ABOUT ME

Gwen Wilson … Dreaming of being a famous author one day (AI generated image)

Welcome to the website of author Gwen Wilson, aka blogger, Garrulous Gwendoline, The Reluctant Retiree…

With a few twists and turns along the way, life after forced retirement chose to reinvent me as an author.

Explore this blogsite turned website to learn more about my early background in my memoir I Belong to No One, or where life finds me now, with the recent release of my debut historical novel, Louisa.

Or simply enjoy my other blog posts, an eclectic mix of exhilarating travel adventures in Australia, or Abroad, mixed with random Writerly Things and Stuff that doesn’t fit elsewhere.

One day, I may write the sequel to my memoir. A ‘Self-Help’ book explaining how to transform a life that looked hopeless into one so full of vibrant activity there is never a spare minute in the day. The problem is that in all the years in between I was too busy putting one foot in front of the other to keep a diary, so the second-best option is my blog, first begun in 2013. Perhaps that is more revealing than any book could ever be…

For now, though, I’ll stick with dreaming of broad horizons. Who knows where that will lead me?

I belong to no one

  • I’m Feeling a Bit Wobbly at this Point

    Today is ANZAC DAY in Australia. It’s the 25th of April, in case my North American friends are wondering. As ever, we rose before dawn to join in the solemn commemoration of the service and sacrifice of Australian and New Zealand men and women defence personnel, inspired by those who fought at Gallipoli in 1915,…

  • Join Me for the Book Launch of LOUISA on May 29, 2026, in Wollongong, NSW

    Join Me for the Book Launch of LOUISA on May 29, 2026, in Wollongong, NSW

    Mark your calendars for the launch of Louisa on May 29, 2026, at The Links Seaside in Wollongong! It kicks off at 2pm, and attendance is free, so don’t forget to book your spot. Plus, author Suzanne Leal, known for her award-winning novels, will be in the mix!

  • Embracing Louisa, an Historical Novel: Reflections on Release

    I was numb. We had ridden in the mourning coach all the way from Shipley, up the Otley Road to Undercliffe Cemetery. I could hear the horses’ bridles clinking as they pulled in unison, plodding through the soot-blackened slush. Ahead, another team dragged the hearse. I kept my eyes down. I didn’t want to see…