A good biography demands attention to detail, good research skills and a great story. Three authors talk to Mary Hogarth about the secrets of their craft.
Writing a biography is difficult. It requires painstaking research, attention to detail plus the ability to get people to talk. Biographers also need a nose for a good story as well as a fascination for human nature to capture those quirky characteristics of their subject. Without memoirs we would lack valuable insights into those lives that have shaped the future. But what makes a good biographer? And how can new writers learn their craft?