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Autobiography
vs. Biography vs.
Memoir

The three primary formats used to tell a life story are a biography, an autobiography, and a memoir.
Distinguishing between the three can feel a bit confusing since they all share several similarities. But there are
some distinct differences.

Simply put, a biography is the life history of an individual, written by someone else. An autobiography is the
story of a person’s life, written by that person. And a memoir is a collection of memories written by the person
themselves.

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10/24/2020 Autobiography vs. Biography vs. Memoir | Blurb Blog

What is a Biography?

A biography, also called a bio, is a non-fiction piece of work giving an objective account of a person’s life. The
main difference between a biography vs. an autobiography is that the author of a biography is not the subject.

Biographies include details of key events that shaped the subject’s life, and information about their birthplace,
education, work, and relationships. Biographers use a number of research sources, including interviews,
letters, diaries, photographs, essays, reference books, and newspapers. While a biography is usually in the
written form, it can be produced in other formats such as music composition or film.

Examples of famous biographies include:

His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis

Einstein: The Life and Times by Ronald William Clark

Princess Diana – A Biography of The Princess of Wales by Drew L. Crichton

What is an Autobiography?
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10/24/2020 Autobiography vs. Biography vs. Memoir | Blurb Blog

What is an Autobiography?

An autobiography is the story of a person’s life written by that person. Because the author is also the main
character of the story, autobiographies are written in the first person.

The purpose of an autobiography is to portray the life experiences and achievements of the author. Therefore,
most autobiographies are written later in the subject’s life.

They often begin during early childhood and chronologically detail key events throughout their life.
Autobiographies usually include information about where a person was born and brought up, their education,
career, life experiences, the challenges they faced, and their key achievements.

One of the main differences between an autobiography vs. a biography is that autobiographies tend to be
more subjective. That’s because they are written by the subject, and present the facts based on their own
memories of a specific situation, which can be biased.

Examples of famous autobiographies include:

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

L i M Vi i i b Ri h d B
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10/24/2020 Autobiography vs. Biography vs. Memoir | Blurb Blog
Losing My Virginity by Richard Branson

What is a Memoir?

Memoir comes from the French word mémoire, meaning memory or reminiscence. Similar to an autobiography,
a memoir is the story of a person’s life written by that person.

The difference between a memoir vs. an autobiography is that a memoir focuses on reflection and
establishing an emotional connection, rather than simply presenting the facts around their life. The author uses
their personal knowledge to tell an intimate and emotional story about the private or public happenings in their
life. The topic is intentionally focused and does not include biographical or chronological aspects of the
author’s life unless they are meaningful and relevant to the story.

Examples of famous memoirs include:

Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant

A t bi h Bi h M i
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10/24/2020 Autobiography vs. Biography vs. Memoir | Blurb Blog

Autobiography vs. Biography vs. Memoir

Comparison Chart

Biography Autobiography Memoir

An account of a person’s life An account of one’s own life A personal account of a specific time
or experience

Written in the third person Written in the first person Written in the first person

Objective Subjective Subjective

Presents information Presents facts as they were Presents facts as they were
collected from the subject, experienced by the person experienced by the person
their acquaintances, or from
other sources

Written to inform and Written to inform and explain Written to reflect on and explore the
establish a context the motivation and thoughts emotion of an experience
behind actions and decisions

Has restricted access to the Offers access to personal Offers access to personal thoughts,
subject’s thoughts and thoughts and feelings feelings, reactions, and reflections
feelings

Can be written anytime Usually written later in life Can be written anytime

Ready to get started on your own memoir, autobiography, or biography?

Download our free desktop book-making software, BookWright.

AUTOBIOGRAPHIES, BIOGRAPHIES, MEMOIRS

C t
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10/24/2020 Autobiography vs. Biography vs. Memoir | Blurb Blog
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