BRISBANE author Sally Piper will visit Maleny later this month to discuss her powerful new novel People Like Us, with the event also raising funds to support people experiencing homelessness in the local community.
Piper will appear in The Red Room at Rosetta Books on Tuesday, July 28, from 5.30pm, where she will discuss the novel and the growing issue of housing insecurity facing older Australian women.
The bookstore has partnered with the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre for the evening, donating $5 from every copy of People Like Us sold on the night to help support local homelessness services
People Like Us follows 55-year-old Tina Lamb, whose life is upended when divorce leaves her without a home. Forced to rebuild her life from a caravan while relying on insecure, low-paid work, Tina’s story reflects the reality confronting many older women who never expected to face homelessness.
An unlikely friendship with the elderly Mrs Bell offers hope and highlights the importance of community and compassion during difficult times.
Rosetta Books owner Lea Dodd said the novel was both timely and deeply relevant as communities across Australia grappled with worsening housing affordability.
“Stories like People Like Us help readers understand that homelessness can affect ordinary people who have worked hard all their lives,” Ms Dodd said.
Ms Dodd said Sunshine Coast Council estimated more than 1,200 people across the region were experiencing homelessness, with a shortage of affordable housing and escalating rental costs driving the crisis.
Maleny Neighbourhood Centre coordinator Madonna Hampson said nationally, older single women were now the fastest-growing cohort experiencing homelessness.
“Across Australia, women over the age of 55 are now the fastest-growing group experiencing homelessness.
At the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre, we are seeing this reality unfold in our own community, with an increasing number of older women living in vans, cars and insecure accommodation.
“These women are our mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends who have worked, cared for others and contributed to their communities, yet many are now facing housing insecurity. Homelessness is not always visible, and safe, affordable housing is essential for everyone to live with dignity and hope,” Ms Hampson said.
www.rosettabooks.com.
