Nick Boulos on the art of memoir writing, and why he has set up Master Storytellers to aid in the process of passing stories on to the next generation.

One by one Bhaksar studied the stack of old photographs inside the dusty box, running his fingers along their frayed edges and staring at them with eyes that glistened.

His attention settled on one photograph in paraticular. With the very lightest of touches he stroked its faded surface and stared at an image of himself taken more than 70 years ago. Dressed smartly in a crisp suit and standing next to his beloved mother, it was taken in his native India when he was just 14. In both their hands were young vervet monkeys.

“I remember that trip like it was yesterday,” he said softly, his voice choked with nostalgia. “We had travelled across Gujarat to visit my grandparents who lived in a small wooden house deep in the forest where tigers prowled and monkeys swung in the treetops. I wanted to make a good impression so I spent the money I earned from shining shoes at the market to buy a new suit.”

Bhaksar wasn’t taking a trip down memory lane for the sake of passing a rainy Sunday afternoon. This was important work and part of a project that had come to define the past few weeks and bring him much pleasure and, in some ways, closure.

At the grand old age of 88 – and at the incessant insistence of his family – the pharmacist and businessman from Surrey was finally penning his life story.

Personal journeys

The art of memoir writing has never been so popular – or so important. The pandemic has caused a surge in people wanting to document their own personal journeys for the benefit of future generations.

“I started considering writing more seriously during the height of the crisis,” says Bhaksar. “I couldn’t help but think of all those people, and all those stories, that were gone and lost forever. My story may not be the most exciting, but I wanted my grandchildren and their children to understand how the world used to be and how I overcame great challenges to settle in a new country and build my own business.”

It’s a stark and heartbreaking reality that unless real action is taken, these defining moments and important life lessons will simply disappear rather than being treasured and celebrated.

In research conducted by data firm AudienceNet, nearly two-thirds of respondents (64 per cent) regretted not learning more about the lives of their parents and grandparents while they had the chance. It’s certainly a regret I live with and one that went on to shape my future.

The sobering lack of detail and information about the incredible life of my much-missed grandmother – her days in the land army, the chance encounter with my grandad on Putney Bridge, her time as a cleaner at Kensington Palace, and having to keep her pregnancy a secret for fear of losing her job – will haunt me forever. I have so many unanswered questions.

It played a big part in my decision to start Master Storytellers, a biography writing agency that uses bestselling authors to ‘ghost-write’ memoirs for people that can be shared with their loved ones. I recall the office phone ringing one recent Tuesday afternoon. It was a man whose mother’s biography we had recently finished. “I cried when I read it,” he said. “There was so much about her I didn’t know.”

Looking back in time is nothing new. Human beings have been drawn to and fascinated by tales of their ancestors’ lives for thousands of years. In recent times, there has been a huge surge in all things genealogical, thanks, in part, to TV shows such as Who Do You Think You Are?

Subscriptions to genealogy sites, such as Ancestry, soared and people were swabbing themselves for DNA in their droves long before Covid came along – all in a bid to discover more about their family trees and genetic make-up.

However, while lifting the lid on family history of centuries gone by is an admirable and worthwhile endeavour, there has been a shift in recent times towards focusing on more immediate and recent history. It’s all very well finding out that your great-great-great-grandfather was the Earl of Lincoln’s valet or fought off pirates in the Straits of Malacca, but what about the people you share the Christmas table with or those you remember sharing it with in the past. How much do you really know about them and how much do they really know about you?

“The power of nostalgia is not to be underestimated,” says Bhaksar as he proudly clutches his recently finished biography in his hands and prepares to sign copies for every member of the family. “We all have stories and they deserve to be told.”

TOP TIPS ON WRITING YOUR MEMOIR

Once upon a time…

The natural place to start your biography is at the very beginning – when you were born – but it’s often far more interesting to start at an important or pivotal moment to draw the reader in and create a sense of drama and suspense. Explain how that particular episode defined your life before then going back to where it all began.

Evoking the past

It’s important to create a sense of place, whether you’re writing about your childhood bedroom or the beach where you spent your honeymoon. It’s all about the detail, so use the senses to conjure an evocative account. What did the place look, smell and sound like?

Honest history

We all have dark and difficult moments in our past and it’s imperative to do them justice. Be as open and as candid as possible (you can always tone it down later if you wish), but try not to rewrite history in a bid to paint yourself in a more positive light. A good memoir is honest and exposing.

Call in the experts

Writing your life story is a huge undertaking and often an overwhelming one. If it’s simply too much to do yourself, call in professional help. Ghost-writing services, such as Master Storytellers, will do all the hard work for you, including interviewing, writing, editing and even the design of the front cover of your book.

Writing Memoirs with Master Storytellers

Packages for a memoir from Master Storytellers start from £2,800 and include up to 10,000 words (around 65 pages); four hours of interviews, ten images and five copies in paperback of a book professionally ghost-written, designed and printed.

Business Traveller readers receive an exclusive upgrade on all books while members of The Club by Business Traveller also receive a 10 per cent discount on Silver and Gold biography packages, and 15 per cent off the Platinum package.

Nick Boulos