Born in Scotland, Jessie emigrated to Australia with her parents in the early fifties.  After retiring, she took up writing as a hobby.  She did a course at TAFE with Carol Johnson,  and was encouraged to join a writers' group.  She has been a member of the Coastal Writers' Group in Mandurah, WA since 2004 and has Dave and Rose Bowen to thank for their mentoring and encouragement.  Her other hobbies are gardening, walking her dog Taggart, and painting.  The last has been neglected due to the demands of trying to write. She has also done volunteer work in the neighbourhood including with the Friends of the Hospital and teaching english to migrants.  The latter brought her great pleasure,  introducing her to other cultures, proving that teachers are indeed sometimes taught by their pupils. She ceased to be a volunteer this year and decided to join Probus where she is still learning new things from their speakers each month.

To read Jessie's winning entry "The Adventure Club", click here.