INTRODUCING YET ANOTHER FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE AT THE SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS & JOURNALISTS - ROBERTA GRIEVE

 

Roberta (Robbie) is a successful novelist and someone I've always enjoyed meeting at our SWWJ gatherings in London. I find it fascinating to discover how some of our members began writing professionally and learning more about their successes. 

'My writing career started with short stories and magazine articles and I was beginning to get published when I met Jean Morris, former chairman of the SWWJ. She introduced me to the society and I joined in 2005, one of the best decisions I have made in my writing life.

The first event I attended was the Christmas lunch when to my surprise it was announced that I was the winner of the John Walter Salver for a published article, the first competition I entered.

My ambition was to have a novel published - an ambition that has been achieved many times over the years. My first, Abigail’s Secret’ in 2008, has been followed by 19 more full-length novels, as well as nine My Weekly Pocket Novels.

I write historical romances mostly set during the Victorian era and the two world wars. I really enjoy the research and have learned a lot about the history of my home town of Sheerness on the Isle of Sheppey. Five of my books are set on the island.

Two years ago, I moved to a small village in Norfolk and, inspired by the history of my new location, I wrote Flora’s Flight, which tells the fictionalised story of a historic airship flight from Norfolk to America in 1919. I am now embarking on another Norfolk story set during World War Two in a small village – not unlike where I live now.

Belonging to SWWJ has been one of the highlights of my life from attending meetings in London and meeting so many interesting people, to being involved in the Southern Regional meetings for many years, first as an attendee, then being organiser with Joan Moules and finally taking over from her a few years before I moved away from Chichester. I have made so many friends over the years and look forward to seeing some at the summer meeting in June.