As the Romantic Novelists Association celebrates its 60th anniversary, Emma Higginbotham discovers why we’re so in love with love stories.

Ever since Lizzie Bennet fell for glowering hottie Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, there’s been a demand for books about love – yet it is a truth universally acknowledged that romances are often dismissed as frivolous fluff.

That’s why in 1960, tired of the jibes about their genre, Barbara Cartland, Catherine Cookson and three other doyennes of romantic fiction created a new association for their fellow novelists. Its mission: to celebrate, and demand respect for, well-written love stories.

Fast forward sixty years and the Romantic Novelists Association is thriving, with around a thousand enthusiastic, mostly female, members. Their work is much in demand: in the first half of 2017, a romantic novel was bought in the UK every two seconds.

‘The reason why romantic books are so popular is that when you fall in love, it’s just the best feeling in the world; you’re flooded with endorphins and feel as if you’re flying,’ says RNA vice president Jan Jones. ‘Obviously you can’t fall in love every day, but every time you read a well-written romantic novel, you relive that feeling.’

Some things never change, though, and bestselling author and RNA president Katie Fforde is used to snooty comments about her genre.

‘People very often say ‘Wouldn’t you like to write something better?’ Well no, this is what I do and if it’s not good enough for you, sorry mate!’ she says, laughing. ‘After all these years I’ve got used to it, but I don’t think people would say those things if we were men. It’s subtle sexism.’

What’s more, romantic fiction is changing. Gone are the soppy damsels seduced by smouldering alpha males; today’s novels focus on strong, independent women, couples in later life, same-sex relationships, even extra-terrestrial affairs. Nor are they afraid tackle tough issues. ‘Very little, if any, of it is about a girl falling in love with the boy next door, having two quarrels and then getting together for a happy ending,’ says Katie.

It’s in large part thanks to the RNA’s championing of good writing that the genre is flourishing. As well as offering awards for excellence in all the different sub-genres of romance, from historical and comedy to fantasy and mystery, the RNA hosts events, a new writers scheme and a three-day annual conference, run by Jan. ‘It’s so supportive,’ she says. ‘I’ve made most of my very best friends there.’

So what of those rumours about backstabbing? ‘This goes back to a joke Ian Rankin made about 10 years ago, when he said “Crime writers are very friendly, but there’s blood on the carpet at the Romantic Novelists”,’ explains Katie. ‘I suppose it is funny, for about five minutes, but it’s become an urban myth. We’re not like that. Honestly, I don’t think there’s a single organisation that is friendlier.’

Nor, adds Jan, is there need for competition. ‘If a reader reads a good book they’ll want to read another, and the more books that sell, the more the publishers will invest in new ones.’

And they do, ‘because everyone loves a love story, and it’s lovely to read about happy endings,’ concludes Katie. ‘If you think your own life is a bit boring – perfectly happy, but dull – you can get that excitement and thrill in a safe and satisfying way.’

:: A Springtime Affair by Katie Fforde (Century, £14.99) is out on February 20. A Practical Arrangement by Jan Jones (Amazon Kindle, £2.96) is out now.

An edited version of this story was published in Waitrose Weekend in February 2020 (c) Waitrose