Newly retired in 2009, Jan searched for a pastime that would be creative and fulfilling. Decluttering one day, she rediscovered stories written by her children years earlier when the family lived on a Pacific island. Deciding to reproduce them in a book for grandchildren, she enrolled in a short course at Sydney University, Women Telling Stories: handing on to the next generation. Enjoying writing ‘down memory lanes’, she joined and remains a member of the Society of Women Writers NSW, Willoughby Writers and Sunday Memoirists. In 2018, Jan joined Patti Miller in Paris to workshop Life Writing. Taking advantage of being on the other side of the world, Jan was able to research some family stories at the National Archives, Kew and the Hertfordshire Archives.
The book, seeded as stories for grandchildren, grew large and became Skimming the Surface – Expats in Kiribati (2020). Several short stories have been published in anthologies. Skimming the Surface was highly commended in the Society’s 2022 Members Book Awards.
Jan is the immediate Past President of The Society (2019-2021), is currently working on a history of her family in Australia and is editor of the Society’s monthly e-newsletter.
In February 2024, Jan was announced as the winner of the 2024 Di Yerbury Residency in the UK.