Oral History

What is an oral history?

An oral history is a recording made of someone talking about their life, or an aspect of their life, to an experienced and sympathetic interviewer. Histories are recorded in quiet places, one to one, most commonly in your own home. Oral histories are valuable snapshots of life from a certain period in the interviewee’s life, or about a particular event or events. I help interviewees relax, and to talk about their lives in a natural and interesting way, encouraging even the most reticent subject to open up.

Creating an oral history for you and your family

We remember our older relatives, we tell stories about them and go into great detail about who they were and what they were like – from our point of view. An oral testimony allows their voices to be heard, their memories to be remembered and passed down. Parents and grandparents remain in focus, and can come alive in a very personal way to future generations.

Trained by the Oral History Society, and with experience of managing projects for the National Trust and Woodland Trust, in addition to interviewing for local oral history groups, I can provide a personal oral history package for you and your family. After the interview, a high quality audio .WAV file and a PDF transcript will be provided for you to keep. I travel throughout England, Scotland and Wales to interview for oral histories.