About Bound Biographies

Bound Biographies is the premier life story writing company in the United Kingdom.

We have been helping people write their life stories for nearly 20 years, and have worked on over 300 projects.

Located in the heart of Oxfordshire, on the edge of the Cotswolds, we are dedicated to the traditions of excellence associated with the ancient University of Oxford.

The Bound Biographies Story

Bound Biographies was formed in 1991 to help people write their life stories. Now based in Oxfordshire, the company was begun by Mike Oke. Mike gets alongside clients helping them to recall events from their past. As they write their story, he will supervise the process carefully, edit the copy, and help the author to fashion their unique story into an interesting biography.  Through a series of meetings a final manuscript will be prepared, which is then produced into a beautiful bound volume complete with colour photographs.

Mike’s first client, Roy Barton, had hand-written dozens of pages but needed help in typing, editing and structuring the manuscript.  Via a series of home visits, Mike helped Roy refine the manuscript, remembering many more delightful anecdotes along the way.  Mike then produced a dozen or so beautiful leather-bound books for Roy’s family and friends to enjoy.  Everyone was so delighted that it wasn’t long before Roy embarked on a sequel.

This formula has proved so popular that hundreds of clients have now enjoyed the process of celebrating their life, and receiving a wonderful record for family and friends to enjoy and treasure.

In 1996 Mike rented an office in St Albans and advertised for an assistant to help him with typing and editing whilst he was out visiting his clients all over the country.  So Sally Gray joined him and started learning the business, eventually becoming a writing partner with her own clients as well.

In 1998 Mike married Mychelle who then joined the growing team. Bound Biographies now also has eight affiliated franchises, who carry on the work in other parts of the UK.

To found out more about franchises, follow this link.