Milly Johnson is a British author known for her work in romantic fiction. In addition to her novels, she has worked as an after-dinner speaker, poet, professional joke writer, short story writer, and newspaper columnist.
Biography Born in Barnsley, Johnson was educated at Agnes Road Primary School, Longcar Junior School, and Hall Balk School for Girls. She later studied drama and teacher training at St Luke's Campus, University of Exeter.
She lived for many years in Haworth, West Yorkshire, where she became acquainted with author Stan Barstow, who also resided in the area. During this time, Johnson held various administrative positions while supplementing her income by writing jokes and poems for the greetings card industry. She also worked as a ghost-writer for Purple Ronnie in its early stages. She later became a professional copywriter within the greetings card sector.
Johnson’s breakthrough into publishing came at the age of 41 with the submission of her manuscript The Yorkshire Pudding Club, which was inspired by her experience of being pregnant simultaneously with two friends. In 2005, she secured her first two-book deal with Simon & Schuster.
Her work has received multiple accolades, including a nomination for the Melissa Nathan Award for Romantic Comedy in 2012, and two wins of the RoNA Award for Comedy Romance in 2014 and 2016. She also appeared as a winner on a regional edition of Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me. In 2020, Johnson was honoured with the Romantic Novelists' Association's Outstanding Achievement Award.
Awards and honours +YearAwarding BodyCategoryNominee/ Nominated WorkResult2012Melissa Nathan AwardComedy RomanceAn Autumn Crush 2014Romantic Novelists' Association AwardsRomantic Comedy NovelIt's Raining Men 2015Yorkshire Society AwardsArts and CultureMilly Johnson Romantic Novelists' Association AwardsRomantic Comedy NovelThe Teashop on the Corner 2016Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café 2017Contemporary Romantic NovelThe Queen of Wishful Thinking 2020Outstanding AchievementMilly Johnson 2021Goldsboro Books AwardsRomantic Contemporary FictionMy One True North In recognition of her contributions to literature and her strong connection to the region, Johnson was appointed Vice President of the Yorkshire Society in 2018. Her work has earned her a number of accolades and nominations throughout her career, reflecting both her popularity with readers and her standing within the literary community.
Bibliography +YearTitlePublisherISBNNotes2007The Yorkshire Pudding ClubSimon & Schuster978-18498341002008The Birds and the Bees 978-18498340942009A Spring Affair978-18473928242010A Summer Fling978-18473928312011Here Come The Girls978-1849832052An Autumn Crush978-18498320382012White Wedding978-0857208965The Wedding Dress978-1471111785E-book exclusive.A Winter Flame978-14711877732013The Four Seasons Collection978-1471128776A compilation of A Spring Affair, A Summer Fling, An Autumn Crush and A Winter Flame. E-book exclusive.It's Raining Men978-14711146182014The Teashop on the Corner 978-1471114649Here Come The Boys978-1471133886E-book exclusive.2015Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café978-1471140464Ladies Who Launch978-1471152160E-book exclusive.2016Sunshine Over Wildflower Cottage 978-1471140488The Barn on Half Moon Hill978-1471158711E-book exclusive.2017The Queen of Wishful Thinking978-14711617352018The Perfectly Imperfect Woman978-1471161773The Mother of All Christmases978-13985351452019The Magnificent Mrs Mayhew 978-1471178474A Cat-Shaped SpaceSelf-published979-8764585741Poetry book.2020The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe Simon & Schuster978-1471186202Quick Reads production.My One True North978-1471178528I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day978-14711785662021The Woman in the Middle978-14711990282023Together, Again978-14711990662024The Happiest Ever After978-13985235622025Same Time Next Week978-1398523616Let the Bells Ring Out978-13985470632025Lift Me UpAmazon Original Stories978-1662543234E-book exclusive.
Literary Projects and Charitable Works In addition to her 23 novels, Johnson has published several shorter works, many of which were released exclusively as e-books. These include The Wedding Dress (2012), a collection of short stories themed around weddings, and Here Come the Boys (2014). In 2015, she released Ladies Who Launch, which serves both as a sequel to Here Come the Boys and as a prequel to Afternoon Tea at the Sunflower Café. In May 2016, Johnson published the 16,000-word short story The Barn on Half Moon Hill to raise funds for the Care for Claire campaign, established in support of Claire Throssell, whose children were killed in a domestic abuse-related murder–suicide. In 2019, she released a poetry collection titled A Cat-Shaped Space, with all proceeds donated to Yorkshire Cat Rescue. In 2020, she contributed the novella The Little Dreams of Lara Cliffe to the relaunched Quick Reads initiative, which aims to encourage reading among adults.
References
External links and articles
The Milly Johnson Website Milly Johnson’s Blog