Hi I’m Jane 👋 Welcome to the home of my Juvenile Geriatric newsletter. I’m a writer, performer and journalist and in a previous life, the creator and host of the ABCTV interview show One Plus One (2010-19). There are three things I’m passionate about: family stories and genealogy, the ups and downs of ageing (hence my title The Juvenile Geriatric) and navigating difficult conversations. I interview people, write stories and books and occasionally work on theatre shows. The latest show is Difficult Conversations with Jane Hutcheon.

This space is my digital home and I’m happy you’re here.

In 2023 after an existential crisis hiccup, I woke to a mortality alarm that got me thinking about the process of getting older, AKA ageing (or maybe you spell it aging). You can read about that here.

I am fascinated by how we change as we age, what we can prevent with lifestyle and mindset adjustments and the challenges and upsides of dealing with this as individuals and societies. I plan to age with civility, defiance and curiosity, but is there more I can do? I couldn’t seem to find the right manual, so I’m charting a course and writing my own. A living project.

Apart from ageing, I write about family stories which is another passion. In 2022 I wrote a theatre show about my mother’s upbringing called Lost in Shanghai. For more posts on creating family stories, here’s a good place to start.

My third big love is the art of conversation. In 2022 I wrote Rebel Talk, the art of powerful conversations. The book informed my latest show which premiered in September 2024 and which will tour Australia in 2025. The question at the heart of the show is how can we prepare for and learn to engage in difficult conversations to heal the world and ourselves?

Before freelance life I was a career TV journalist, smitten at the age of nineteen. I grew up in Hong Kong and then moved to Australia where I realised I just yearned to be out in the world again. I became a foreign correspondent in China, the Middle-East and Europe for ABC TV (Australia). When I finally came home, I joined the ABC’s news channel, creating the weekly interview show One Plus One which I also hosted for nearly a decade until 2019.

Then, freedom called; first quietly then it hollered. I planned my escape and I resigned.

My writing appears in The Guardian, ABC, Sydney Morning Herald and The Age but here on Substack is where I get to explore. I’m keen to continue learning about this platform and expanding my audio and video offerings. I adore thoughtful reader, viewer and listener comments. They can make … and sometimes break my day. Are you in?

Why subscribe?

In late 2023 I committed to a weekly newsletter and I’m motivated by those little ‘pings’ every time someone subscribes. I am also passionate about building a community so I can connect people and I’ll also tell you new shows, books or projects I have going. The publication is free. All I ask is that you stick with me for a while. Engage. Get to know me. Give me suggestions, if you like. I’d welcome that.

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You won’t have to worry about missing anything. Each new edition of my newsletter goes directly to your inbox. Subscribers have first offers on workshops, shows and books.

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Be part of a community of friends and supporters so I can keep doing the work that I love. As you’ll know from my articles, I don’t intend to retire. To keep doing the work I love, I need people like you to be part of my journey. It’s a rest-of-life passion project!

If you’d like more information about this platform, visit Substack.com