THREE seniors from the Coffs Coast are amongst 100 writers to be included in Seniors’ Stories Volume 10.

Rowena Parkes of Bellingen, Jenni Jay of Coffs Harbour and Alina Loneck of Boambee East each have their work published in the latest volume, available in local libraries soon.

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The NSW Seniors’ Card short story competition had a near-record submission rate this year with over five hundred entries.

The 1000-word competition is run by the Department of Communities and Justice along with the Fellowship of Australian Writers.

Its focus is to recognise and value multicultural, generational life lessons, alongside the importance of sharing this knowledge with younger generations.

By way of showcasing diversity of community and culture, eleven of the stories have been translated into the author’s first language.

The theme for this year’s volume is ‘What Made Me’, and the three local entries are diverse in content and style.

The entry from Rowena Parkes, “The Many Forms of Teacher” (p. 174), is a tribute to her parents “for building the foundations of a love for inspiring others to learn,” and to her father whose actions showed her “how teaching comes in many forms and is about relationship”.

The story by Jenni Jay, “Often Difficult Roads lead to Beautiful Destinations” (p. 169), is an inspiring and heartwarming tribute to creativity, connection and positivity as a buffer against life’s challenges.

She writes, ‘I’ve found personally that each challenge (divorce, death, injury, flood) has been an opportunity.

“It’s often our attitude through it all that largely determines the outcome.”

For Alina Loneck this is her second appearance in the Short Stories volume having been successful in last year’s competition.

Alina’s “Motorbikes, Oranges and Almonds” (p. 172), explores her “maker’s mark” through her Anglo-Polish heritage, and her “wild and free” childhood as a post-war baby.

It is a compelling and eye-opening story that ends with the words: “In the making of us all there is no line between what lies in the past and what lies in the present.

“Always, there is repetition and there is rhyme”.

Alina enjoys success having written and self-published two short story collections and a short novel.

After six years in the creative process, she is at the final stage of bringing to print two non-fiction books: “Prose with Pizazz” and “The Write Direction”.

She hopes they will assist other writers on their journey to becoming self-publishing authors.

Volume 10 of Seniors’ Stories will be available in all local libraries soon.

It can be downloaded at community-services/seniors-card/seniors-stories as a PDF or audiobook.

By Andrea FERRARI