AustLit

'While most book-length published memoirs on the topic of death and dying could be broadly classified as illness memoirs, there are a surprising number of memoirs currently in circulation whose narratives focus on the life and work of the undertaker. Despite achieving a measure of popularity with readers, none of these works have been explored (individually or as a group) in detail or categorised as a discrete sub-set of the auto/biographical memoir. Surveying these narratives as a sub-genre of memoir – and examining their modes of writing, publication and public reception – can contribute to our understanding of both this revealing auto/biographical practice and practices of writing and publishing popular memoir more generally. A way of categorising these works is suggested, with representative memoirs in each category used as illustrative examples. In suggesting that these texts are able to communicate to readers on the often difficult topic of death and dying, this analysis serves to point to the power of auto/biographical writing.' (Introduction)