Today, many of us tell our life stories or take part in autobiographical practices. People bring aspects of their lives into the world in many different ways – through memoirs and blogs, podcasts and performances, community projects and digital platforms. These practices are not simply about telling a life story: they are creative, generative, and often produce valuable resources, new vocabularies and fresh ways of knowing.
Social scientists have long been fascinated by these kinds of practices and forms of storytelling, because it’s never just personal. Every account of a life is shaped by the social worlds we live in—our histories, cultures, and the structures that open space for some voices while silencing others.
Scholars like Liz Stanley, Sidonie Smith, and Katrina M. Powell remind us that autobiography is not confined to books or formal memoirs – everyday interactions continually invite people to account for themselves, and invoke ideas of how life should unfold. They have shown how autobiographical practices are not simply about recording events, but can also be acts of resistance—challenging the “usual” scripts of a life, and offering different endings and possibilities.
What excites me is how autobiographical practices are expanding; becoming newly accessible and circulating through communities and around the world. With blogs, podcasts, social media, and new forms of publishing, life stories have become newly mobile—connecting in ways that were almost unimaginable a few decades ago. Autobiography has re-emerged as a powerful social practice, shaping not just individual identities but collective meaning-making.
My work is about exploring this shift, how and why it matters. I want to think with people who are already doing this kind of work, and as my project unfolds I also want to share some of the ways academics have tried to understand autobiographical work and its significance. I hope you’ll find these ideas as inspiring and thought-provoking as I do.