Has your parent or grandparent lived a life full of stories you wish you had written down? The small details, the turning points, the voice you know so well can be hard to capture on your own. I can spend time listening to your loved one and help turn their memories into a personal book for the family to treasure.
Illustrative sceneYou may have heard your mother tell the same wonderful story for years, or discovered how little you know about your grandfather’s early life. You want to hold on to those memories, but finding the time, the questions and the right words feels daunting.
We begin with a conversation with you and, above all, with the person whose story it is. I’ll listen to them, ask thoughtful questions and find the thread between the moments that matter. We can draw on photographs, letters and family memories they are happy to share.
Their wishes guide the book. I will be their pen. They will be the voice. The aim is a story that feels recognisably theirs: honest, carefully shaped and alive to the details only they can tell.
We talk with you and your loved one about the book, its readers and what they would like to share.
Through conversations and any notes, letters or photographs they wish to share, we find the shape of their story.
I shape their memories into a story-led manuscript, often in the first person, keeping their phrasing, humour and way of seeing the world on the page.
They review the draft and help refine its details, tone and emphasis, with family involvement if they wish. Photos and book design can be part of the agreed project.
Give your loved one the chance to tell their story in their own words. I can interview them and write a book shaped by their memories, with their approval throughout.
If you want to write your own autobiography, or have begun one already, I can help shape the material, develop scenes and keep your voice at its centre.
There is no fixed template for a life. We can focus on treasured episodes or a fuller account, depending on what your loved one wants to share. A finished project can include a designed book with family photographs and printed hardback copies. We’ll agree the scope, timeline, privacy arrangements, format, revisions and fee together after an initial conversation. Your loved one can ask to remove anything they no longer wish to include.
I’m Peter Nathaniel Lee, author of Walk With Me, When Grief Passes Love Remains and a writing mentor and editor with more than a decade of experience supporting personal stories.
You will work directly with me, from the first conversation through the writing and revisions. I know how much trust it takes to share a life story. I’ll listen carefully and help preserve the storyteller’s experiences in a voice they recognise.
Meet Peter ↗
Tell me about your parent, grandparent or another loved one, and what you hope this book will mean to your family. We can explore how to begin together.
Enquire about a life story
Walk With Me’ has now officially launched and is available in ebook, paperback and hardback. Subscribe now to find the copy that best suits you and stay up to date with future launches and releases.