Where were you born, and what was your childhood like?

I was born in 1946 in a place called Hollinwood. From the name you might imagine this was a pretty place deep in a forest. Not a bit of it. It was a small area on a main throughfare halfway between the smoky northern towns of Manchester and Oldham, in Lancashire, England. My family had a little shop selling sweets and tobacco, just by the side of the very busy road, where cars and buses sped past my bedroom window at all times of the day...

Creative writing holds immense value for the older writer as it provides numerous benefits that can enhance overall well-being. It can boost confidence and provide a sense of fulfilment. It allows you to tap into your creativity and express yourself in unique and imaginative ways. Writing fiction or even memoirs can transport you to different worlds or relive cherished memories, adding depth and meaning to your life today.

As we age, it is important to keep stimulating our minds and engaging...

As I was writing Karma, in my imagination, I was strolling through the streets of Paris, surrounded by all the unique sights, smells and sounds of that exciting city. I had hoped to be able to convey to my readers all that my senses were experiencing in my imagination, and to make my story as real for them as it was for me.

When it was finished and I proudly received and read that first copy, it was exciting to see the words that had been born inside my...

You would think that at my age, I would have learned enough to get me through life, but maybe not quite – yet!

My whole life seems to have been one long learning curve. When I left school and entered the world of work as an experimental officer in the Research Department of I.C.I. I was convinced that after 13 years of education, I knew it all. Of course, it didn’t take long for me to discover that I actually knew very little that could possibly be of use in the development of Gas Liquid...