Helping hand for the book inside each of us

18 September 1999

Tom Rayfield meets a man whose small company helps people to write down and get into print the story of their own life.

The rain forced the garden party inside, leaving 45 people crammed into a small house in Bicester, Oxfordshire, each of the 45 having achieved something, they never thought possible.

For each was an author.  An autobiographer in fact.

The life stories, in a handsome leather-bound volume with colour photographs of important moments and memorabilia, had been published.

It had been achieved with the help of Mike Oke, 37, the host of the party.  He runs a small company called Bound Biographies, started in 1991, which helps people to write down and get into print the story of their own lives.

Oke does not pretend that his authors will become rich or famous.  And he makes no promise to market their books.  But then, he does not charge vanity publishing prices.

Everyone has a unique book inside them,” says Oke, “even if they’ve never written anything longer than a letter before.  The authors are always thrilled. They’ve achieved something they never thought they could do."

One author told me: ‘It was hugely satisfying and I’m pleased to have something to leave to my grandchildren.  I know that there are always so many things you wish you had asked your own parents and if it’s not written down it’s gone forever.'

Another author said that putting everything down on paper’ helped her get over her husband’s death and start to plan for the future again.”

The oldest author at the party was Helmut Rothenberg, aged 84. Rothenberg is a German Jew who in 1933 arrived alone in England at the age of 18.

He says in his book:

On March 6 1932, Hitler came to Frankfurt and 35,000 people gathered to hear him speak.  Unbeknown to my parents, I went to hear him.  The memory is indelible: this was one of the most frightening experiences of my life ... he said then and there and I heard it that if he were elected to lead the German people, he would wipe out all the Jews.

On March 31 1933, I left Frankfurt by train to England via Brussels.  All I was allowed, to take with me was one large trunk and 10 Marks.”

In England, Rothenberg became an articled clerk and started his own accountancy firm in 1945, which now has 21 partners.  He still goes to the office every day.  His book, A Balance Sheet of Life, was published in 1998.

It took me about a year to write.  But during that time I had a triple bypass operation and a hip replacement, so I had three months off work which gave me more time.  I did not think that I could write a book, but I’m a good letter writer,” he said.

A lot of it was written in long hand, some of it dictated either to my secretary or to Mike.  The physical presentation is fantastic.  Everyone remarks on it.”

So far, Rothenberg has ordered 325 copies of his book, for relatives and friends worldwide.  He has even had requests for it from bookshops – including one in Sweden.

This is far more than most of Mike Oke’s customers, who usually want just a handful of copies for their immediate family.

Jean Dudley, 76, for example, still runs a couple of large newsagent/sub post office shops with her son and a staff of 20.  She spent most of her life as one of the first female draughtsmen, so her 60,000 word book, published in 1997, is called Back to the Drawing Board.

I’ve always been interested in family history.  I had started writing my book before I met Mike, but I’d never got very far.  I wanted the children and grandchildren to know where their family came from. I wrote it all in long hand,” she said.

They’re fascinated by it now. It’s brought history to life for them. People often don’t look at old pictures, but now they’re all in the book in the right places.”

Dudley ordered six copies of her book.

Oke’s youngest author is Ian Palmer, aged 19.  At 13, he was diagnosed with leukaemia.  At 16, with his mum’s help, he decided to write the story of his treatment. 

“I thought that if I wrote down what I’d been through, it may be able to help other people like me to realise what they could go through and survive,” he said.

Palmer’s book is called Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow.

In choosing this title, I hope it will make other people smile.”  Losing your hair must be the hardest part of your treatment.”

The first part of the book is by Ian; the second, called Crying is Allowed, is by his mum, Jill Palmer, and tells her story of what it’s like looking after a teenage son with leukaemia. It makes for harrowing reading.

But Palmer remains upbeat.  He ordered two copies of the book ? for himself and his mum.  But after word got around in Derbyshire, sponsorship helped to pay for 350 copies of a paperback edition.  Some were given to local hospital cancer wards; some were sold.

I’ve got a scrapbook full of letters from people who read the paperback.  People didn’t enjoy the book, but they found it interesting,” said Palmer.  “I’m doing a second book now.  After all, I’ve been here three years longer than expected.”

Most of Oke’s authors take about a year to write their life stories.  He makes no charge for the first meeting, at which he shows the budding author some of the books he has helped to produce and discusses the scope of their own book and possible chapters. As many illustrations as the author likes can be included, in colour or black-and-white.

Then Oke sets the author some homework.  It usually takes between eight and 12 monthly visits and the book is paid for month by month as it takes shape, with a final payment when the finished books are presented to the author.

I can be everything from editor to secretary, friend to bully, as necessary,” said Oke. “I encourage my authors to be natural and just write as they talk.  In this way, the individual character shines through.”