A life well-lived means something for different to every single person. Perhaps it’s a life of economic security; a life of familial love and connection; a life of independence and freedom; or a life of exploration and cultural fulfilment.

For Sandra Fairhall, her life has been happy, full and meaningful: filled with family, loss, hardship and joy for the little things. Through this collection of short stories, play scripts and poems, Sandra revisits her life in riveting, and sometime surprising, prose.

Before the release of Three Pennyworth this Thursday, we spoke with Sandra about her passion for storytelling, how her writing style has changed over the years and try to identify her greatest inspiration.

Despite this being your first published release, your love of storytelling bloomed in your childhood and has been a consistent across your life. Why did you decide to turn your writing into this book, Three Pennyworth?

Following courses in Creative Writing, during which fellow writers suggested that I publish, I had accumulated a large amount of work which lent itself to becoming a book. As a child, we used to get two pennyworth of chips: I called the book Three Pennyworth because you get a bit more.

Over the years, you have been writing prose and verse that is featured in this title. Across those years, how did your writing style change, if at all?

I have been writing – on and off – since my twenties in the nineteen-sixties, but my dedicated writing in prose and verse really began in earnest in 2016. I suppose my writing style has developed by (a) being more open to inspiration, and ready to write when it hits, and (b) a greater awareness of descriptive phrases and passages written by other authors.

Touching a diverse and eclectic range of genres, your work is imaginative and all encompassing. Our question for you though is where do you find your greatest inspiration from?

A difficult question.

During our Creative Writing sessions, various titles were suggested or pictures produced to inspire us, but I have often found that, with a blank canvas, once I begin, the theme takes on a life of its own, and sometimes the ending surprises even me. I have to add that I believe all creativity is God-given.

Three Pennyworth is made up of short stories, play scripts and poems, allowing readers to dip into your work easily with short but enthralling pieces of writing. Is there a particular piece which you are most proud of, or you think people should read?

Although the personal stories are closest to my heart, I am proud of the fact that the subjects are many and varied and will, I hope, touch folk in different ways. I would encourage people to read the whole book!

Finally, as a retired college lecturer, I’m sure your time for writing has grown! Could we expect to see more work from you down the line? Where are you headed to next, creatively speaking?

As all retirees know, one wonders how we had time for work, such are the busy days. However, I am building up a new portfolio and have a number of ideas which I would love to see in print. Watch this space!

Three Pennyworth is available Thursday 27th February.