberra http://australianromancereaders.com.au/2015.html
And we’ve had some phenomenal keynote speakers—Cindy Gerard, Anna Campbell, Nalini Singh, Kristan Higgins, Rachel Vincent, Anne Gracie, Sylvia Day, Helene Young, Kelley Armstrong and Victoria Dahl.
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| Book Signing Event 2015 |
We’ve held 9 group book-signing events with as many as 90 authors attending, some held in conjunction with our convention, and others in conjunction with the RWA conference. We’ve held special reader events in Sydney and Melbourne with Julia Quinn, Sylvia Day, Maya Banks and Nalini Singh.
Today our membership has just passed 370 members. So we’re making progress reaching readers. But we are constantly looking for new ways to find and engage with romance readers. Our plan is pretty simple: more events, more promo, more competitions, more engagement.
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| Regency Fashion Parade 2015 |
Would you enjoy the opportunity to discuss romance books with other romance readers who ‘get it’? Why not come and join the Australian Romance Readers Association?
You can find us at www.ireadromance.com.au. Or chat with us on our Facebook group or Twitter.
We love to love ... romance books!
We love to laugh ... while reading romance books!
We love to learn ... about new romance authors!
Debbie, I love, love, love ARRA! It is such a happy, fun romance readers' association to belong to! You all work so hard to bring the members good things, like the monthly magazine, reviews, author chats, new releases, *prizes*, general info and so on. And on! Thankyou! I think the cruncher came when I managed to get to your conference in Canberra - my first - and had the Best! Time! Ever! At a conference! And then I drove home with literally a boot load of books to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThanks Malvina - so glad you were able to make the convention last year, after being a member for so long!
DeleteOne of the things I love about ARRA is the email loop. I'm not overly active on it but I learn so much just reading the various posts and also hear about amazing books!
ReplyDeleteGlad we can help with your romance reading addiction Dee :)
DeleteI love ARRA as well I have been to every convention made so many wonderful friends and read awesome books I applaud the work the committee does as I have said before ARRA has made such a big difference to my life love it
ReplyDeleteHave Fun
Helen
So glad that ARRA has made a difference to your life Helen. You have certainly been an asset to the association :)
DeleteARRA is a fantastic organisation. I feel very proud to be an author member and to have participated in the last convention in Canberra last March. It was so much fun. It was also my first ever signing as an author and I got to sit next to Kylie Scott (who was lovely). I love to go to the monthly lunches in Sydney (although I don't get to go to as many as I would like) and look forward to the next convention next year. I also think the Newsletter is wonderful. If not for ARRA I would never have met Julia Quinn or my future editor Brooke. I thank Debbie and her hard working team for all their efforts to make ARRA something for everyone.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cassie. It is great to hear we have opened opportunities for author members too :)
DeleteMuch kudos to ARRA who has really helped to engage the romance community in Australia. I'm proud to have been to every convention and be the recipient of some fabulous nominations and awards over the years. I may be an author but I am,first and foremost, a *reader* of romance and it's wonderful that ARRA caters for us!
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I know how hard it is to run a volunteer organisation and think ARRA do a fabulous job. So looking forward to Cello's in March and the High Tea!
PS - love that pic of Anne, Mel, Anna and I!
Thanks Amy :) So looking forward to the High Tea (two tickets left!) and catching up with everyone at the Awards Dinner
DeleteARRA are amazing! Like the wonderful Amy A, I was a reader before I was a writer and I still think if they paid me to read, I wouldn't do much writing, snerk! Definitely worth joining!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna :) I wish someone would invent a job where we were paid to read - just for enjoyment. Wouldn't that be amazing?
DeleteAnd yeah, I love that pic of the four of us too.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Debbie. What an amazing growth in numbers - 370 - fantastic! So looking forward the Awards evening in Sydney!!
ReplyDeleteSee you there Jen!
DeleteARRA is a fabulous organisation. Love it. Love the hardworking crew who run it so well. I know there's lots of hard work involved. Looking forward to meeting many of you in Sydney on March 19. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Noelle. See you there :)
DeleteHi Debbie, I've been a member of ARRA for a couple of years now and always look forward to the monthly magazine. It's packed to the brim with interesting stuff. What a fantastic job you and the rest of the volunteers do! I can't wait for the High Tea next month - I'm sitting at Rachael Johns' table.
ReplyDeleteThanks Marilyn. So glad you enjoy the newsletter! The High Tea should be awesome - see you there!
DeleteGreat post. Fantastic to see the growth over the years. Have enjoyed all the events I've attended.
ReplyDeleteSee you at the awards dinner Deanna
DeleteHi Debbie, I found out about ARRA when I rejoined RWA last year. It sounds like a fabulous group. I have a friend who went to your conference in Canberra. She had a wonderful time.
ReplyDeleteHopefully you can make it to the next convention Sharon - they're really great fun. Or if you're going to the RWA conference in Adelaide we might see you at the book-signing there
DeleteARRA is a terrific organization. I'm glad to be a part of it -- as a reader, as well as an author.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne - and thanks for all your support
DeleteThanks for the wonderful, informative post, Debbie. I've been a reader of romance novels since childhood years (it's all Cinderella's fault!) and knowing there are others out there who love romantic stories as much as I do is simply the best news. Sharing all things romance novel via ARRA is a bonus for us all to treasure, so thank you for this wonderful organisation. I am really looking forward to the High Tea in March...and sitting with Kelly Hunter, yay!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Enisa. I'm so glad you enjoy what ARRA has to offer. See you at the High Tea!
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