Detroit Memorybook gathers firsthand memories from Metro Detroit elders and helps carry them into another generation. Through recorded interviews and story circles, we preserve lived memories, research their historical context, and work with writers, illustrators, designers and community partners to transform selected stories into original illustrated books for children and families.
The finished books are distributed free to Detroit children through schools, libraries and community spaces, while accessible editions return to the elders and communities whose memories helped create them. In our first year, we plan to work with two Metro Detroit senior communities, develop three original illustrated titles, and put approximately 3,500 free books into circulation.
A Detroit memory shouldn’t end with the person who remembers it. The goal isn’t to own Detroit memory. It’s to keep it moving.