Biographer Gabriella Kelly-Davies chats with biographers across the world about the myriad of choices they make while researching, writing and publishing life stories. In every episode, she explores elements of narrative strategy such as structure, use of fiction techniques, facts and truth, beginnings and endings and to what extent the writer interpreted the evidence rather than providing clues and leaving it to readers to do the interpreting themselves. She also asks how they researched their books; how they balanced a subject’s public, personal and inner lives; and ethical issues, such as privacy and revealing secrets.
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Biographer Gabriella Kelly-Davies chats with biographers across the world about the myriad of choices they make while researching, writing and publishing life stories. In every episode, she explores elements of narrative strategy such as structure, use of fiction techniques, facts and truth, beginnings and endings and to what extent the writer interpreted the evidence rather than providing clues and leaving it to readers to do the interpreting themselves. She also asks how they researched their books; how they balanced a subject’s public, personal and inner lives; and ethical issues, such as privacy and revealing secrets.
In this episode of Biographers in Conversation, eminent sociologist and author Dr Nikos Papastergiadis chats with Dr Gabriella Kelly-Davies about his choices while crafting John Berger and Me.
Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:
How Nikos’s habit of writing from memory each morning during COVID lockdowns helped shape John Berger and Me.
The power of memory in storytelling and how writing purely from recollection unearthed unexpected links between John Berger’s life and Nikos’s.
How Nikos wove his parents’ migrant journey from war-torn Greece into John Berger and Me.
Why Nikos blended biography with memoir: combining John’s story with his own allowed him to tell a richer, more personal tale.
The responsibility of writing about a friend who’s no longer here. Nikos reveals how he portrayed John with honesty and love to honour his legacy.
The creative choices behind the book’s structure, from balancing timelines and themes to weaving two life stories into one seamless narrative.
How Nikos found the right narrative voice for John Berger and Me. By choosing a warm, first-person style over a scholarly tone, he made the book feel personal and alive.
Biographers in Conversation
Biographer Gabriella Kelly-Davies chats with biographers across the world about the myriad of choices they make while researching, writing and publishing life stories. In every episode, she explores elements of narrative strategy such as structure, use of fiction techniques, facts and truth, beginnings and endings and to what extent the writer interpreted the evidence rather than providing clues and leaving it to readers to do the interpreting themselves. She also asks how they researched their books; how they balanced a subject’s public, personal and inner lives; and ethical issues, such as privacy and revealing secrets.
