Storytellers

A family game

It’s Grandpa’s turn.

The grandchildren ask, Grandpa tells the story, and you finally hear the ones he never got around to telling.

A grandfather and his grandson laughing as they arm wrestle across a wooden table
"Were you ever naughtier than me?"

    Why a game?

    Everyone means to ask. Then one day they can’t.

    A memoir sounds like a big job, so it waits for the right time. A game is 1 question and a few minutes together.

    "It has to be played, otherwise people will miss their loved ones' stories."Tina, on why I'm building this

    You don't need a plan, and nobody has to get it right. 1 question tonight is plenty.

    A grandmother and her granddaughter talking over breakfast at the kitchen table
    "What food were you forced to eat?"
    Opens at step 3

    A small secret

    3 words bring out the story nobody has heard.

    I'll show you on the way down. Try to guess them first.

    What it takes

    So what do you actually need?

    1

    person you love, sitting next to you

    0

    words anyone has to write down

    80

    fun questions, ready to play

    How a round goes

    You sit down, and then this happens.

    1. Step 1

      A grandchild reads a card

      Out loud, in their own voice.

    2. Step 2

      Grandpa talks

      Nobody types. He can skip any card he likes.

    3. Step 3
    4. Step 4

      The shelf grows

      Every story makes a book on the shelf taller.

    Three generations of a family laughing together around a wooden dining table
    "Who was the funniest person in your family?"

    Who does what

    Everyone gets a job.

    The storyteller

    Talks, laughs and skips whatever they like.

    The game host

    1 grandchild reads the cards and keeps the count.

    The family

    Listens, and says "no way" a lot.

    Your turn

    Which one would you ask first?

    Rather write it yourself?

    Write your story here, and keep it on your computer.

    We ask 1 question at a time. You answer, save the file, and pick up where you left off whenever you come back.

    Coming soon

    From your stories to a real book.

    Your finished book as a PDF

    Your stories become a book, with descriptions of the places and times you lived through, taken from real sources. You choose which details go in. €20 to download.

    Family can order a copy

    If you choose to publish it, relatives in most countries will be able to order a printed copy on Amazon.

    Distant cousins can find it

    If you agree, a short sample can go on family-history websites, so far-off relatives can discover your book.

    These aren't available yet. You can start writing your stories today.

    Tonight

    After dinner, at the kitchen table, ask 1 question.