The art of growing (b)older: Meet the 'rebel granny' author Merle Levin

CapeTalk's Sara-Jayne Makwala King sits down for an in-depth interview with author Merle Levine at the Franschhoek Literary Festival.

Merle Levin wears many hats - wife, mother, author and the facilitator of mindfulness workshops around the globe.

Sara-Jayne chats to Levin about her recently-published book The world according to Merle at the Franschhoek Literary Festival, where she is a featured speaker this year.

It's at this very festival that the author was inspired to write her memoir, when she attended a workshop by her now-publisher Melinda Ferguson.

"I'd actually been writing for many, many years... and it was Melinda's amazing memoir workshop, something in her creative energy and honesty and courage that enticed a whole new voice out of me that was funny and daring."

Merle Levin, Author

Appropriately then, the book's been described as 'a wildly humorous and heartwarming memoir about a woman who defies age and convention'.

The greatest challenge for a writer is to find their authentic voice, says Levin.

"Often we TRY to write or to be creative but it doesn't come from that place - it comes from a place of just being spontaneous, honest, authentic, taking risks and having fun with the process."

Merle Levin, Author

The memoir is not written chronologically, mixing Levin's young voice and older voice as they emerged for her.

These are voices that live inside each of us, she says.

"A memoir isn't an autobiography; it doesn't cover your whole life, so this book just touches certain moments in my life... and actually some of those surprise me because they're not necessarily the big moments. They're little moments that seem to have made a huge impact in my life journey."

Merle Levin, Author

"I'd sit down every morning, open my laptop to a blank page and say 'let's see what's going to come today' - it's not that I planned the book to be the way it is, it just emerged."

Merle Levin, Author

A sense of home is very important to Levin, who has been married to husband Jeff for 56 years.

She believes it is a driving force in all of us.

"For the two of us it's been 'let's just sense where we need to be and have the courage to follow that impetus'.

Merle Levin, Author

"At times this has meant selling the most gorgeous home where we thought we'd be forever, but when we know that a cycle has ended we just go for it. Something in our partnership I think gives us courage."

Merle Levin, Author

Scroll up to the audio player to hear about the fascinating life of Merle Levin