A Note From the Founder

The Romance Literary Association (RLA) was founded to create space for something that has long been overlooked—romance literature and the community that surrounds it.

Built in Northern Ireland, RLA exists to support and celebrate romance authors, readers, and industry professionals by creating inclusive, welcoming and intentionally curated literary experiences.

The Romance Literary Festival is our flagship event, it’s designed to bring together independent authors and passionate readers in a setting that prioritises connection, visibility, and community. Unlike large-scale conventions, our events are deliberately intimate—creating meaningful opportunities for readers to discover new authors, and for authors to build genuine relationships with their audience and peers.

We are committed to creating spaces that are accessible, diverse, inclusive and reflective of the romance genre in all its forms. Through our events, we aim to foster creativity, collaboration, and a sense of belonging within a community that deserves to be centred, not sidelined.

This is the beginning of something bigger—a space in Northern Ireland where romance authors and readers are not an afterthought, but the main event. We’d love to have you be part of it.

Lasairiona