WRITERS from across the pond have compiled stories based on the wishes of residents in York’s care homes.

Elderly grandparents were given the chance to tell poets and novelists something they had hoped to achieve in their lives in exchange for fictional stories starring themselves.

The unique Write A Wish interviews were conducted by Budapest-born Janos Bene, of Holgate, York, who taped residents at the Mulberry Court Care Home in Clifton Park Avenue before sending them to friends in Los Angeles to concoct the stories.

He said: “I wanted to do something for people of my mother’s generation, who maybe haven’t done everything they wanted to do in their life, by writing something about an adventure they could have had.

“One woman we spoke to told us she wanted to go to America again, so we did a Western story for her.”

The Nine writers from LA and Vancouver have penned fictional tales, which have taken the form of everything from a four act play to poetry.

Mr Bene said added: “It took a little while to get residents warmed up, but when they did, the more interesting stuff started leaking out, and the more we had to speak to them the better it got.”

“I’m looking at this as a pilot project and if all the elements work correctly then we will see if we can roll it out in a bigger way.”

The collected stories will be bound together and revealed to residents during a special reading on Sunday, November 23, at the care home.

Helen Warner, activities co-ordinator at Mulberry Court Care Home, said: “The residents seem to have really enjoyed it.

“They enjoy talking about their lives and after speaking to them recently they are looking forward to hearing the finished result.

“They’ve got a lot of good memories from this and it reminded them of happy times. It made them feel a bit special.”