The Memento Story

Memento's creator Michael McQueen had his world turned upside down on October 11 2004 when his father's life was tragically cut short at the age of just 51.

In the days and weeks that followed, Michael and his family faced the gruellng and heartbreaking task of sorting through his father's papers and belongings. As they sifted through trinkets, photos and tokens of his life, they came across a well-worn notebook in which Michael's father had been recording his stories and memories.

Michael found himself enthralled and captivated as he read through his father's memoirs. He was amazed at how much he didn't know about his own dad - there were so many things that had just never come up.

In numerous conversations over the next few months, Michael found himself recounting to others the experience of both finding and reading the notebook his father had left behind. It quickly became clear that the notion struck a chord with many. It seemed  that everyone had a loved one whom they wished had filled out a similar book.

And so the idea for Memento was born. It was a simple concept - to create a giftbook journal filled with thought-provoking questions designed to help parents and grandparents reflect on their memories and experiences and record these as a written legacy for the next generation.

Although it took three long years to secure an Australian publisher for Memento, it was finally released in October 2008 by Park Street Press and quickly became an Australian bestseller. Soon after, Memento's success began attracting the attention of publishers abroad and in March 2009 the American publishing house Chronicle Books secured the worldwide publishing rights.