Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
Something that perhaps not many people know is that I have always enjoyed music. I continue to enjoy learning and experimenting with musical instruments, and at present I am exploring and learning to play the keyboard. I also enjoy singing occasionally, although I would certainly never describe myself as a musician! Music has been a wonderful way for me to relax and to connect with people outside my professional life. Another thing people sometimes find surprising is how many times I have been a beginner. I have moved between countries and careers and, in my early fifties, returned to medical studies. Starting again at that stage of life taught me that age need not determine when we learn something new or take on a new challenge.

Why did you choose the themes in your book and were you aware of them from the start?
Precious Gems Collected Over 70 Years grew from lessons accumulated through almost seven decades of living, learning, working and observing people. I did not begin with a predetermined set of themes. Instead, I started identifying ideas that had repeatedly proved valuable in my own life. As I wrote, certain themes naturally emerged — attitude, resilience, lifelong learning, relationships, happiness, identity, letting go, purpose and accepting the different seasons of life. Eventually, I realised these lessons fitted together almost like individual gems. Each could stand on its own, but collectively they reflected a broader philosophy of living a meaningful life.

How difficult was it for you to write this book? Did you face any obstacles?
The difficulty was not finding things to write about; it was deciding what was genuinely worth sharing. When you have lived for nearly seventy years, there are countless experiences, successes, mistakes and lessons you could include. My challenge was to distil them into something concise and useful rather than simply writing about my own life. I wanted each chapter to leave the reader with something they could reflect upon or apply to their own circumstances. That required considerable rewriting and, sometimes, removing material I personally liked because it did not sufficiently serve the reader.

Do you always write in this genre or do you like to break out of the box?
My first book, Uncharted Horizons: A Journey of Resilience, was much more autobiographical. It told the story of my journey through medicine, migration, education, business, law and the many unexpected turns along the way. Precious Gems is different. It draws upon life experience but focuses much more on reflection and practical wisdom than autobiography. I don’t think of myself as belonging permanently to a particular genre. Writing, for me, is another form of lifelong learning, so I would like to remain open to wherever that curiosity takes me.

What are your writing habits or idiosyncrasies?
I tend to begin with an idea rather than sitting down and forcing myself to write for a fixed number of hours. An observation, conversation, experience or question may stay in my mind, and I often make a note of it before developing it further. I also tend to revisit what I have written several times. I ask myself: Is this clear? Is it necessary? And, most importantly, will it be useful to someone reading it? Perhaps that reflects my background in education. For many years I was accustomed to taking complicated subjects and trying to communicate them in a way that people could understand and use.

What would you do differently next time?
I would probably trust the process a little more. With both books, particularly the first, there was a tendency to keep improving and refining because you always feel there is one more change you could make. Eventually, every writer has to accept that a book does not need to contain everything you know or everything you want to say. I would also start thinking about the readership and communication strategy earlier. Writing the manuscript is only one part of bringing a book into the world.

With hindsight, what would you say to yourself as a fledgling writer?
I would say: don’t wait until you feel completely ready. You will probably never feel completely ready. Start writing, be willing to learn, accept constructive criticism and don’t be afraid to revise your work. Most importantly, don’t try too hard to sound like a writer. Write in your own voice. The experiences and perspectives that seem ordinary to you may be precisely what another person finds meaningful.

If you worked with a professional editor, what was the experience like?
Yes, I worked with a professional editor, and I found the experience extremely valuable. A good editor does much more than correct grammar. They help you see your writing from the reader’s perspective. Sometimes you become so familiar with your own words that you no longer notice repetition, ambiguity or passages that could be expressed more simply. I learnt that accepting editorial advice does not mean surrendering your voice. The best editing helps make that voice clearer.

What’s next for your writing?
For the moment, I want to give Precious Gems the opportunity to reach readers and to enjoy the conversations that may come from it. I am also approaching my 70th birthday, which has made me increasingly interested in how we think about ageing. I believe later life can remain a period of curiosity, learning, contribution and new beginnings rather than simply a period of slowing down. Whether that becomes another book, a series of articles or something entirely different, I am not yet sure. I rather like leaving that next chapter unwritten for the moment.