11-year-old Grace knows that older people have interesting stories, if you just ask them the right questions.
This year Grace interviewed nine locals aged over sixty for her new magazine Perspective Is. She wrote the transcripts, laid out the magazine complete with photos, a recipe, and a word puzzle, and promoted it on social media with the help of a mentor.
“It is older people who have more wisdom and life experience to share.”
“I feel like a lot of magazines focus on young models, but it is older people who have more wisdom and life experience to share. I wanted to hear and share their perspectives and this is why I created my magazine,” she wrote on Facebook group Young Australian Writers.
Priced at $4 for digital and $5 for print, Perspective Is has sold more than 100 copies since its launch in early December.
Sharing a variety of stories
Grace’s interviewees range from celebrated artist Janet Ayliffe to doctor and animal trainer Johannes.
To find them, her mum wrote a Facebook add requesting people over 60 who wanted to share their stories. Grace also approached people she knew. Between them they found interviewees from Adelaide and their own Kangaroo Island community.
“I thought that they had a lot of wisdom, and they had very funny and interesting stories to tell and good tips.”
“One of them gave me a recipe to use!”
Janet talks about the influences behind her award-winning art. Jennie has decades of wisdom from teaching children. Clive has a recipe to share with readers.
“I asked them what topics they’d like to be interviewed on and what topics were their expertise, and from there I gave them a set list of questions,” Grace said.
“In one of the interviews especially we just branched off a bit and talked about other stuff. Some of them have been as short as 15 minutes, and some have been as long as forty minutes.”
Well-received by an unexpected readership
A promotional post on Facebook page Young Australian Writers saw Grace’s magazine sales double within two days.
The Facebook group for freelance writers and journalists were impressed with Grace’s initiative. One went so far as to dub her “Queen”.
“I haven’t had one negative comment about my magazine,” says Grace.
In future editions Grace plans to interview people who don’t live on Kangaroo Island.
“I have done one interview for edition two so far and this interviewee lives off-grid! He has two wind turbines and solar panels. And he’s had lots of army experience and police experiences, so he was very interesting. He used to train police dogs.”
You can order a copy here.
Alex is a journalist and freelance writer who loves bringing you inspiring stories. Have an idea for a story? Let her know at adevylder@iinet.net.au