Moved and inspired by some of the great people of our recent times – Muhammad Ali, Josephine Baker, Richard Branson, Henry Ford, Lewis Hamilton, Helen Keller, Nelson Mandela, to name but a few – I started writing for friends and relatives. 

The ’80/20 principle’

One day it dawned on me that I was spending most of my reading time on biographies and that, over the years, I had amassed a large number of them; a staggering 80% versus 20% of fiction books. As the old adage goes, ‘real life is often stranger than fiction’; personally, I find real stories definitely more interesting too.  People’s life experience is so much richer than that of any imaginary character.

The turning point

Showing no signs of slowing down, on the contrary, churning an increasing number of breathtaking paintings, my now-101-year-old great-aunt was the catalyst for this ‘Chapters of My Life’ venture. When she reached the tender age of 98, still fit and well, still a bright sparkle in her eye, the choice between buying yet another item that she did not need or writing her biography as a 100th birthday present was an obvious one.  Though little did I know that this decision would be life changing for me: I discovered so much about myself, my family, etc., and became completely absorbed in her personal story and that of her close family members.  It also made me realise that the joy of giving even greater than the joy of receiving…