Yes, we read romance, just like you! ARRA is a volunteer organisation run by romance readers for romance readers. We have created a community where all romance readers are welcome. With ARRA you have the opportunity to connect with like-minded people all over Australia who share your love for romance fiction. Our benefits include:
- an exclusive monthly newsletter
- a range of events—informal lunches, signing events and other author events
- online activities—regular articles on our blog, a members’ loop, and a Facebook group
Read on for more details…
Newsletter
In August 2009 we launched the ARRA newsletter, Romancing the Tome, which is a mix of author interviews, reader reviews, author profiles, giveaways, industry news and general romance articles all focusing on your interest-reading great romance fiction. You can find out more about the newsletter (and have a peek at a recent issue) here.
Online activities
All readers are welcome to join our romance readers chat groups on Facebook or Goodreads. Connect with us on Twitter (@ARRCinc) or check out some of our favourite reads here.
Events
ARRA organises a number of events each year. You can meet other local readers, and maybe an author or two! Catch up with people you’ve only met on online loops, and chat to your heart’s content with other members and authors. In 2019 we held our first in a new series of events called A Romantic Rendezvous, with subsequent events in 2020, 2023 and 2024. Watch our events calendar for details of other upcoming events.
Reader lunches
Each month, ARRA members organise local get-togethers around Australia, where members meet for lunch. It’s a great opportunity to connect with fellow romance readers (and now and then authors too) and talk romance fiction. Currently we hold regular lunches in Canberra and Sydney, and occasional lunches in Brisbane, Newcastle, Wollongong, Melbourne and Perth. As our membership grows we hope to hold lunches in more places. You can find contact details for lunch organisers here.
Book signings
Each year ARRA organises book-signing events. These have been coordinated with other events so that our signings are multi-genre, multi-author events featuring overseas and Australian romance authors. Bring your own books, or buy new ones on the day, and get your favourite author to personally sign your book!
Past signings have included:
- February 2009, Melbourne, in conjunction with ARRC09 (21 authors)
- August 2010, Coogee Beach, in conjunction with RWA conference (45 authors)
- March 2011, Bondi Beach, in conjunction with ARRC2011 (32 authors)
- August 2012, Gold Coast, in conjunction with RWA conference (62 authors)
- March 2013, Brisbane, in conjunction with ARRC2013 (66 authors)
- August 2013, Fremantle, in conjunction with RWA conference (56 authors)
- August 2014, Sydney, in conjunction with RWA conference (88 authors)
- March 2015, Canberra, in conjunction with ARRC2015 (92 authors)
- August 2015, Melbourne, in conjunction with RWA conference (72 authors)
- August 2016, Adelaide, in conjunction with RWA conference (59 authors)
- February 2017, Melbourne, in conjunction with ARRC2017 (69 authors)
- March 2019, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth (83 authors)
- March 2020, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide (80 authors)
- December 2021, Gold Coast (17 authors)
- August 2022, Fremantle (28 authors)
- March 2023, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth (101 authors)
- March 2024, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth (107 authors)
High teas
In 2016 we launched our Romantic High Tea series:
- March 2016, Sydney, featuring Amy Andrews, Anne Gracie, Cathryn Hein, Kelly Hunter, Rachael Johns and Helene Young as hosts
- October 2016, Melbourne, featuring Keri Arthur, Fiona Lowe and Alli Sinclair as hosts
- November 2016, Brisbane, featuring Anna Campbell, TM Clark and Kylie Scott as hosts
- February 2017, Melbourne, in conjunction with ARRC2017
- September 2017, Perth, featuring Rachael Johns and Christina Phillips
- May 2018, Sydney, featuring Avril Tremayne, Kandy Shepherd and Shannon Curtis
- February 2019, Sydney, featuring Penelope Janu and Alyssa J Montgomery
- August 2019, Sydney, with Laura Kaye.
Watch our blog for details of our next Romantic High Tea.
Special events
When the opportunity arises, we also hold special one-off events with visiting authors. Past events have included a morning tea with Sylvia Day, high tea with Julia Quinn, a Q&A with Marjorie Liu, an author talk with Karen Rose and a happy hour with Maya Banks and Nalini Singh. You can find further details on these events here.
ARR Awards
Each year we hold the Australian Romance Readers Awards, where our members vote for their favourite romance books from the previous calendar year. The ARR Awards are presented at a glittering dinner event where readers and authors rub shoulders, dine and celebrate excellence in romance fiction. When not held at the biennial ARRC, the ARR Awards are their own separate, glamorous event. Join romance readers at their night of nights! You can find further details on our awards here.
Romance readers convention
ARRA hosted five Australian Romance Readers Conventions (ARRCs). Guest authors were invited to give keynote speeches, participate in panel discussions, and chat with ARRA members.
ARRC09, held in Melbourne in February 2009, featured international authors Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, MaryJanice Davidson, Susan Grant and Liz Maverick, along with Australian author Stephanie Laurens. You can check out the wrap-up in Issue 1 of our newsletter to see just how much fun you missed.
ARRC2011 was held in Bondi Beach, Sydney in March 2011. Our guests were Cindy Gerard, Nalini Singh and Anna Campbell.
ARRC2013 was held in Brisbane in March 2013. International authors attending included Kristan Higgins, Rachel Vincent, Nalini Singh, Hope Tarr and Cathy Maxwell. Anne Gracie was our Australian keynote.
ARRC2015, held in Canberra in March 2015, featured Sylvia Day, Victoria Dahl, Kelley Armstrong and Helene Young.
ARRC2017, held in Melbourne in February 2017, featured Kylie Scott, Courtney Milan and Kristen Callihan as keynotes, with a special Skype session with Thea Harrison.
ARR(LD), held online on 1 August 2020, featured 69 romance authors from around Australia and around the world.
Want to join?
Further details on joining ARRA are available here.
Once you have joined you can access the members-only pages from here.