The Longhand Journal

The questions we mean to ask.

Prompts, ideas, and a little science — for anyone who wants to hear their parents' and grandparents' stories while there's still time to ask.

Cornerstone · Questions

101 questions to ask your parents before it's too late

The one list to save. A hundred and one gentle, specific questions — about childhood, love, work, and the ordinary days — organised so you never run out of things to ask.

Questions

50 questions to ask your grandparents

Grandparents carry a century between them. Here are fifty questions that open the door — from their first home to the world they grew up in.

Questions

40 questions to ask your mom

Meet the whole person — her girlhood, her dreams, becoming a mother, and the wisdom of her life.

Questions

40 questions to ask your dad

For the dad who isn't a big talker: forty questions that open a door, one at a time.

How-to

Life story interview questions & framework

A simple chapter-by-chapter way to interview a parent or grandparent — with 30 ready-to-use prompts.

Connection

What to talk about with your parents (when the call goes quiet)

If your daily call keeps running out of words, you're not alone. A gentle way to give every conversation something real to be about.

The science

Why writing by hand is good for the ageing brain

What the research actually says about handwriting, reminiscence, and keeping a mind active — with the papers to back it up.

How-to

How to record your parents' life story

The methods that actually get finished, the questions to ask, and the mistakes to avoid.

Guide

How to preserve your family history

A simple, step-by-step guide — from interviewing elders to keeping photos and stories safe.

Gifts

Meaningful gifts for parents who have everything

Fourteen thoughtful, clutter-free ideas for the parent or grandparent who says they want nothing.

Gifts · Father's Day

Father's Day gifts for the dad who has everything

Beyond socks and gadgets: time, experiences, and the one gift only your dad can give back.

Gifts · Mother's Day

Meaningful Mother's Day gifts for the mum who has everything

Heartfelt ideas beyond flowers — including the keepsake she'll treasure most.

Gifts · Christmas

Christmas gifts for grandparents who have everything

Clutter-free presents that bring the family closer — and keep their stories.

Wellbeing

15 gentle activities to keep an ageing mind active

Calm, meaningful things that keep an older loved one engaged — backed by research.

Guide

Staying close to a parent who lives far away

For the diaspora, the expats, and anyone an ocean from home: small rituals that keep you connected across the distance.

The app

Longhand: a family memoir app, one question a day

How Longhand turns a daily question and a handwritten page into a living book of your family's story.