Rachel Le Mesurier Wins Bill Green Award for Overcoming Adversity, Celebrating Creative Innovators

Guernsey author Rachel Le Mesurier has been selected as this year's recipient of the Bill Green Award presented by YBG Guernsey. The judges described her as inspiring, thoughtful and creative and said she was a credit to herself and Guernesey.

5310 Publishing is happy to share that Rachel Le Mesurier, author of The Musician’s Promise series, has been selected as this year’s winner of the Bill Green Award presented by YBG Guernsey. The Bill Green Award was created to honor local innovation and the innovators of Guernsey. The judges for this year’s award have selected Rachel as their recipient for her drive to overcome adversity on her journey to becoming a traditionally published author. The award will be presented as part of the Véyaon Awards on November 17, 2022, and this year will be held during Global Entrepreneurship Week.

We’re so happy and proud that Rachel has been recognized by YBG Guernsey, and that the judges saw in her what we see in Rachel and her story. To celebrate Rachel’s win, we asked her some questions about her upcoming award and what it means to her. Read more below:

1) First being shortlisted and then annouced the winner of the Bill Green Award, how has this whole exerience made you feel?

It's an incredible honour to be shortlisted for this award 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? With many amazing people, including youself, up for this award, did the judges have any comments for you?

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 honored by their lovely feedback.

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

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...

5) As this years winner of the Bill Green Award, do you have any final words for the readers?

It's been a real honour to recieve 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.

Click here to discover more about Rachel and her historical romances.

Thank you for taking the time to read Rachel’s small Q&A to celebrate her win of the Bill Green Award. If you’ve enjoyed this, make sure to check out Artie’s Courage, A Hero’s Hope, and the recently released, Sophia’s Freedom. Together they make up The Musician’s Promise series, a love story of class struggles, rebellion, and heartbreak set in a turbulent time of Mexican history, the 1910s.

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About the author: Rachel Le Mesurier is the author of ARTIE’S COURAGE, A HERO’S HOPE, and SOFIA’S FREEDOM. Led by strong female characters, The Musician's Promise Series turns the common damsel in distress trope on its head. Based on real historical events, this thrilling page-turner story of love and courage in the face of adversity follows characters on an emotional journey through laughter, tears, passion, and heartbreak.

Rachel and her family live a quiet life on her home island of Guernsey, where she enjoys teaching sign language, singing, reading, and writing. Rachel has a degree in English Literature and specialized in literature from other cultures, post-colonial, 19th century, and gothic literature.

About Rachel’s Books:

— About THE MUSICIAN'S PROMISE SERIES —

Led by strong female characters, THE MUSICIAN'S PROMISE turns the common damsel in distress trope on its head. Based on real historical events, this thrilling page-turner story of love and courage in the face of adversity follows characters on an emotional journey through laughter, tears, passion, and heartbreak.

— About ARTIE'S COURAGE —

A courageous farm girl's life is changed forever when she falls in love with a charming street musician, opening her eyes to the cruel mistreatment of Mexico's mine workers and compelling her to stand with them against their oppressor - the man she is marrying.

Esperanza lives a charmed life. The daughter of a wealthy landowner, her family is thrilled when she attracts the attention of the handsome and mysterious Don Raúl, opening the door to a glittering life of opulence for them all.

However, a chance encounter with a charming street musician forces Esperanza to open her eyes to the cruel underworld of Mexico's mistreated working classes, and she begins to doubt everything she ever thought she wanted.

As the people begin to rise up in a bloodthirsty revolution against their oppressors, Esperanza is forced to make choices that she hoped never to face. Esperanza's decisions threaten to tear apart her family, her heart, and the country she loves.

In this brutal world where a few careless words can cost lives, will the price of freedom prove to be more than what she is willing to pay?

— About A HERO'S HOPE —

Forced to choose between her own freedom and Artie’s, Esperanza must take desperate measures to save the man she loves. But as revolution looms and even families begin to turn against each other, danger lurks around every corner—and she soon learns that the greatest threats can come from the places you least expect. Esperanza will do anything to protect Artie. But with Artie’s attacker still at large, a vengeful Don Raúl determined to hang him for treason, and a bloody revolution brewing all around them, will her efforts be too little, too late?

— About SOFIA'S FREEDOM —

As bloody revolution erupts all around her, Esperanza must face her worst nightmares if she is to survive. Alone and terrified, her salvation comes in an unlikely form... but will she be able to accept it, knowing that her beloved musician will never be able to fulfill his promise?