At a café, I noticed a group of older people sitting at a nearby table. They each had a pen and piece of A4 lined paper. I could see some writing on the paper but not what it said. I couldn’t hear what they were discussing, either, despite straining to do so. As I watched they would look up from their writing, engage in a brief but intense discussion, then return to writing.  

I inferred they were writing letters as petitions, ensuring their words concurred and included all the relevant information.  

The incident intrigued me on a couple of levels. Firstly, I was desperate to know what had inspired them to write so feverishly in unison. Secondly, it made me aware of being surprised that a group of older people would be inclined to activism. 

The incident stayed with me and began to evolve into the plot. I wanted to blast ageing stereotypes and create a story where the older people were the main protagonists rather than sidelined characters. That desire to give each older character a clear and robust voice led to my decision to create an ensemble novel. No sidelining, no stereotyping.