Tartan Noir storyteller rewrites the rulebook for life after 50

In a society obsessed by youth there’s a common school of thought that women are destined to become invisible after the age of 50. It is a phenomenon that has been much debated over the years, that once past your baby-making years you suddenly become wallpaper.

All I can say is, try telling that to Jane Fonda (84), Michelle Obama (58) and Helen Mirren (76).

The fact is, there are countless female role models out there who prove that you don’t have to quietly melt into the background after a certain age.

I was reminded of this when reading this week’s Big Interview (pages 6&7) with Scottish crime writer Lin Anderson. She has penned 20 novels, three screenplays and is the co-founder of the hugely successful book festival, Bloody Scotland. And she did it all after the age of 50.

Her journey from teacher to Tartan Noir star makes inspirational reading for anyone struggling to shrug off the relentless bombardment of ageist stereotypes.

Anderson makes the very interesting point that far from being a barrier, having more years under her belt was the very thing that propelled her to success. She tells P.S: “I don’t think I could have become a novelist before then as I hadn’t lived long enough to assimilate enough stories from people.”

There was also the small matter that her children had left home, so she finally had time to devote to her own ambitions.

It’s stories like hers that help rewrite the narrative on ageing.that reaching midlife is not the end, it’s just the beginning of an exciting new chapter.