Rachel Le Mesurier

1) How do you feel about winning this award?

It's an incredible honour to win this award, especially knowing that I was shortlisted alongside some incredibly talented local minds. I'm so lucky to have found a career I take so much joy in- my books have been a real labour of love- and to have other people see my hard work and passion and recognise the achievement and success in what I've created feels incredibly validating.


2) What is the Bill Green Award? Why were you chosen as the winner?

The Bill Green Award celebrates thriving innovators whose creativity and determination has allowed them to achieve wonderful things amidst ongoing global uncertainty. The judges described me as 'inspiring, thoughtful and creative' and said I was 'a credit to myself and my island', especially in how I've overcome challenges in order to become a successful author (I'm disabled and have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and POTS). I was honoured by their lovely feedback.


3) What does winning this award mean to you and your writing career?

Winning any sort of award is always wonderful, but being recognised as worthy of the Bill Green Award is particularly special. Bill Green himself was a local man who had global dreams, and as a local girl who is now a globally published author, I'd like to think that he and I would've got along very well.
 

Refusing to give up on your dreams in the face of adversity is a strong theme in my books as well as my own life, and winning an award like this feels like a recognition of those struggles I've overcome to get my beautiful books out into the world.


4) What are you working on next? Has this inspired you to keep writing?

I am, of course, still very busy with my beloved series 'The Musician's Promise'- in the last week alone I've been doing book signings, readings, talks and workshops for budding writers, which has all been very exciting. I am also in the planning stages for another historical fiction series, which I'm hoping to start actually writing soon... watch this space!


5) Are you excited to attend the awards ceremony?

Oh gosh, yes! I can't remember the last time I attended a black tie event, let alone as a guest of honour. The Véyaon Awards Ceremony 2022 will take place on the evening of 17th November at St Pierre Park, Guernsey. It's a black tie dinner followed by the presentation of the awards, and I can't wait. I've met some of the lovely people from the YBG earlier this month and they're absolutely lovely- just as one example, Chris from the fantastic local Mexican bar Amigos, who is going to be running an event with me in March at his bar to celebrate the first birthday of my books. He's going to design cocktails named after the characters and everything! I can't wait. I promise, I'll share more details as soon as we've got it all organised!

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As a prize for winning the award, I get a year's membership to attend all of the YBG's events and I'll be invited to be a guest speaker at some of them too. I can't wait to make the most of it. There are so many interesting and talented people in the YBG, I know I'm going to make a lot of friends.

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6) Congratulations again. Do you have any final words as the Bill Green Award Winner 2022?

It's been a real honour to receive this award. I am incredibly proud of my career so far as a writer, and it's been amazing to hear the judging panel's wonderful comments about me and my beloved books. My journey to becoming a traditionally published author, from the original inspiration to seeing my books in stores all over the world, has been the most incredible whirlwind. As a disabled woman with two young children, I can't tell you how much it means to me to hear the judges describing me as 'a credit to my island' for everything I've achieved. Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity.