Jane Campbell: To Be Yourself, You Sometimes Have to Break a Few Hearts

Society tries to suppress the individuality of old women. I'm 84. Maybe I haven't had the happiest day of my life yet?

By Justyna Dąbrowska and Jane Campbell

Justyna Dąbrowska: How old are you?

Jane Campbell: Eighty-four. I'll be eighty-five in January.

Is that a lot?

I'm not sure what you mean by "a lot." Do I feel old? I think that's a very complicated question. What does it mean to "feel old"? There are things I can't do, like run up the stairs. There are things I can.

I'm curious about the term "old age." What does it mean to you?

I'm a certain age, and society tells me that means I'm an old woman. The British health service puts a person into the "geriatric" category at 65, which is unbelievably early.

All right, let's think... What does the word "old" mean to me? My great-grandmother died at 101 — she was certainly old. And my mother's mother, my grandmother, died at 35 — terribly young. But I feel very well, and I'm grateful to be the age I am, with no serious health problems so far. I have a sizeable family and I like seeing them; I like the life I have and the friends I have. And I like writing books!