Asanga presents the book, subtitled, The Advantages of Age: Handbook to Growing Old Funkily, to which he has contributed two stories.
Advantages of Age was started, in 2016, as an online magazine by Suzanne Noble, serial entrepreneur, ‘dirty blues’ jazz singer, and Rose Rouse, journalist, writer and poet, as a social enterprise to challenge the media narrative around ageing.
A small group of women, aged 46-64, who met in a hot tub in Suzanne’s garden in London felt unsupported by the saggy, tired and sad ‘granny’ stories they read in the media. Those negative stories did not feel like them and they decided to reframe, re-imagine and revision ‘old’ in a sexier, more rock ‘n’ roll, positive and creative way.
A website was born: advantagesofage.com and a Facebook group: Advantages of Age – Baby Boomers and Beyond.
Since the inception of the website, Rose commissioned inspirational personal stories, some of which started as posts and comments on the FB page – this anthology is a compilation of these articles. Stories about people ageing differently – with wildness, vulnerability and panache. And sometimes embracing difficult health conditions in various ways. Relationships that may not be ‘normal’ ones. Proud to be unwise elders at times, old and curious, old and spirited, old and able to be consciously vulnerable, old and willing to learn, to be old and joyful and talk about our pain. A dynamic collection of stories not being told about older people.
I have two stories in there. First: Sex in My Seventies – the Pressure is Off. This describes the advantage of not focusing on the goal (of orgasm) but enjoying the journey of intimacy with its many flavours. And not even reaching that goal is OK.
Second: The Hidden Power of the Climbing Wall. How discovering the spell of my local indoor climbing wall re-ignited a life-long passion for rock climbing at the point where I was sadly about to give up due to chronic pain from a serious injury many years before and also due to witnessing a more recent injury to a friend of mine while we were climbing together.
I shall be reading an abbreviated version of this one at the official book launch at Queen’s Park Gallery in London on 12th March 6.30 pm. (Book with eventbrite.co.uk)
There are over 50 stories in the book, covering a wide range of subjects divided into eight subsections with titles like Beyond the Box, Glorious Complexity, Health Tales, and The Last Taboo.
One person writes about imagining their own death, another single woman travelling solo in an old estate car, to remote places, sleeping out there and feeling into the magic of the landscape. Rose, also my partner, writes about living apart together – she in London, me in North Wales, 250 miles apart – how that works for us. Stories of the positive impact of cold-water swimming and another about discovering they had ADHD at 57.
This anthology is full of inspiring stories of men and women in their 60s, 70s and beyond, making life-changing decisions, starting new careers and hobbies, sports, and other activities. In fact, Suzanne runs a business – Start ups for Seniors.
I highly recommend this anthology to anyone interested in living life the best way they can – at any age.
Sex, Death and Other Inspiring Stories
The Advantages of Age
Handbook to Growing Old Funkily
Riverdale Avenue Books (November 2023), 270 pages
ISBN-10: 1626016690
ISBN-13: 978-1626016699
ASIN: B0CLKZBC62
Paperback and Kindle available from Amazon*
There will be a Book Launch & Exhibition at the Worldly Wicked and Wise London, Salusbury Road, London on Tuesday, 12 March 2024 – book with eventbrite.co.uk
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