Robin has been honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards from both American Christian Fiction Writers (2014) and Romance Writers of America (2001).
In June 2014, Colleen Coble, CEO of ACFW, announced the recipient of the 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award was Robin Lee Hatcher. Following is what she said:
Robin Lee Hatcher is one of my favorite people, and her name came up unanimously the minute the ACFW Executive Board started talking about this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award. When we bestow this award, we look not just at awards and body of work but at how the recipient gives back to the industry.
Not only is Robin a gifted writer, but she takes time to nurture aspiring writers as well. I have to tell you a funny story about Robin and my dear friend Diann Hunt who lost her battle with ovarian cancer right after Thanksgiving. Di was attending her first ACFW conference with me and had only written one novella so far. She was on the phone with her husband and Robin came into our hotel room. Di whispered into the phone, “Jim, I have to go. There are famous people in the room.”
And Robin was so gracious and sweet to Di and even endorsed some of her books as well. Di hero-worshiped her all her life. Many have been touched by Robin’s gift of helping others.
Robin has won many accolades over her 30 years (and counting) career. She came to CBA from the general market where she also won the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. And she’s won every writing award worth winning—the RITA, the Christy, and the Carol Awards. Her well-drawn characters and heartwarming stories of faith, courage, and love have earned her both critical acclaim and the devotion of readers.
ACFW is proud to award her with our highest honor, the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award.
The following press release was captured from RWA’s web site on the day of its announcement, June 15, 2001.
The 2001 Lifetime Achievement Award winner is:
She’s been an RWA president, a champion of authors’ rights, a volunteer. She is the author of more than 38 historical and contemporary romances. Today Robin Lee Hatcher adds RWA Lifetime Achievement Award winner to her list of romance-writing credentials. For the first time ever, RWA is revealing the winner of its yearly Lifetime Achievement Award prior to the annual summer Conference, and this year’s recipient is Robin Lee Hatcher.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is one of RWA’s most prestigious honors. Like past winners Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, Jayne Ann Krentz and the 17 other distinguished winners, Robin will receive a golden RITA statuette during the Award Ceremony at the National Conference in the summer.
RWA members vote on Lifetime Achievement Award recipients based on the length of the nominees’ careers in romance fiction (must have been publishing romances for at least 15 years), and their contributions to the promotion of the genre.
Hatcher certainly qualifies on all counts. She’s been writing romance for as long as RWA has existed; selling her first novel in 1982 when RWA was only two years old. Robin began volunteering for RWA-chapter and national projects as soon as she began her career in romance writing. She’s attended every single RWA Conference except one, and has volunteered at most. She helped to found three local chapters and spent five years on the RWA Board of Directors, including a term as RWA president.
In 1997, Robin filed a class-action lawsuit against a former publisher on behalf of more than 270 authors. A settlement resulted in the release of $950,000 in withheld royalties to the class authors (as earned, not as an award) and a change in accounting practices by the publisher.
Robin describes her reaction to the win as “shocked,” as well as profoundly honored and filled with joy. She says she’s always felt that she got more out of RWA if she was in the trenches; participating and volunteering, playing a role in its development. “I believe this is true of everything in life,” she says of her eagerness to get the most by giving the most.
“My life has been touched by so many wonderful people because of RWA,” Robin says. “I’m profoundly grateful for the rich blessing of friends. And all of them intuitively understand the voices I hear in my head and the angst I suffer with every book and all the other quirks that make me who I am — a writer.”
Congratulations and gratitude to Robin Lee Hatcher for the 20 years of talent, time and energy she selflessly gave to the romance genre and Romance Writers of America.
To watch the presentations of the LTA to Robin, click here.
