WHY.

Biographies are not the exclusive domain of the well known.

Imagine if your grandparents had written their life story. Or your parents. It would be invaluable, and forever, because a written account of a life guarantees immortality – in a literary sense. Without it, a life’s detail is lost along with the knowledge and wisdom that has been acquired along the way.

A family tree shows the who and the when, but the interesting stuff is all about the how and the why. By combining all four with rhythm and detail in an entertaining and flowing narrative, I produce a story that your grandchildren’s grandchildren will enjoy reading.

Most people have a photo album or an old shoebox filled with scattered pictures of years gone by. There are often newspaper articles lying at the back of drawers, diaries gathering dust in cupboards, military records and a ship load of memories – not just yours but brothers, sisters, second cousins and business partners.

They are all random pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I collect those pieces and turn them into a magnificent picture – a book of your life.

Writing a biography can create order from chaos as you view your life as a whole rather than a sum of parts. It can be cathartic by simply getting it all out. It can give you, and others, gratitude for what you have achieved and insight into how it was done. It can be empowering, and connect you with people, both past and present. It can be an opportunity to pass on life’s lessons, or just stroll down memory lane.

Laurie Cowled’s book launch at Queensland University of Technology 2020.