We are thrilled to announce that the winner of the inaugural Elaine Everest Memorial Competition, for the opening chapter of an unpublished saga novel, is ANDREA DAVIES, who writes romantic fiction as Lily Watson.
Andrea’s entry, entitled ‘The Liverpool Library Girls’, opens in 1940 and introduces us to Grace as she reports for duty on her first day at a new job and finds there is much more involved than she expected! With hints of conflict, secret war work, family problems and romance, this extract has all the elements that draw readers in and make them want more.
Andrea says that she only entered to pay her respects to Elaine and never dreamt she would win. This is her first attempt at writing a saga, written especially for the competition, and the novel remains unfinished… for now!
Andrea is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and its New Writers Scheme, and lives in Stockport. Her opening chapter rose above 56 other entries to claim the £200 cash prize, kindly provided by Elaine’s agent, Caroline Sheldon. Andrea also wins a year’s free membership of the RNA, and will see her name engraved on our beautiful new ‘silver swans’ trophy, sponsored by Elaine’s widower Michael.
In second place is SWWJ member KATIE CARR with ‘Harvest Home’, set in Warwickshire in 1943. When interviewed in the Autumn issue of the SWWJ Journal, Katie said her writing life was lingering in the doldrums and that she hoped to be ‘inspired and motivated’ now that she had joined the Society. Mission accomplished, we hope! Katie wins £100, sponsored by Elaine’s publishers, Pan Macmillan.
Third place goes to much-published author and RNA member LISA FIRTH, writing here as Betty Firth, with the first in a new Second World War series, provisionally entitled ‘Sweethearts of the Forces’. Lisa wins £50, also sponsored by Pan Macmillan.
The judges awarded Highly Commended status to a fourth entry, set in Hertfordshire in 1951: ‘A New Start at Paradise Fields’ by JILL STEEPLES. 
Huge congratulations to all four writers, and our grateful thanks to our three judges, award-winning saga authors Jean Fullerton, Lizzie Lane and Francesca Capaldi, who all donated their time and expertise to read many thousands of words and choose our winners. It cannot have been an easy task.
Thank you all so much for entering and supporting this competition, helping to raise the profile of the saga genre that Elaine loved. It may even have inspired some of you (just like our winner) to venture into writing a saga for the first time. We feel sure that Elaine would have been so proud of you all, and we hope that her memory and legacy will live on in this competition which, with the ongoing support of Elaine’s widower, will be continuing to celebrate romantic fiction, in all its forms, in the future.
The full judging report is awaited, but it is our intention to send a copy by email, as soon as we can, to everyone who entered.
Please join us for the presentation ceremony at our summer afternoon event at London’s prestigious BMA House on Friday 12 June. See the trophy being presented, meet the judges, mingle with fellow writers, enter our book raffle (donated signed novels from our author members welcome on the day), and enjoy a delicious cream tea. Our guest speaker will be the highly entertaining romance author Virginia Heath. Members, guests and competition entrants are welcome to attend. Booking is open now.
Vivien Brown
SWWJ Competitions Co-ordinator