Making a book out of a life story
Maezie Lane talks about her experience of HCC's Life Writing Project, which links sixth-formers with older members of the Mayfield Community to enable them to have their life stories told in book form.
When I first received the email that I’d been accepted into the Life Writing Project, there was an array of emotions circling around in my head: excitement, enthusiasm and perhaps even a little bit of fear. Was I going to be good enough at writing? Will my partner like me? Is the book going to be a success? Writing a book has been something that I’ve wanted to do since I began to read and write and I couldn’t think of a better opportunity to do so. The Life Writing Project partners you up with an elderly person from the local community; the idea is that you interview them in their home about their lives and then create a book about their tales and adventures. It certainly seems like a daunting concept but the truth is I don’t think I ever done anything so rewarding in my life so far!
For the first few weeks of the project, the seven of us sixth formers involved began to meet weekly as a group with Shirley from the Mayfacs project. She, along with Ms Savage, taught us about safeguarding, interviewing and the best ways to write up the stories that the older people tell us so that we can create an engaging book about their lives.
Once our training was complete, it was time to meet our partners. Before the initial meeting we were each given their profiles and then we had to prepare two truths and one lie as an ice breaker activity. My partner is an incredible woman called Jennie and I knew from her truths at that initial meeting at school that she was going to have some amazing stories to tell. As well as meeting our partners at this first meeting, we also met our chaperones who were going to be there to support us during the interviews throughout our projects.
So, our next step was to plan our interviews. Overall, Jennie and I have had nine interviews including one to go through her favourite pictures that she would like to include in the book. In that first interview, I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t nervous and things weren’t a little bit awkward. After all, you’re sat with a complete stranger who is about to tell you everything that they have been through in their whole entire life, most of it decades before you were even born! However, we started with a few questions about her family and a few interviews in it felt like we really knew each other.
Currently, I’m at the stage of writing up the book and chapters and placing it all into the online format ready for it to be printed. Not only has this project proved to be an incredible way to find out more about the world and those around you, it feels like it has also been wonderful for Jennie to tell the tales of her past and present. I loved seeing Jennie’s face light up every time she recalled a memory that made her chuckle and I think it has been great for her and her husband to relive these memories together.
For anyone who loves writing and finding out about the world around them I really would recommend the Life Writing Project and everything is has to offer!
Maezie Lane, Year 12
When I first received the email that I’d been accepted into the Life Writing Project, there was an array of emotions circling around in my head: excitement, enthusiasm and perhaps even a little bit of fear. Was I going to be good enough at writing? Will my partner like me? Is the book going to be a success? Writing a book has been something that I’ve wanted to do since I began to read and write and I couldn’t think of a better opportunity to do so. The Life Writing Project partners you up with an elderly person from the local community; the idea is that you interview them in their home about their lives and then create a book about their tales and adventures. It certainly seems like a daunting concept but the truth is I don’t think I ever done anything so rewarding in my life so far!
For the first few weeks of the project, the seven of us sixth formers involved began to meet weekly as a group with Shirley from the Mayfacs project. She, along with Ms Savage, taught us about safeguarding, interviewing and the best ways to write up the stories that the older people tell us so that we can create an engaging book about their lives.
Once our training was complete, it was time to meet our partners. Before the initial meeting we were each given their profiles and then we had to prepare two truths and one lie as an ice breaker activity. My partner is an incredible woman called Jennie and I knew from her truths at that initial meeting at school that she was going to have some amazing stories to tell. As well as meeting our partners at this first meeting, we also met our chaperones who were going to be there to support us during the interviews throughout our projects.
So, our next step was to plan our interviews. Overall, Jennie and I have had nine interviews including one to go through her favourite pictures that she would like to include in the book. In that first interview, I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t nervous and things weren’t a little bit awkward. After all, you’re sat with a complete stranger who is about to tell you everything that they have been through in their whole entire life, most of it decades before you were even born! However, we started with a few questions about her family and a few interviews in it felt like we really knew each other.
Currently, I’m at the stage of writing up the book and chapters and placing it all into the online format ready for it to be printed. Not only has this project proved to be an incredible way to find out more about the world and those around you, it feels like it has also been wonderful for Jennie to tell the tales of her past and present. I loved seeing Jennie’s face light up every time she recalled a memory that made her chuckle and I think it has been great for her and her husband to relive these memories together.
For anyone who loves writing and finding out about the world around them I really would recommend the Life Writing Project and everything is has to offer!
Maezie Lane, Year 12