Maureen Burns was born in London and emigrated to Australia when she was twenty five, then New Zealand, becoming a citizen. Most of her working life has been spent in the clothing industry. Training first in England as a buyer in ladies fashion, she became the fashion promoter for a chain of small dress stores in Australia, then in New Zealand was fashion coordinator for a large department store. In the UK had a store of her own, and pursued other roles in the industry in New Zealand. From the age of eighteen and for every other decade since, Maureen has battled with cancer and won. She un-fondly refers to it as "my faithful friend". Later in life she earned a BA in Literature and has written Journey to the Self, the story of her life experience, travels and career, and Collage, a collection of shorter pieces. She co-authored a memoir with her son Adam Burns, Surviving Amnesia - Mind Over Memory. Maureen lives in Hertfordshire, England where she's still gathering words together and traveling in spirit.