I am thrilled to be bringing you a wonderful interview with one of my favourite authors. Joanna's books are heartwarming, thought provoking, and entertaining. Most importantly, they centre about older characters and shed a light on aging in a positive way. I love all of Joanna's' books, but 'The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker' will always hold a special place in this Aged Care Clinical Nurse Consultant's heart. What a beautiful story. Lets find out more about this amazing author.
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in a market town in England where my family owned an electrical shop. I grew up surrounded by televisions, but books were always my passion. Aged nine, I developed appendicitis and fell in love with the young doctor who looked after me. Based on that crush, I decided I wanted to be a doctor.
At thirteen I won a scholarship in a single sex boys’ school, founded in 1553. I was one of the school’s very first intake of girls, and at thirteen and a half, I became a feminist. Ignoring a passion for books and creative writing, I studied my least favourite subjects – maths and the science – at high school and went on to study medicine. I trained as a GP but during a brief stint as a cruise ship doctor, I fell in love with the ship’s engineer. We married and moved to Australia in 2003 with our young children.
I only started writing seriously by accident back in 2012 – quite literally – after I had a ten-pin bowling accident (yes, it’s possible). Following surgery to reattach my hamstrings (they use a giant stapler) I needed to lie flat for six weeks. During that time, I enrolled in an online creative writing course run by the Australian Writers Centre. My debut novel The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village was published in 2018. I recently retired from my job as a GP and now write fulltime from my home on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
What do you like to read?
My reading tastes are quite eclectic. I read all genres of fiction including crime, literary and romance. I also read non-fiction which I tend to listen to as an audiobook, and I’m always on the lookout for good books on writing craft. There is always something to learn.
When did you first call yourself a writer?
I still feel shy about calling myself a writer, even with five published novels under my belt. I think this is because I have always seen my identity as something in relation to other people – doctor, wife, daughter, mother. And yet I am constantly telling people that a writer is someone who writes. I encourage emerging writers to get used to thinking of themselves and calling themselves writers from the outset, since it helps them to prioritise their writing time in an otherwise busy life.
How has your work as a GP inspired your writing?
Although all my characters and plotlines are purely fictional, I inevitably draw inspiration from the everyday experiences and encounters with my patients. The confidential stories never leave the consulting room, but the essence of those encounters stay with me and undoubtedly filter into my writing.
Laughter has always been an important tool in both my work as a doctor and as a writer. Humour helps to address the serious and sensitive issues that give the work depth with a lighter touch. As doctors, we are uniquely privileged to witness life’s highs and lows. Writing is my release when I feel emotionally overwhelmed. Being a doctor has undoubtedly made me a better writer, but equally being a writer has made me a better doctor.
Like me, you are a passionate advocate for positive aging? Why is positive aging so important?
The WHO defines healthy ageing as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age” and has declared 2021-2030 the decade of healthy ageing The concept of ‘healthy’ ageing is not just the absence of disease.
Once we reach old age, we are likely to be living with some health issues or degree of disability. That’s why I prefer the term ‘positive ageing’ which implies more of a mindset. There’s good reason to think positively about ageing too. Studies at Harvard, The Mayo Clinic and in The Netherlands have shown that when it comes to attitudes to ageing, optimists live longer than pessimists.
Also, a study at Yale looked at dementia and found that people who held more negative stereotypes about ageing were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Even people who carried the gene for Alzheimer’s were half as likely to develop the condition if they held positive beliefs about ageing. With any luck, writing hopeful and optimistic stories about old age may help people to age better and live longer!
Which one of your wonderful characters can you relate to most and why?
Heather Winterbottom, aka the Mrs Winterbottom who takes a gap year, is the most autobiographical of my characters in as much as I am also a GP contemplating retirement. I wrote the book to explore my own thoughts about leaving behind the profession that has been such a major part of my life.
I will add the caveat that I am not married to an Alan (although one or two of the anecdotes may have been repurposed, with permission, from real life… and no, not that scene), nor did I decide to run off to Greece with a hot naval officer. In fact, my husband is the one who wants to buy a boat while I dream of a cottage in the country and growing my own vegetables!
Your book titled ‘The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker’ will always hold a special place in my heart. A wonderful story that focuses on dementia with humility, hope, lots of laughs and a big dose love. What inspired it?
Thank you for those kind words, Hayley. That book holds a special place in my heart too and was inspired by my experience as a cruise ship doctor. We often encountered passengers with dementia who became lost and disorientated. I also heard stories about people who chose to spend their twilight years living aboard a cruise ship because it was cheaper than a nursing home and they’d find a chocolate left on their pillow every night.
It sounds perfect, until things go wrong, like Mrs Parker who can’t find her husband. I enjoyed the challenge of creating an unreliable narrator who is lost in the present but whose memories are perfect. The book is partly a mystery too, with Mrs Parker needing to follow the clues in her past to find her missing husband.
‘The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home’ highlights many of the invisible issues older people face in society such as loss of independence, social isolation, and a decline in function. Why are books that tell these stores so important?
One of the most obvious manifestations of ageism is the belief that ageing is somehow shameful or embarrassing and should be hidden from view. This out of sight, out of mind attitude has rendered an entire section of the population invisible and led to the preconception that older people are incapable, a nuisance and a burden on society.
As we know Hayley, nothing could be further from the truth! In the older population we have a wealth of knowledge and untapped wisdom. While I wanted to create a realistic portrayal of a nursing home – one that does not sugar coat the challenges and indignities of an ageing body – by focusing on love, laughter and human connection, I hope that book will show the human side of aged care.
As I write in the author’s note at the end, this book is also a love-letter to the countless dedicated staff who deliver high quality, individualised care with kindness, compassion and dedication. I see it as my mission to offer readers the opportunity to shuffle in the slippers of their future selves, and if they don’t like what they see, to take action now!
‘Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year’ looks at adjusting to retirement. What are your own thoughts on retirement, its link to our identity, and its effect on our relationships?
In researching the book and the many conversations I’ve had since its release, I discovered that Baby Boomers have completely reinvented retirement. In the past, people looked forward to a well-earned rest at the end of their lives. Now, with our longer lifespan, and crucially, longer health span, we can spend up to a third of our lives in retirement.
Understandably, most don’t want to waste it watching TV. Many see leaving fulltime work as an opportunity to pursue new interests, to travel (take a gap year, even), study, volunteer, or (like me) start a whole new career that is more aligned with their passions. Rather than a withdrawal, modern retirement represents a transition into another active phase of life. Rather like adolescence in reverse!
However retirement can put a strain on relationships, and it’s important to discuss plans ahead of time rather than leave it until it’s too late, like Heather and Alan Winterbottom in the book. Likewise, there will be some who find not working more difficult, especially those for whom retirement has either been enforced (by redundancy or ill health) or those whose identity is aligned with their occupation (like doctors). For these folks, winding down gradually, or finding another outlet for their skills (like writing!), can be the answer.
What do you feel readers can take away from picking up a book with an older protagonist?
Firstly, I hope that readers will be entertained, but more importantly, reassured that age is no barrier to love, laughter and friendship. We know that reading increases empathy, and by seeing the world through the eyes of an older protagonist, I hope that readers will find more kindness, patience and respect for those who are simply a few steps ahead on life’s journey.
Are you working on anything new?
I am due to submit the manuscript to my agent at the end of the month (for publication September 2025). The novel is the story of two lonely people who meet and connect in a very unexpected place. Is that enough of a teaser?
What’s the best piece of writing advice you have ever been given.
Back in 2019, I was two drafts into the manuscript that would eventually become 'The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker'. I knew it wasn’t working. In proposal I’d given to my publisher, the novel was told from the points of view of four strangers who meet on a cruise ship.
However, one of the characters, Evelyn Parker, originally the fourth and least important character, had completely taken over the story. The other characters barely had a look in. My mentor at the time was the late Valerie Parv, a wonderfully wise and prolific writer. When I phoned her in a panic, all she needed to say was, ‘You’ll know it’s the right story when you feel it with your whole body’. On her advice, I listened to my gut instinct, ditched the entire manuscript and started again. This time, she was right and writing Evelyn’s story was an eerily visceral experience.
Thank you to Joanna for being so generous with her time and sharing her thoughts on positive aging with us. I also draw inspiration from my work with our older patients when they present to the public hospital system and take great pride in making their hospital journey a more positive experience.
I am now eagerly waiting Joanna's next book. If you would like to check out Joanna's work, click on the links below.
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