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.
Take a peek at my page I Belong to No One to learn more of my early journey. (work in progress at April ’26)
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…
Explore this website to learn more about me, my memoir I Belong to No One, and my debut historical novel, Louisa.
Or simply enjoy my blog posts, an eclectic mix of exhilarating travel adventures and random philosophical musings.
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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!
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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…
GWEN WILSON The Reluctant Retiree 