Case studies Archives - Page 4 of 4 - Forever Young Autobiographies

Case study: Nicola Gray’s New Humans of Australia

What every life-history feature article writer ought to know about recording migrant and refugee stories

Unique life stories are all around us and we only have to open our eyes and ears to learn from them.

This has been a goal of Nicola Gray, founder of social media and web platform New Humans of Australia.

Gray has a background as an English language teacher and college manager working with international students and refugees.

In 2016 she was inspired by the popular Humans of New York website to start her own life-story project.

“I wanted to ‘humanise’ refugees and other kinds of migrants by telling their migration stories,” Gray said.

“I wanted Australians to see how much struggle goes into migrating to a new country and how often migrants succeed.”

Gray has compiled two New Humans of Australia books and has a readership of about 120,000 on her Facebook page.

Read on to find out more about New Humans of Australia and how Gray approaches each story…

Case study: Students interview seniors for Our Priceless Past lift-out and expo

Celebrating 21 years of life history and community history

In a recent post I highlighted the enormous power of life-story feature articles.

But Central Queensland’s Gladstone Region has been taking this power to the next level with its popular Our Priceless Past lift-out and gallery exhibition, on show until next month.

The annual community event is celebrating 21 years of students interviewing, writing and publishing the life stories of special seniors.

The stories are printed in a collectors’ section of the daily newspaper The Gladstone Observer – this year with the support of sponsor LiveBetter Community Services – and displayed with storytelling memorabilia at the Gladstone Regional Art Gallery and Museum.

Gladstone Regional Council cultural projects specialist Di Paddick describes the whole experiences as “a big warm hug” that brings together two very different generations.

She has helped organise the project since 2006 and said community enthusiasm and feedback kept growing year on year.

Forever Young Autobiographies caught up with Di to find out more about Our Priceless Past and hear her tips about starting a similar project with your community or family …

Case study: New memoir by Channel 7 news anchor and blood cancer survivor Mike Higgins

Mike Higgins and his memoir Trouserless Under the News Desk, Boolarong Press. Main photo thanks to the Leukaemia Foundation. Help the #31Aussies like Mike who are diagnosed every day with a blood cancer by making a donation today.

Former newsreader opens up about Trouserless Under the News Desk by Boolarong Press

Australian TV star Mike Higgins has been on the road spreading the word about his new memoir: Tro u serless Under the News Desk.

Forever Young Autobiographies caught up with him to find out more following the book’s released in June by Boolarong Press.

Higgins has been a familiar face on television for over 25 years.

He was the long-time news anchor for Channel 7 in Queensland but also made award-winning documentaries to be awarded a United Nations media peace prize.

But the broadcast journalist became the news a number of times.

Namely when he went on the run from drug traffickers who he feared would kill him and for filming a story at a nudist beach in the raw.

More recently Higgins had another threat to his life.

In 2008 he was diagnosed with a very rare form of blood cancer – Primary Peripheral Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, Unspecified – and was told he had a 16 per cent chance of survival.

Higgins had four years of chemotherapy, underwent a bone-marrow transplant and nearly died.

His survival stunned doctors who dubbed him the Miracle Man and said not many patients had “done it tougher”.

“I hope the book will be inspirational to people or anyone going through any sort of a challenge, whether it’s cancer or another illness or a psychological challenge,” Higgins said.

Keep reading to find out how he wrote the book, what were the project’s highlights plus Higgins’s tips for starting your own memoir, autobiography, biography or life-story project.

Case study: Zookeeper helps great uncle publish autobiography

Three generations work together + new memoir in making

English zookeeper Sarah Blake helped her great uncle Hedley record his autobiography when she was a teen and was struck by how much joy the process brought him.

While Hedley and his wife Barbara started the project it was Sarah and her mother who helped them finish the book for family and friends.

Years later Sarah has been inspired to write about her own life experiences.

She is in the middle of writing a memoir about the 15 months she travelled around the world using wild animals as her guide.

Today Sarah shares more about Hedley’s autobiography to inform and inspire fellow life-story writers.

Case study: Helping to write the story of grandmother Bonnie, 99

Part 2: How to write a grandma book in simple steps

An amazing thing happened last week.

My grandmother turned 99.

Happy birthday Bonnie!

Anyone reaching this grand old age is remarkable.

That is a whole lot of living and a whole lot of life stories!

A year on from her last birthday, however, and my grandma can be satisfied she has these stories down on paper.

Over the past couple of years we have been working away on her book.

It has been a long but infinitely rewarding process.

Now we are getting ready to print final copies for family and friends.

This week I am going to recap the final stages of how the book came together, what challenges we faced and where we are at now.

Case study: Scientist’s memoir inspired by next generations

Historian’s research helps supercharge husband’s life story

A desire not to repeat regrets spurred retired agricultural scientist Dr Alan Bell to write his memoir.

The 71-year-old recently published his book for family and friends.

“As I’ve grown older, I’ve regretted that I didn’t take the trouble to learn more about the lives of my parents and grandparents before they died,” Alan said.

“My writings are intended for my immediate family in case they feel the same way some day.”

Alan’s book is interesting for many reasons, especially because he joined forces with his wife Gay, a keen historian.

She researched and compiled a brief family history for Alan that prefaces the book.

Keep reading to find out more about how the project unfolded and tips Alan has for fellow autobiography writers.

Case study: Surprise find inspires biography of a late mother

Mother’s love: Daughter publishes mother’s journal collection

Elaine Crabtree accidentally fell into her family writing project.

She recently published When We Were Very Rich after finding a collection of notebooks following her mother Isabel Donnollan’s death.

“I was searching through her papers for something and I came across a number of handwritten notebooks,” Elaine said.

“They were all in great detail of her early life growing up around Rockhampton (Central Queensland, Australia) during the Great Depression.

“I had known of the existence of one notebook but was delighted when I saw how much she had written.

“Having found all the notebooks, I found reading them fascinating and I decided that I would try to put them all together.”

Elaine has lived in the United Kingdom for over 50 years and said the biography of a late mother had helped connect her with her family back in Australia.

“My mother was one of 14 and I have 50 first cousins! There is a lot of family to share this story with,” she said.

“As I told my cousins: ‘My mum’s story is the family story for all your parents.’

“When my grandmother had her 100 birthday there were over 200 descendants at her party at Yeppoon (near Rockhampton).

“This was a life story that needed to be shared.”

Elaine said while her mother and maternal grandmother grew up poor they were rich in other ways.

“(Mum) named her story When We Were Very Rich,” she said.

“She felt they were rich in freedom, fresh air, nature and most of all family love and togetherness.”

Keep reading to find out how Elaine saw the book through to completion and what her top tips are for compiling a biography of a late mother or other family member. Continue reading Case study: Surprise find inspires biography of a late mother

Case study: Filmmaker Luke Graham tells powerful father and son story

Life of league legend Mark Graham focus of sport documentary Sharko

Off the back of a Father’s Day weekend, I have a wonderful father and son story to share.

I recently caught up with Scope Red filmmaker Luke Graham who produced the 2016 independent hit movie Broke.

I talked to him about making his latest film Sharko, a sport documentary on the life of his father Mark Graham.

Mark recently became the first Kiwi to be inducted into the National Rugby League Hall of Fame and has already been named the greatest player New Zealand has produced in a century of rugby league.

Sharko is based on Mark’s personal and public life – from his childhood on the mean streets of Otahuhu to being top of the rugby league world.

Keep reading to find out how the project got off the ground and learn Luke’s top storytelling tips to apply to your own family story project. Continue reading Case study: Filmmaker Luke Graham tells powerful father and son story