Seniors’ stories a hidden gem

With the commencement of Seniors’ Week, community members are encouraged to seek out the latest edition of the Seniors’ Stories collection, an annual anthology of short works featuring the voices of NSW seniors.

Artwork by Mandy Francis.

4 March 2026

 

MARCH heralds the beginning of the annual ritual for writers preparing short works for the anthology, with its 11th edition published in November featuring 100 stories and memoirs written by seniors from across NSW.

 

Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch MP urged readers to search out a copy of Seniors’ Stories in their local library or read it online here.

 

“It really is a hidden gem, with each edition showcasing the creativity, wisdom, and lived experiences of older Australians across NSW,” Ms Tesch said.

 

Local resident, Chris Maitland, 82, is a five-times published Seniors’ Stories, with his most recent work in the 11th edition, which was themed Then and Now.

 

His entry drew a parallel between the door delivery of yesteryear, from rabbits to ice for the ice chest, and today’s Uber and Amazon.

 

Chris is a presenter at Coast FM and is proud of his stories taken from a full life. “It’s been a pretty amazing life and hopefully there’s more to come,” he said.

 

Since its inception in 2013, the writing competition has published more than 1100 stories from amateur writers aged in their 60s to 90s.

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