A braided memoir that interweaves the author's personal journey through grief with a guide on how to write about it, this book is both Sam Meekings' raw account of the death of his younger brother and a step-by-step breakdown of the memoir writing process. With a twin focus on how to heal and preserve precious memories whilst exploring the mechanics of writing about the self, Wonder and Loss uses personal story, writing theories, useful strategies and detailed prompts to invite the reader to write alongside Sam on a path that is both painful and profound. One of the most straightforward approaches to writing memoir put to page, Sam Meekings breaks down the craft of personal narrative into understandable steps and considerations, and provides a sequence of actions and suggestions that are both practical and motivating. Allowing readers to take control of their own stories, this book shares references to related works as well as new theories from the worlds of neuroscience, neurology, psychology and creative writing, translating them into processes writers can use to remember those lost and to rediscover themselves. Compellingly honest and an introspective look at the transformation through grief and loss as it's written, readers will learn to both honour and record the memories of those they mourn, and to rediscover the person they are and can be. Sam Meekings will be in conversation here at bookhaus. Tickets cost £7 and include a glass of wine or a soft drink and £2 off the book. Presented by bookhaus. Sam Meekings is a British novelist and poet. He is the author of Under Fishbone Clouds (called “a poetic evocation of the country and its people” by the New York Times) and The Afterlives of Doctor Gachet. He has also been featured on the BBC website, in The Independent, on Arena on Radio 1, and in the National Geographic. He received an award from the Society of Authors, and has been published in a number of international magazines and academic journals. He has spent the last few years living and working as a Creative Writing Professor in China and the Middle East. He balances his time between teaching, research, raising two kids as a single father, and drinking copious cups of tea. He most recently wrote about his experiences of grief for Metro: https://metro.co.uk/2026/02/10/told-work-sick-terrified-learn-truth-26742567/

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