Turn Your Life Story Into a Timeless Memoir!

Many people tell me the same thing when they first get in touch - 

“I love the idea of a Life Story Recording - I’m just not sure I’m ready for the full commitment.”

Very often, that conversation is happening not for themselves, but on behalf of a parent, partner, or family member - someone whose stories feel too important to lose.

That’s exactly why I created Life Story Recordings - Essentials Edition 

This is a carefully shaped, more accessible version of my full 

Life Story Recording options- designed for people who want something meaningful, professionally made, and lasting, but in a simpler, more focused format.

At its heart, this is an oral history recording. Nothing is scripted. It’s your relative's voice, memories, their way of telling their story - recorded with care, sensitivity, and experience.

The Essentials Edition includes two professionally guided recording sessions, where we focus on what matters most - the stories you’d want to be remembered for, the moments that shaped you, and the memories you’d want to pass on.

There’s no long preliminary process and no extended series of sessions.
Instead, we work calmly and efficiently, allowing space for reflection while keeping the structure clear and contained. Many people find this approach less daunting - and more freeing - particularly when the recording is a gift for someone who may feel unsure about committing to a larger project.

Importantly, this is not a cut-down option, you still receive the same attention, listening, and narrative care that defines all my work. The difference is scope, not quality.

Your finished Life Story Recording is presented in a beautiful presentation box, complete with a USB copy of the audio memoir.

The Essentials Edition starts at €795, making it a more approachable way to create a professionally recorded Life Story without losing the integrity of the work itself - and making it a realistic option for families who want to do something meaningful together.

If you’ve been sitting with the idea of a Life Story Recording - whether for yourself or for someone close to you - and hesitated because of scale, this may be the right place to begin.

Best for  - A thoughtful gift or a focused Life Story experience. 

A deeper series of guided interviews, supported by research and careful preparation, resulting in a richly edited Life Story in a high-quality audio form. 

This is a professionally guided oral history recording, created to preserve a Life Story in the most natural and personal way possible - through voice, memory, and conversation.

It is your story told in your own words, shaped gently through carefully prepared interviews and thoughtful editing.

The process begins with an introductory meeting, where we talk through the life experiences, themes, and memories you’d like to explore. From there, I carry out research and prepare each session so that the conversations flow naturally while ensuring important moments are captured with depth and care.

The number of subsequent interviews required varies, ordinarily it is a minimum of four sittings, but can increase to more if necessary. 

During and after the interviews, I conduct further research of primary and secondary resources. 

After the completion of the first draft, we meet again to begin the editing process of the audio recording and then further times if necessary to complete the project to the final edit. 

The Signature Audio Edition starts at €1,595 and offers a fully developed oral history recording experience, with extended interviews, research, and careful editing to create a rich and lasting life story. 

Your finished Life Story Recording is presented in a beautiful presentation box, complete with a USB copy of the audio memoir.

Flexible payment plans are available.

Best for - Families who want a meaningful, professionally produced Life Story in its purest form - focused on voice, memory, and legacy.

Everything in the Signature Audio Edition, plus professionally filmed interviews - preserving not just stories, but expressions, personality, and presence for future generations. 

This option builds on the oral history experience by capturing not only your voice, but your expressions, presence, and personality on film - creating a living record for future generations.

At its heart, this is still a carefully guided storytelling process.
Everything unfolds through relaxed, thoughtful conversation.

We begin with an introductory meeting, followed by research and careful preparation for each interview.

The process begins with an introductory meeting, where we talk through the life experiences, themes, and memories you’d like to explore. From there, I carry out research and prepare each session so that the conversations flow naturally while ensuring important moments are captured with depth and care.

The number of subsequent interviews required varies, ordinarily it is a minimum of four sittings, but can increase to more if necessary. 

During and after the interviews, I conduct further research of primary and secondary resources. 

The recording sessions take place using both professional audio and video equipment, allowing your story to be preserved in rich sound and clear, high-quality visuals.

After the completion of the first draft, we would meet again to begin the editing process of your Life Story and then further times if necessary to complete the project to the final edit. 

After the interviews, both the audio and video are carefully edited into a finished memoir recording - shaped to flow naturally while maintaining the authenticity of the storyteller’s voice and character.

Your completed Audio & Video Memoir is presented in a keepsake presentation box with a USB containing both formats.

The Signature Media Edition starts at €2,995 and delivers a comprehensive audio and visual memoir, shaped through in-depth interviews, research, and professional editing into a beautifully crafted life story. 

Flexible payment plans are available. 

Best for - Families who want a vivid, personal record - where future generations can not only hear their loved one’s story, but see them telling it.

 A Beautifully Bound Memoir Capturing Your Full Story

The Heirloom Book Edition is a comprehensive memoir project that transforms a Life Story into a professionally written and beautifully presented book.

This process begins with an introductory meeting to explore the full scope of the story - from early life and family history to defining moments, experiences, and reflections.

The number of subsequent in-depth interviews required varies, ordinarily it is a minimum of six sittings, but can increase to more if necessary. These conversations form the heart of the memoir, capturing not just events, but voice, personality, and emotional truth.

During and after the interviews, I conduct further research of primary and secondary resources; gather photographs and other archival materials and if necessary, scout locations that are mentioned in the Memoir. Also, with permission I speak to further people – family, friends, work colleagues - in relation to your story.  

After the completion of the first draft, we would meet again to begin the editing process of the memoir and then further times if necessary to complete the project to the final edit. 

From these recordings, the Life Story is shaped into a flowing written narrative - crafted with the same care and historical sensitivity that defines all of my work.

The Heirloom Book Edition starts at €4,295 and offers a complete life story project, transforming in-depth interviews, research, photographs, and personal material into a beautifully written and professionally bound memoir - a lasting family heirloom to be treasured for generations. 

Flexible Payment Plans Available

Please note this price does not include the production of the actual physical book but I will work in a consultative role with the producers of the book on your behalf. It is impossible to quote the cost of the production of the physical book until we know exactly what we want, as the cost varies so much. 50 copies of the book start at approximately 300 Euro but can increase far beyond that, depending on what you want. 

This option is ideal for those who want a complete Life Story preserved in written form — combining oral history, research, and personal material into a timeless record.

Louisa Maud Davidson - A Life  - Louisa Maud Davidson & Russell Shortt

The Life & Times of Jimmy Buckley – Jimmy Buckley & Russell Shortt

It Could Only Happen to Me! – Amanda Molloy & Russell Shortt

Dear Future Me… - Keith Cullen & Russell Shortt 

Brendon - Brendon Colvert & Russell Shortt

J.J. - JJ Flynn & Russell Shortt

Freebird - Sheila Foster & Russell Shortt

Dorothy - Dorothy Clarke & Russell Shortt

Once Upon a Time in Sudan - Manyang Reath Kher & Russell Shortt

I am Garang  - Garang Michael & Russell Shortt

Partial Leaves from The Gospel of John - John Murry & Russell Shortt

Like a Bird on the Wire  –  

Patrick Kennedy & Russell Shortt

 1. Preserve a Lifetime of Stories Before They’re Lost

Every life holds memories, insights, and experiences that disappear unless captured. A memoir ensures that a person’s voice, tone, and truth are remembered for generations.

2. The Greatest Gift You Can Give a Family

Forget socks and gadgets — a memoir is a gift of legacy. It becomes a priceless heirloom, treasured long after the usual presents are forgotten.

3. Create a Tangible Piece of Family History

A professionally written memoir becomes part of your family archive — something that grandchildren and great-grandchildren can hold, read, and feel connected to.

4. Give Someone the Joy of Being Truly Heard

Telling your story isn’t just reflective — it’s deeply validating. It says: your life mattered, and we want to listen.

5. Bring Families Closer Together

The process of remembering sparks conversations, laughter, and often healing. Families rediscover forgotten connections through the simple act of storytelling.

6. Capture the Era as Well as the Individual

A memoir doesn’t just tell one story — it captures a slice of time: what Ireland, or wherever they lived, felt like decades ago — a living record of a generation.

7. A Gift of Emotion, Not Things

When you give someone a memoir service, you’re giving them time, attention, and reflection — things money alone can’t buy.

8. A Professionally Crafted Story is a Work of Art

A memoirist brings structure, empathy, and literary craft — transforming memories into something beautiful and enduring, not just a collection of anecdotes.

9. It Helps People Understand Themselves

Writing or recounting one’s life is a journey of meaning. Many find clarity, closure, or renewed pride in seeing their life laid out as a story.

10. Because Time is Precious

No one ever regrets recording a story — only waiting too long to do it. The right time to begin is always now.