Don’t be afraid to tell your story
Persephone Nicholas has one thing to say to older, unpublished writers – “don’t be scared”. She believes older unpublished writers could learn much of what they need to learn about structure and formatting on the internet.
Persephone Nicholas has one thing to say to older, unpublished writers – “don’t be scared”.
She believes older unpublished writers could learn much of what they need to learn about structure and formatting on the internet.
“If you’ve got a story to tell, you can find out all that other stuff very easily because online learning is a fantastic way to learn,” she says.
Yesterday Ms Nicholas (pictured) was named the 2013 winner of the National Seniors Literary Prize for her fictional novel Burned which was inspired by her own life milestones of motherhood and migration.
To be published in June, Burned is set in the United Kingdom and Australia. The novel was selected from a field of more than 120 high standard works of fiction written on the theme of “change”.
Ms Nicholas, 50, is a former public relations professional in London who moved to Sydney with her husband and two small children and discovered Australia was a land of opportunity.
“I sometimes actually describe it as my second life,” Ms Nicholas said.
One of best things about the prize was the professional editing and marketing of her book by Random House Australia.
“Winning the National Seniors Literary Prize is an exciting new chapter in my life and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I definitely think the future will include some more books.”
The prize also includes $2,000 cash, a threeyear National Seniors membership, e-book publication and cover design, 12 printed copies and the opportunity for further print-on-demand versions.
National Seniors’ chief executive, Michael O’Neill, says the number of entries this year was nearly double the number received last year for the inaugural seniors literary prize.
“Unpublished authors aged over 50 years are becoming aware that age is no barrier to getting published,” he says.
The 2014 National Seniors Literary Prize is now open and its theme is ‘reflections’. Submit your manuscript. Entries are open until 29 November 2013.
