Thoughts and words

Writing and purpose in later life

"Purpose" can be defined as the intention to achieve a long-term goal that makes an impact on the world and gives some meaning to your life. Purpose should motivate you and give you a good reason to get up in the morning. Unfortunately, what is often called the “third age”... Read more →

Late winter - poem

This poem by Margaret Polaneczky expresses the feelings many of us may have at this time of year. If you skirt shadowed sidewalks and keep to the sun, You will think that the worst of the winter has passed. Breezes with warm tones of spring days to come Brush your... Read more →

Kultur Shock

It's 1989 - the year I returned to the UK after a long stay in Italy. After 13 years of seeing children treated like Jesus himself, the first thing I see in England is a piece of white trash walloping her little girl on the legs and shouting, "Shuddup you... Read more →

Lost Property - past and present in the same room

My novel Lost Property was partly inspired by the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees in Germany between 2015 and 2017. Above all, my aim was to draw parallels between the current refugee crisis and the refugee crisis in post-war Germany. In 1945, Germany was in ruins and yet... Read more →