Writing the Century is a BBC drama series that will explore the 20th century through real correspondence and diaries from the great, the good and the ordinary. The series will reflect the experiences of a broad mix of society - housewives, politicians, Council workers, writers, lawyers, shopkeepers, prisoners, entrepreneurs – as well as more well-known figures of society.
Find out more about Writing The Century with our Open University partners
We are looking for diaries and letters that describe what life was like during the 20th century and are very keen to hear from any members of the public who would like to share such content with us. We are interested in any personal accounts that were written at the time, rather than memoirs that were written after the main events.
How can I contribute?
Email the production team at writingthecentury@bbc.co.uk with some information about the dates the content covers and a little about the people involved. Why were they corresponding? What happened when they stopped writing? What kind of themes, places or people are described? The team will then contact you – no content will be used without the permission of the owners.
You can also add extracts from the diaries or letters to Memoryshare – a BBC project that is gathering memories submitted by the public online. There are already hundreds of memories on the site. Extracts added here will also be considered for inclusion in Writing the Century dramas.
Why not take a look at your family's letters and diaries and see what you could contribute to this archive? This will create a moving collection of extracts and create a compelling archive of 20th century life.
