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The wisdom of maturity is a rather unfashionable concept these days. When I was young I wanted to be a writer – but quite honestly I didn’t feel I knew enough about any subject to write about it credibly. That, I thought, takes experience, so off I went to acquire a bit of wisdom.
By the time I got down to some serious writing, then, I was well past the dreaded 50+ mark, and had sailed happily into the over-60s bracket by the time my first book was published. You might feel this is taking it a little too far – but the backward view down the years brought all kinds of insights to my writing that I couldn’t possibly have imagined as a young person. Getting older has its practical disadvantages, for sure – but it brings the gifts of experience and a wider viewpoint toiling in its wake.
If you’d like an example of fine, thoughtful, insightful, mature writing, may I suggest you consider the wonderful stories of my friend and contemporary Jim Bates in his blog The View from Long Lake? There are plenty of other examples, published or not, of people who in their later years have found themselves with both the leisure and, yes, the maturity (there’s that word again) to write well. Let’s not neglect them.
And what of the mature reader, you ask? What indeed. Young adults are well catered-for; they have their own genre – and it’s read by everyone, not just the young. So where is the Mature Adults genre?
This train of thought has been triggered by the efforts of a lady called Claire Baldry. She is in the process of setting up a website called Books for Older Readers. It’s a work in progress, but do go and investigate. I elbowed my way into the queue to have my own books featured on this site, not because I wrote them with older readers in mind, but because I think my contemporaries will enjoy them.
Claire has also set up a Facebook group Books for Older Readers, where those of us who admit to being over 50 can, readers and authors both, discuss this (hopefully) emerging genre. I reckon it can be just as exciting, varied and vital as the Young Adult genre.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Can there be a Mature Adult genre? How would we define it? What would we include in it? Over to you!
Ready soon for discerning readers of all ages…
Whales and Strange Stars
A stunning mystery in the tradition of Jamaica Inn. When a sea captain passes through the forgotten port of Wych Ferry and whiles away an hour at the Tradewinds Inn relating his traveller’s tales to young Rosamund Euden, he has no idea of the dramatic events he has set in action. Adventure, secrets and betrayal in the marshlands of 18th century Kent.
To be published by Crooked Cat Books, 16 January, 2018
Kathy Sharp 
Reblogged this on Crooked Cats' Cradle.
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Good idea!
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Well, first of all, thank you so much for the shout out, Kathy. I admire you as a person and as an author so just being mentioned in your post has definitely made my day if not my year!
Yes, the idea of Books For Older Readers is intriguing. As a person who enjoys reading as much as writing, I will certainly be checking out Clare’s website.
Earlier this year I calculated that at my present age and present reading rate, I’ll be fortunate to read approximately another 850 books by the end of my life. This is not a morbid thought at all, but rather an opportunity to fine-tune my selection of books I want to read. (A quick note: Once started rarely do I put a book down because as a writer I feel I can always learn something from the author I’m reading by analyzing their writing style, plot structure and voice, for example.)
So yes, I feel there can be a mature reader genre. Those books would speak to issues that we all have dealt with once we have ‘faced the world’ through failed (or successful) relationships, loss of loved ones, issues with our kids and dealing with our own pending mortality, to name just a few. Examples of authors in this genre that immediately come to mind are Anne Tyler and James Lee Burke.
Thanks again, Kathy, for not only your writing, but for your openness to share from your experiences and for helping other aspiring writers. I’m glad we are friends.
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Well, first of all, thank you so much for the shout out, Kathy. I admire you as a person and as an author so just being mentioned in your post has definitely made my day if not my year!
Yes, the idea of Books For Older Readers is intriguing. As a person who enjoys reading as much as writing, I will certainly be checking out Clare’s website.
Earlier this year I calculated that at my present age and present reading rate, I’ll be fortunate to read approximately another 850 books by the end of my life. This is not a morbid thought at all, but rather an opportunity to fine-tune my selection of books I want to read. (A quick note: Once started rarely do I put a book down because as a writer I feel I can always learn something from the author I’m reading by analyzing their writing style, plot structure and voice, for example.)
So yes, I feel there can be a mature reader genre. Those books would speak to issues that we all have dealt with once we have ‘faced the world’ through failed (or successful) relationships, loss of loved ones, issues with our kids and dealing with our own pending mortality, to name just a few. Examples of authors in this genre that immediately come to mind are Anne Tyler and James Lee Burke.
Thanks again, Kathy, for not only your writing, but for your openness to share from your experiences and for helping other aspiring writers. I’m glad we are friends.
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It would be good to read books with older characters as the main protagonists. I expect there are some, but I have to admit that even as an over-60 writer, I write characters that are in their 20s and 30s – well the main ones. Plenty of supporting characters who are mature in age and a few ageing disgracefully.
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Nothing wrong with that, Roland. Mine are all sorts of ages. It’s nice, though, to see books where older characters take the lead.
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Yes, there can! And they can also be read by everyone because many books with older main characters have their lives affected by younger characters too.
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Well, first of all, thank you so much for the shout out, Kathy. I admire you as a person and as an author so just being mentioned in your post has definitely made my day if not my year!
Yes, the idea of Books For Older Readers is intriguing. As a person who enjoys reading as much as writing, I will certainly be checking out Clare’s website.
Earlier this year I calculated that at my present age and present reading rate, I’ll be fortunate to read approximately another 850 books by the end of my life. This is not a morbid thought at all, but rather an opportunity to fine-tune my selection of books I want to read. (A quick note: Once started rarely do I put a book down because as a writer I feel I can always learn something from the author I’m reading by analyzing their writing style, plot structure and voice, for example.)
So yes, I feel there can be a mature reader genre. Those books would speak to issues that we all have dealt with once we have ‘faced the world’ through failed (or successful) relationships, loss of loved ones, issues with our kids and dealing with our own pending mortality, to name just a few. Examples of authors in this genre that immediately come to mind are Anne Tyler and James Lee Burke.
Thanks again, Kathy, for not only your writing, but for your openness to share from your experiences and for helping other aspiring writers. I’m glad we are friends.
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Fascinating! This is a bandwagon I’ll happily jump on! Thanks for sharing.
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