Milly Johnson

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Milly Johnson
Born (1964-02-23) 23 February 1964 (age 61)
Barnsley, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
OccupationWriter
Alma mater University of Exeter
Genre Romantic comedy
Children2
Website
millyjohnson.co.uk

Milly Johnson is a British author known for her work in romantic fiction. [1] In addition to her novels, she has worked as an after-dinner speaker, poet, professional joke writer, short story writer, and newspaper columnist. [2]

Contents

Biography

Born in Barnsley, Johnson was educated at Agnes Road Primary School, Longcar Junior School, and Hall Balk School for Girls. She later studied drama and teacher training at St Luke's Campus, University of Exeter. [3]

She lived for many years in Haworth, West Yorkshire, where she became acquainted with author Stan Barstow, who also resided in the area. [4] During this time, Johnson held various administrative positions while supplementing her income by writing jokes and poems for the greetings card industry. She also worked as a ghost-writer for Purple Ronnie in its early stages. [5] She later became a professional copywriter within the greetings card sector. [6]

Johnson’s breakthrough into publishing came at the age of 41 with the submission of her manuscript The Yorkshire Pudding Club, which was inspired by her experience of being pregnant simultaneously with two friends. [7] In 2005, she secured her first two-book deal with Simon & Schuster.

Her work has received multiple accolades, including a nomination for the Melissa Nathan Award for Romantic Comedy in 2012, [8] and two wins of the RoNA Award for Comedy Romance in 2014 [9] and 2016. She also appeared as a winner on a regional edition of Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me . [10] In 2020, Johnson was honoured with the Romantic Novelists' Association's Outstanding Achievement Award. [11]

Awards and honours

YearAwarding BodyCategoryNominee/ Nominated WorkResult
2012 Melissa Nathan Award Comedy RomanceAn Autumn CrushNominated
2014 Romantic Novelists' Association Awards Romantic Comedy NovelIt's Raining MenWon
2015 Yorkshire Society Awards Arts and CultureMilly JohnsonWon
2015Romantic Novelists' Association AwardsRomantic Comedy NovelThe Teashop on the CornerNominated
2016Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower CaféWon
2017Contemporary Romantic NovelThe Queen of Wishful ThinkingNominated
2020Outstanding AchievementMilly JohnsonWon
2021 Goldsboro Books Awards Romantic Contemporary FictionMy One True NorthWon

In recognition of her contributions to literature and her strong connection to the region, Johnson was appointed Vice President of the Yorkshire Society in 2018. Her work has earned her a number of accolades and nominations throughout her career, reflecting both her popularity with readers and her standing within the literary community.

Bibliography

YearTitlePublisherISBNNotes
2007The Yorkshire Pudding Club Simon & Schuster 978-1849834100
2008The Birds and the Bees978-1849834094
2009A Spring Affair978-1847392824
2010A Summer Fling978-1847392831
2011Here Come The Girls978-1849832052
2011An Autumn Crush978-1849832038
2012White Wedding978-0857208965
2012The Wedding Dress978-1471111785 E-book exclusive.
2012A Winter Flame978-1471187773
2013The Four Seasons Collection978-1471128776A compilation of A Spring Affair, A Summer Fling, An Autumn Crush and A Winter Flame. E-book exclusive.
2013It's Raining Men978-1471114618
2014The Teashop on the Corner978-1471114649
2014Here Come The Boys978-1471133886E-book exclusive.
2015Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café978-1471140464
2015Ladies Who Launch978-1471152160E-book exclusive.
2016Sunshine Over Wildflower Cottage978-1471140488
2016The Barn on Half Moon Hill978-1471158711E-book exclusive.
2017The Queen of Wishful Thinking978-1471161735
2018The Perfectly Imperfect Woman978-1471161773
2018The Mother of All Christmases978-1398535145
2019The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew 978-1471178474
2019A Cat-Shaped SpaceSelf-published979-8764585741Poetry book.
2020The Little Dreams of Lara CliffeSimon & Schuster978-1471186202 Quick Reads production.
2020My One True North978-1471178528
2020I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day978-1471178566
2021The Woman in the Middle978-1471199028
2023Together, Again978-1471199066
2024The Happiest Ever After978-1398523562
2025Same Time Next Week978-1398523616
2025Let the Bells Ring Out978-1398547063

Literary Projects and Charitable Works

In addition to her 22 novels, Johnson has published several shorter works, many of which were released exclusively as e-books. These include The Wedding Dress (2012), a collection of short stories themed around weddings, and Here Come the Boys (2014). In 2015, she released Ladies Who Launch, which serves both as a sequel to Here Come the Boys and as a prequel to Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café. In May 2016, Johnson published the 16,000-word short story The Barn on Half Moon Hill to raise funds for the Care for Claire campaign, established in support of Claire Throssell, whose children were killed in a domestic abuse-related murder–suicide. In 2019, she released a poetry collection titled A Cat-Shaped Space, with all proceeds donated to Yorkshire Cat Rescue. [12] In 2020, she contributed the novella The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe to the relaunched Quick Reads initiative, which aims to encourage reading among adults.

References

  1. "Need cheering up right now? Try reading a romance novel". The Guardian. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  2. "Milly's romantic recognition... – Barnsley News from the Barnsley Chronicle". Barnsley Chronicle. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  3. "Barnsley author Milly Johnson on hope, romantic fiction and being 'a poster girl for giving it your best shot'". www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  4. "The books that shaped me: Milly Johnson". Good Housekeeping. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  5. "Milly Johnson". www.fantasticfiction.com. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  6. "Yorkshire Businesswoman meets author Milly Johnson". Yorkshire Businesswoman. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  7. "Yorkshire Businesswoman meets author Milly Johnson". Yorkshire Businesswoman. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  8. "Colgan wins Melissa Nathan Award". The Bookseller. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  9. "RNA – Romantic Novelist Association" . Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  10. "Programmes". BBC Food. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  11. "Johnson wins RNA Outstanding Achievement Award". The Bookseller. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  12. Gibson, Words: Bethan Hyatt-Photos: Kevin. "Milly Johnson – the best-selling on her love of Barnsley". Yorkshire Life. Retrieved 7 September 2020.