LISMORE MP Janelle Saffin has congratulated local writer Mary-Jane Gibson on being one of 100 seniors who have told extraordinary tales of moments that defined them in the milestone tenth edition of Seniors’ Stories.
Mary-Jane Gibson, 69, (pictured), who is enjoying success with her short stories after coming from an academic background, was selected for her story titled, ‘The Recipe of Me’ which appears on Page 186 of the collection.
Ms Saffin said Mary-Jane was on a roll after her authentic voice and engaging writing style was featured in Seniors’ Stories for the second year in a row. “This is a back-to-back achievement of which she can be very proud,” Ms Saffin said.
Written in the form of a recipe, Mary-Jane talks about her heritage – Irish, Scottish, English and Australian. She mentions her childhood spent hanging in trees and enjoying paddle pops on the beach and talks about growing up as a Catholic. She believes there have been many moments that have made her, all of which she has made peace with.
This year’s theme ‘What Made Me’ has produced stories of hardship, resilience, life changing moments, and generational life lessons in the 260-page book.
Seniors’ Stories was introduced in 2013 to recognise and value the experiences of NSW seniors.
The competition is open to all Seniors Card and Senior Savers Card holders and offers the opportunity to showcase different cultures, backgrounds and languages, told through real, lived experiences.
NSW Minister for Seniors Jodie Harrison said this year’s competition attracted a near record high volume of entries.
“We saw one of the highest submission rates this year with over 500 short stories shared with our judging panel from across NSW for the milestone tenth edition of Seniors’ Stories,” Ms Harrison said.
Seniors’ Stories Volume 10 will be available at all local libraries across NSW by the end of November 2024, or can be downloaded as PDF or audiobook from www.seniorscard.nsw.gov.au
