Priya
There was a time Priya didn’t think she’d see 50, let alone be in the mood to celebrate anything, but if there’s one thing she’s learned after everything that’s happened to her, it’s to savour life. This life story Portraits commission could have been created for her.
As we agree the span and focus of the text together, choosing contributors and deciding on the right themes to explore, Priya begins to steer a very emotional course back through the last 3 years and beyond. The various family members and close friends she’s selected to be involved are so touched to be asked as well and ultimately it’s the wisdom of their words that really offer Priya acknowledgement, encouragement and succour.
The finished text sits in a beautifully inlaid box in Priya’s bedroom: part testament, treaty and talisman. It’s helped bring the solace she was looking for all along.
Owen and Kim
Twin brothers, Owen and Kim, can’t agree how to celebrate their 70th birthday. Owen, as ever, wants a party and Kim would rather be washing his hair – but disagreeing isn’t new. They’ve been arguing, laughing and there for one another all their lives.
Surprisingly it’s Owen who picks the Portraits in Prose memoir commission for them both. Putting feelings into words is more Kim’s thing than his, but he can think of no better way to show how much he does really value the strong bond between them.
70 years of such a unique relationship takes some exploring, but as we find our way back from their beginning, one thing is clear from the leather bound text. Their own distinct voices strike you immediately; so too the enormous amount they’ve shared together, in only the way they could have. It’s a remarkable celebration of sibling rivalry, resilience and love.
Angela
Angela appears to be in denial about The Big 60 but her husband Nigel is determined it’ll be a celebration to remember. It’s an ideal opportunity for her to be reminded of just what a great wife, mum, sister and friend she really is.
Together we design a Portrait in Prose that will knit all these aspects of Angela’s life together, Nigel selecting the best people for me to contact to gather the contributions I need.
Angela’s tribute begins to take shape and, as it does, Nigel takes some of his favourite lines and creates a framed copy for their kitchen wall. He knows that marking the occasion privately and in these personal ways will mean more to her than anything.
Their son Luke takes the text and creates a photo book that brings the entire narrative to life. Both are gifts full of thought, care and love.
Hannah Wroe Gill | Portraits in Prose
