Man who writes autobiographies
By Kim Se-jeong
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Park Bum-joon
Park Bum-joon, 42, is the founder and editor of Book of Memories, a social enterprise publishing autobiographies for ordinary people.
What began as a personal project to mend his personal relationship with father has become a thriving business with 16 employees.
Since the first book was published in March last year, his company has completed 60 autobiographies and has 20 ongoing. Now he’s working to expand the business outside Korea.
“Everyone on this earth has a story to tell,” Park said as to what motivated him to start the business.
This is how his business works.
When a client’s request comes, two writers visit the interviewee in person. “Mostly, clients are in their 40s who wish to keep records of their aging and ailing parents,” Park said. The writers meet up with the clients prior to the interview to get information about the interviewees.
The visit usually takes place twice, with each taking up to six to seven hours.
“When we get there first, they first refuse to talk,” Park said. “They say they are nobody and their lives are not worthy of a book.”
The writers get them to talk slowly, and into three hours, “all interviewees reach a climax of some sort getting emotional about their lives,” Park said, “Some even weep.”
By the time the interview finishes, “they invite us to dinner or sometimes give money for transport.”
He said two interviews are not enough for the book, “but we can’t afford to visit them as we wish. So we try to manage with what we have,” Park said. For additional information, the writers phone the interviewees or clients.
While writing is under way which is in the first-person narrative, the design team works on the book design with photographs they have. From start to finish, it takes about two to three months and the service costs 2.5 million won, which covers five copies of the autobiography.
The book business was inspired by a book he wrote to ease the tense relationship with his father.
“I am the youngest child and was never good with my father as an adult. I wanted to do something but all my efforts failed and we ended up quarrelling. I realized when we talked about his childhood, we didn’t raise our voices. And I also found myself accepting his life as it was when he was speaking about his childhood, not judging him. The relationship has improved a lot with the book.”
He is now working to expand his service to Taiwan. A trial book was published this summer, and his hope is to finish setting up an affiliate there by end of this year.
“I believe this service can be received well among people in Asia with its Confucianism influence. It is a meaningful service and we are proud of it,” Park said.
Visit
for more information about the company.