“Life’s no picnic for Generation Sandwich” – me in the Big Issue

“Hilariously, I was conceived at a Communist Party conference in Morecambe. When I was born Mum was still only 18, Dad 22. They soon separated and Mum and I endured a few years of poverty and homelessness. Perhaps understandably therefore, I chose to have kids later in life: by the time my second came along I was 39. My mum and dad, still young in outlook, enjoyed a few good years as grandparents, but then Mum developed Alzheimer’s, Dad pulmonary dementia. I now found myself with caring responsibilities for both children and parents. Along with over a million others in the UK, I had joined Generation Sandwich…”

Read about how my experiences helped inspire my new novel, “Jam Generation,” in this week’s Big Issue – go find a vendor now!