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Newry author Seána Catherine Tinley has received a double shortlisting at the Romantic Novel of the Year Awards 2026, with two separate novels recognised across two different categories at what is regarded as the premier awards for romance fiction across Ireland and Britain.
Her novel The Irish Midwife has been shortlisted in the Romance Bestseller category, alongside titles from Beth O'Leary, Cecilia Ahern, and Abby Jimenez. A second novel, The Maid's Masquerade, has also made the shortlist, this time in the Historical Romance category.
The awards are run by the Romance Novelists' Association (RNA) and the shortlisted novels were determined exclusively by reader-judges. Writing under the name Seána Tinley, she produces saga historical romance with a strong focus on women's social history set in 1930s Ireland, while she also writes regency romance under the name Catherine Tinley.
Outside of writing, Tinley has had a varied career spanning speech and language therapy, Sure Start, serving as President of a charity, and managing a maternity service. She also has been a match commentator for Down GAA TV.
Reflecting on the double shortlisting, Tinley said: "It is fabulous to have been shortlisted in two categories, with two different books! The RoNA Awards are the premier awards for romance books across Ireland and Britain, and the books are judged by readers themselves, which makes it really powerful. To see my books recognised in two categories is astounding, and to be included in the Bestseller category alongside the likes of Cecilia Ahern and Beth O'Leary is particularly special."
The Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) is a professional body primarily for writers of romantic fiction. Founded in 1960 to provide a voice for romance authors and to be a network for writers.
The RNA Awards Director, Maryam Oliver, also paid tribute to this year's finalists, saying: "The RNA's Romance Novel of the Year Awards are a stand out celebration of romantic fiction and this year we proudly expanded the number of categories to better reflect current market trends. As in previous years, our reader judges assessed every book entered across all eleven categories. The exceptionally high quality of this year's submissions is evident in our impressive list of shortlisted finalists, to whom I offer my warmest congratulations!"
This year's awards span eleven categories in total, covering the full range of romantic fiction including debut romance, romantasy, romantic thriller, historical romance, contemporary romance, festive romance, saga romance, romantic comedy, and more.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 18 May 2026 in London. Full details are available via the RNA website at romanticnovelistsassociation.org
