how to write biography sketch on mother

How to Write a Biographical Sketch: Format & Examples

Are you struggling to write a compelling biographical sketch? Look no further! In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the process of creating a captivating biographical sketch. Whether you’re a college student, a professional, or simply someone interested in learning more about this genre of writing, this guide will provide you with all the essential information you need. From understanding the format to crafting engaging content, we’ve got you covered. So, let’s dive in!

What is a Biographical Sketch?

A biographical sketch, also known as a bio-sketch, is a concise yet informative description of a person’s life, highlighting their achievements, background, and significant contributions. It provides readers with a snapshot of a person’s life, capturing the essence of who they are and what they have accomplished. Biographical sketches are often used in various contexts, such as academic assignments, professional profiles, or introductions for public figures. The key to a successful biographical sketch lies in its ability to engage readers while providing them with a comprehensive understanding of the person being described.

Format of a Biographical Sketch

To create an effective biographical sketch, it is essential to follow a proper format. Here are the guidelines to help you structure your sketch:

• Introduction : Start with a brief introduction that captures the reader’s attention and provides essential background information about the person.
• Early Life : Describe the person’s early life, including details about their birthplace, family background, and upbringing. This section sets the foundation for understanding their journey.
• Education : Provide information about the person’s educational background, including any notable institutions they attended and degrees they obtained. Highlight any academic achievements or areas of specialization.
• Career and Achievements : Discuss the person’s professional journey, highlighting significant milestones, achievements, and contributions they have made in their field. Include awards, honors, and notable projects they were involved in.
• Personal Life : Share some insights into the person’s personal life, such as their interests, hobbies, and values. This helps create a more well-rounded picture of their character.
• Impact on Society : Discuss the person’s impact on society, whether through their work, advocacy, or philanthropy. Highlight any initiatives they have undertaken or positive changes they have brought about.
• Legacy : Explore the person’s lasting legacy and their influence on future generations. Discuss how their work or ideas continue to resonate and shape the world today.
• Conclusion : Wrap up the biographical sketch with a concluding paragraph that summarizes the person’s key accomplishments and highlights their significance.

Tips for Writing a Biographical Sketch

To make your biographical sketch stand out, here are some useful tips to keep in mind:

• Be Concise : Biographical sketches are meant to be brief and to the point. Focus on the most important aspects of the person’s life and avoid unnecessary details.
• Highlight Positive Aspects : Emphasize the person’s positive qualities, achievements, and contributions. Omit any unpleasant or irrelevant information that may detract from their story.
• Research Thoroughly : Conduct in-depth research to gather accurate and reliable information about the person you are writing about. Verify facts and cross-reference multiple sources to ensure accuracy.
• Craft Engaging Content : Use vivid language and storytelling techniques to make the sketch engaging and captivating. Incorporate anecdotes, quotes, or interesting facts to bring the person’s story to life.
• Tailor the Sketch to the Audience : Consider the context in which the biographical sketch will be presented. Adapt the tone, language, and level of detail to suit the intended audience, whether it’s a scholarly paper or a professional bio.
• Proofread and Edit : Before finalizing your biographical sketch, carefully proofread and edit it for clarity, grammar, and spelling errors. A polished and error-free sketch enhances your credibility as a writer.

Examples of Biographical Sketches

To illustrate the format and structure of a biographical sketch, let’s explore some examples:

• A.R. Rahman : A renowned Indian composer, A.R. Rahman was born as Dileep Kumar in Chennai in 1966. Despite losing his father at a young age, he was greatly influenced by his mother. Rahman received training under Master Dhanraj and Illaiyaraja and graduated in Western classical music from Trinity College of Music. He established a recording studio in 1992, marking the beginning of his successful film career. Rahman’s music has garnered numerous awards, including two Academy Awards. He is considered a national icon in India.
• Mahatma Gandhi : Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi was a prominent leader of the Indian Freedom Movement. After studying law in England, he went to South Africa, where he protested against British apartheid policies. Gandhi returned to India and led the fight for freedom using non-violence and truth as his guiding principles. He advocated for equality and was against untouchability and partition. Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948, but his legacy as a champion of democracy and advocate for change lives on.
• Florence Nightingale : Florence Nightingale, born on May 12, 1820, in Florence, Italy, is widely regarded as the founder of trained nursing as a profession. She received education mainly from her father and became an expert on public health and hospitals. During the Crimean War from 1854 to 1856, Nightingale worked tirelessly as the head of nursing, overcoming shortages and difficult conditions. She dedicated her life to caring for the sick and made significant contributions to healthcare. Nightingale’s efforts were recognized when she was conferred the Order of Merit in 1907.
• Aruna Asif Ali : A revolutionary freedom fighter of India, Aruna Asif Ali was born in 1909 in a Bengali family. Educated in Nainital, she married the renowned lawyer Asif Ali. Aruna gained prominence when she fearlessly hoisted the Tricolour in Mumbai in 1942, defying police threats. She remained active in politics, serving as the President of the Delhi Congress Committee and the Mayor of the Delhi Municipal Corporation. Aruna Asif Ali received several prestigious awards, including the Lenin Peace Prize and the Indira Gandhi Award. She passed away in 1996, leaving behind a legacy of courage and dedication.
• Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam : Known as the “Missile Man” of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was the 11th President of India. Born on October 15, 1931, in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, he pursued a career in aeronautical engineering. Dr. Kalam played a significant role in India’s space and defense programs, leading the development of successful missiles. His contributions to science and technology earned him numerous accolades, including the Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna. Dr. Kalam’s vision for a technologically advanced India and his dedication to education continue to inspire generations.

Crafting a compelling biographical sketch requires careful research, organization, and attention to detail. By following the proper format and incorporating engaging content, you can create a captivating sketch that effectively portrays a person’s life and achievements. Remember to tailor your sketch to the intended audience and proofread it thoroughly before presenting it.

With the guidelines and examples provided in this comprehensive guide, you are well-equipped to write an impressive biographical sketch. So, go ahead and tell the extraordinary stories of extraordinary individuals through the art of biographical sketch writing!

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• Funerals & Memorial Services

How to Write a Biography for a Funeral Program + Examples

Updated 05/11/2022

Published 03/10/2021

Belinda McLeod, BA in Secondary Education

Contributing writer

Cake values integrity and transparency. We follow a strict editorial process to provide you with the best content possible. We also may earn commission from purchases made through affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more in our affiliate disclosure .

After a person dies, someone in the family usually writes a biography or obituary about the person. This task sometimes falls to a friend or the funeral director may also help with the writing process. 

You may then submit the biography or obituary to the newspaper through the funeral home. Most newspapers charge families a per-word rate to print the article. You may also write the obituary for the funeral program on the funeral home’s website.

Check out our tips for writing a biography for a funeral. We will also give you short biography examples to help you with your task of telling your loved one’s life story. 

Jump ahead to these sections:

Steps for writing a biography for a funeral, funeral biography samples.

Think of a biography (or obituary) as a news article informing the general public about a death that occurred. Even though you may feel emotional when writing an obituary, this is not typically the outlet for writing about your feelings. 

Even though the biography is an informative article, it is up to you to include the details. You can include pretty much whatever you want, but it’s a good idea to get the family’s general consensus regarding what you will write about in the biography.

The number and types of details may vary, depending on the person and where the biography or obituary will be used. A biography (or obituary) read at a funeral may include more details than one printed in the newspaper or funeral program . 

Step 1: Start with the general facts

You want to identify the deceased first. Use the full name (with the maiden name in parentheses) and the age of the person. If the deceased had an often-used nickname, consider putting it in quotes. 

The more identification factors you use makes it less likely that your loved one gets mistaken for someone else. This is especially important if your loved one had a common name. 

Step 2: Consider including the essential dates in the obituary

Some families choose to include the birth date and death date of the deceased in the obituary. You can present this information in a variety of ways. 

Others avoid giving this detailed information in hopes of limiting the likelihood of fraudulent activity. You may provide partial information, such as “She was born to Bob and Mary Smith in October 1982.”

Step 3: Consider including the cause of death

The family must decide whether or not to include the cause of death. Most people who read the biography will wonder, “What happened?” This question may seem nosy to you, but it is only human nature to be curious about such matters. 

Some families choose to leave this information out of the biography, which is their prerogative. Others may view it as a piece of information that may be helpful to future generations. Some may give partial information, such as “Mary Frankie Jones, 65, passed away after a long illness.”

Step 4: Include information about the early life of the deceased

Most people choose to include the names of the parents of the deceased as well as the city of birth. Again, only include specific information if you feel comfortable; some unscrupulous individuals use this biographical information for nefarious purposes.

You may consider including where the deceased graduated high school and/or college. Include any brief military service during this section of the biography as well.

Step 5: Include other family information

Often, you list a deceased person’s marriages in the article chronologically and list children at the end of the article as “survivors to the deceased.”

For some, it’s easy to write about the deceased’s spouse but makes a difficult task for others. Again, there are no “rules” on who to include, so you and your family must make those determinations.

People agonize over whether to include estranged family members. You may also wonder whether to label stepchildren differently than biological children. Ex-spouses and long-term partners that never marry may pause you as you write the obituary. 

Each situation is different, so most etiquette guides recommend that people do their best to keep their relationships with their living family members intact by not limiting the list of survivors in the obituary. 

Step 6: Write about your loved one’s professional life

A funeral biography is not the same as a resume, but most people give at least some general information about how the deceased earned a living. 

If the deceased worked his entire adult life at one place of business, you would include this detail in the obituary. If he job-hopped but stayed in the same industry, you may include a sentence about his profession.

You may make this section of the biography longer for those with active careers. 

Step 7: Consider including information about community involvement

Many families choose to include their loved one’s involvement in community groups. For example, you may choose to include the deceased’s involvement in a specific church, civic organization, or volunteer group. You may also want to include any offices that the deceased held in any of these organizations as well as any awards earned. 

Step 8: Add any details that made your loved one special

There’s much more to life than work and club memberships. Think about other details you could include in the biography that would help people understand what made your loved one unique. 

Perhaps you want to write about how she was a Star Wars superfan and waited in line each time a new film was released. Maybe your loved one was an avid camper and fisherman and spent each weekend in a tent. 

You may want to write a lengthy exposition about what made your loved one special, which you should do. Use this information to write your loved one’s eulogy or share your writing with close family members. Depending on where you publish it, you may find your writing limited by the amount of space available. 

To get you started in your writing process, read these short, fictional obituary snippets. 

For a parent or grandparent

Douglas Richard Schrute, 82, passed away peacefully in his home on Monday, June 23, 2020. His wife of 53 years was by his side at the time of death.

Douglas was born on December 22, 1938, to Richard and Mary (Sullivan) Schrute in Elmwood, Illinois. He was the fourth son born to the couple. 

After graduating from Elmwood High School, he joined the U.S. Army, serving his country in Korea.

For a child or grandchild

Mary Kate is survived by her parents, Michael and Patricia Carmichael, and one brother, Cole. Other survivors include her maternal grandparents, John and Tawnya Crabtree, and her paternal grandparents, Frank and Louise Carmichael. 

For a partner or spouse

Peter worked in the telecommunications industry all his life. He began his career at Southwestern Bell in 1973 and retired from AT&T in 2018. He worked as a technical salesperson for most of his professional life. 

For an adult without immediate family

Michael will always be remembered by his friends as the “man of 1,000 stories.” He began each conversation by saying, “Stop me if you’ve heard this before,” which no one ever did. He was the life of the party, and laughter followed him wherever he went. 

For someone who died after a long illness

Jack passed away Friday, December 8, after a long battle with lung cancer. 

The family wishes to express appreciation to the Elmwood Hospice organization for helping make his transition to heaven as peaceful as possible.

Take Great Care When Writing the Biography of a Loved One

If you are in charge of making all of the arrangements, you may find yourself overwhelmed by your list of “to-do” items. 

Even though you may find yourself pressed for time, carefully consider the wording of your loved one’s biography or obituary. Take care to be as accurate as possible by double-checking dates, the spelling of names, and other facts. 

Anytime you write something of this level of importance, it is good to have other family members and friends check the piece for accuracy, clarity, and grammar. Have others proofread the funeral program as well and help you pick which modern funeral program to include. 

You only have one chance to write the obituary of your loved one, so take your time as you complete this task. 

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How to Write a Biosketch

How to write a biosketch, what is a biographical sketch.

BioSketches are a great tool to document an individual's qualifications, professional experience, and academic journey. Think of your BioSketch as a response to the question: “Tell me about yourself?” 

Below are general tips on how to write your BioSketch, as well as step-by-step guides and examples of BioSketches for students ranging from first year students, transfer students, and students preparing to graduate. For additional help with your BioSketch or general questions, email us at [email protected] .

General Tips

• Write in the third person. This means that instead of using “I” statements, use “he/she/they” statements. 
• The information you include in your BioSketch is unique to you and your circumstances. While your BioSketch may look different from the examples below, be sure to include the important general information outlined in the paragraph bullet points that fit you best.
• Be sure to check your BioSketch for spelling, grammar, and sentence flow.

Step-By-Step

Paragraph 1:

• Where are you from? Where/when did you graduate high school?
• Did you earn any titles/awards or participate in extracurricular activities?
• What did you do after high school? Did you go straight to college or enter the work field?

Paragraph 2: 

• What are you studying at OSU? Did you transfer from another university? Do you hold any degrees? What special achievements or awards have you earned in college?

Step-By-Step Continued 

Paragraph 3: 

• What work/volunteer experience have you been a part of?
• What skills did you develop from these experiences?
• Have you participated in internships or research/lab work?

Paragraph 4: 

• When are you expected to graduate? What are your education and career interests? 

BioSketch Examples

Benny Beaver is from Corvallis, Oregon. They graduated from Corvallis High School in 2021 with high honors and served as an officer on the school’s Associated Student Body (ASB) where they assisted in various leadership activities like fundraising, public speaking and community outreach. 

Benny started attending Oregon State University in the fall of 2021, and earned the Finley Academic Excellence Scholarship upon enrollment. They are currently in the University Exploratory Studies Program (UESP) where they are taking a variety of courses and exploring all options before declaring a major.

Benny served as a lifeguard for two years, where they received valuable trainings in CPR/AED, basic water rescue, and first aid. Benny developed a passion for the water, as well as an interest in teaching by instructing weekly swim lessons. Working a part-time job while attending high school also taught them skills in communication, time management, and balancing responsibilities.

Benny is expected to graduate in June 2025. They are exploring learning opportunities and careers in education, oceanography, and sports therapy. 

Bernice Beaver is from New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. She graduated from New Westminster Secondary School in 2018 with a Dogwood Diploma and has a Diplôme de fin d'études secondaires en Colombie-Britannique, meaning she is fluent in French. Bernice was named the Career Female Athlete of the Year upon graduation from high school.

Bernice earned an Athletic Scholarship to Oregon State University where she competes for the Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field teams. She is majoring in Sociology and currently works for the university’s Global Community Kitchen as an Event Support Staff where she serves to assist in planning food service for future Experiential Learning & Activities campus events during weekly team meetings.

Bernice completed the URSA Engage program during her second year at Oregon State University where she conducted research to define the barriers faculty face while facilitating undergraduate research experiences. She presented her research at two university-wide undergraduate research symposiums in 2020 and has since been published in Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education. 

Bernice is expected to graduate in June 2022 with a B.A in Sociology. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school and complete the Master’s of College Student Service Administration Program at Oregon State University. She has a particular interest in the fields of university student affairs and athletics.

Bo Beaver is from Los Angeles, California. They graduated from Venice High School in 2014 as salutatorian and participated in the school’s marching band, where they acted as drum major for two years. After high school, Bo entered the United States Marine Corps (USMC) where they served for four years. 

Prior to attending Oregon State University, Bo attended Central Oregon Community College from September 2020 until June 2022. During this time, they earned an Associate of Science degree in Computer Science with high honors. Bo transferred to OSU-Cascades in September 2022 and is majoring in Computer Science with an option in Software Engineering.

Bo’s service in the USMC taught them important skills and attributes including confidence, self-discipline, teamwork and leadership. Since enrolling at OSU-Cascades, Bo has joined the university’s Tech Club where they hope to network and gain professional skills in the field of computer science among like-minded individuals. Bo has also been accepted into the 2022-2023 URSA Engage program, where they will be engaging in web applications research with Professor X. 

Bo is expected to graduate in June 2024 with a B.S in Computer Science with an option in software engineering. They plan on attending graduate school and pursuing a career in software development.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, writing a biographical sketch about myself.

Hey all, I've been asked to write a biographical sketch about myself for a program I'm applying to. Can you guys share any tips, resources, or examples? I've never written one before and I'm not sure where to begin. Thank you!

Hello! Writing a biographical sketch about yourself can be an interesting task, but it's great that you're seeking help to make sure you do it well. Here are a few tips, resources, and examples to help you with your biographical sketch:

1. Start by brainstorming:

Make a list of important events, accomplishments, and characteristics that best define you. This can include your background, education, major milestones, professional achievements, personal hobbies, or anything else relevant to the program you're applying for.

2. Structure your sketch:

Create a rough outline for your biographical sketch, organizing your information into clear sections. A standard structure can include:

- Introduction: Introduce yourself, stating your full name and a brief overview of your background.

- Educational background: Describe your education, including the schools you attended and relevant degrees or certificates earned.

- Professional experience: Detail your work history and any prominent professional achievements.

- Personal interests and accomplishments: Talk about your hobbies, passion projects, or any significant personal achievements.

- Conclusion: Summarize the key points and relate them to the program you're applying to.

3. Keep it concise:

A biographical sketch is typically short and focused, so aim to keep it around 250-500 words. Be mindful of word count limitations given by the program and make sure to prioritize the most relevant information.

4. Use a professional tone:

Write your biographical sketch in third person to maintain a professional tone. Avoid using slang or informal language.

5. Review and revise:

Proofread your sketch carefully to check for grammar, syntax, and punctuation errors. Make revisions as necessary to ensure the final draft is polished and well-organized.

For example, your biographical sketch may look something like this:

Jane Doe is a dedicated marketing professional with a passion for digital media. Born and raised in New York City, she pursued a degree in Marketing at [University], where she graduated with honors in 20XX.

Upon graduating, Jane joined the marketing team at [Company], where she worked on numerous campaigns and contributed to the growth of the business. She has since been promoted to Marketing Manager and oversees campaigns for a variety of clients.

In her free time, Jane enjoys photography and volunteering at her local animal shelter. Her photography has been featured in several art shows, and she has been recognized with multiple awards. Through her volunteer work, Jane has helped to facilitate numerous adoptions and create a positive community presence for the shelter.

Overall, Jane's background in marketing, combined with her commitment to community impact, make her a fitting candidate for the [Program]. With support from this program, she hopes to further develop her skills and make a lasting impact in her field.

Best of luck with your biographical sketch, and I hope these tips help you create a compelling and memorable sketch that showcases your unique qualities!

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How to Write a Biography

Last Updated: April 13, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Stephanie Wong Ken, MFA . Stephanie Wong Ken is a writer based in Canada. Stephanie's writing has appeared in Joyland, Catapult, Pithead Chapel, Cosmonaut's Avenue, and other publications. She holds an MFA in Fiction and Creative Writing from Portland State University. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,859,875 times.

Writing a biography can be a fun challenge, where you are sharing the story of someone’s life with readers. You may need to write a biography for a class or decide to write one as a personal project. Once you have identified the subject of the biography, do your research so you know as much about them as possible. Then, dive into the writing of the biography and revising it until it is at its finest.

Researching Your Subject

• If the subject does not give you permission to write the biography, you may want to choose a different subject. If you decide to publish the biography without the subject’s permission, you may be susceptible to legal action by the subject.
• If the subject is no longer alive, you obviously do not need to ask permission to write about them.

• You may create research questions to help focus your research of the subject, such as, What do I find interesting about the subject? Why is this subject important to readers? What can I say that is new about the subject? What would I like to learn more about?

• For in person interviews, record them with a tape recorder or a voice recorder on your computer or phone.
• You may need to interview the subject and others several times to get the material you need.

• You may also want to visit areas where the subject made a major decision or breakthrough in their life. Being physically in the area can give you a sense of how the subject might have felt and help you write their experiences more effectively.

• When researching the time period ask yourself: What were the social norms of that time? What was going on economically and politically? How did the social and political climate affect the subject?

• You may also include historical events or moments that affected the subject on the timeline. For example, maybe there was a conflict or civil war that happened during the person’s life that affected their life.

Writing the Biography

• You may end up focusing on particular areas of the person’s life. If you do this, work through a particular period in the person’s life chronologically.

• For example, you may have a thesis statement about focusing on how the person impacted the civil rights movement in America in the 1970s. You can then make sure all your content relates back to this thesis.

• Flashbacks should feel as detailed and real as present day scenes. Use your research notes and interviews with the subject to get a good sense of their past for the flashbacks.
• For example, you may jump from the person’s death in the present to a flashback to their favorite childhood memory.

• For example, you may focus on the person’s accomplishments in the civil rights movement. You may write a whole section about their contributions and participation in major civil rights marches in their hometown.

• For example, you may notice that the person’s life is patterned with moments of adversity, where the person worked hard and fought against larger forces. You can then use the theme of overcoming adversity in the biography.

• For example, you may note how you see parallels in the person’s life during the civil rights movement with your own interests in social justice. You may also commend the person for their hard work and positive impact on society.

Polishing the Biography

• Revise the biography based on feedback from others. Do not be afraid to cut or edit down the biography to suit the needs of your readers.

• Having a biography riddled with spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors can turn off your readers and result in a poor grade if you are handing in the text for a class.

• If the biography is for a class, use MLA , APA , or Chicago Style citations based on the preferences of your instructor.

Biography Help

Community Q&A

• Be careful when publishing private or embarrassing information, especially if the person is not a celebrity. You may violate their "Right of Privacy" or equivalent. Thanks Helpful 31 Not Helpful 5
• Have the sources to back up your statements about the subject's life. Untruthful written statements can lead to litigation. If it is your opinion, be clear that it is such and not fact (although you can support your opinion with facts). Thanks Helpful 16 Not Helpful 15

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• ↑ http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/writing/how-to-write-a-biography.html
• ↑ https://au.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-a-bio
• ↑ https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/writing/how-to-write-a-biography.html
• ↑ https://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/3-tips-for-writing-successful-flashbacks
• ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-bio/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://www.plagiarism.org/article/how-do-i-cite-sources

About This Article

Before you write a biography, gather as much information about the subject that you can from sources like newspaper articles, interviews, photos, existing biographies, and anything else you can find. Write the story of that person’s life, including as much supporting detail as you can, including information about the place and time where the person lived. Focus on major events and milestones in their life, including historical events, marriage, children, and events which would shape their path later in life. For tips from our reviewer on proofreading the biography and citing your sources, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Bio Sketch Format | How to Write a Biographical Sketch?

A Biographical Sketch is a short summary of someone’s life. It can be used to introduce someone to someone else or to describe their accomplishments. This blog post will discuss the basic of bio sketch format and provide some useful tips on how to write an impressive biographical sketch.

What is a Biographical Sketch?

A Biographical sketch (referred as Bio Sketch) is an overview of the life and work of a person, typically including information about their childhood, education , achievements, biographical details, and other important aspects of their life, usually written by someone else. 

How to Write a Biographical Sketch?

To write a biographical sketch, you will need to include the basic facts about a person’s life, such as their date and place of birth, education, work history, and family. It should also provide some insight into the person’s personality and interests. While a biographical sketch can be as short as a paragraph, it is often half or one page long.

A biographical sketch should include the following information:

• Who the person is
• What they are known for
• When and where they were born
• What their early life was like
• Their education and career
• Their major accomplishments
• What they are doing now

Remember, Writing a biographical sketch is not just about listing the facts. It also tells a story that gives the reader a sense of who the person is. An excellent biographical sketch should be exciting and informative, giving the reader a reason to want to learn more about the subject.

Bio Sketch Format:

A general biographical sketch format consists of a set of details that include:

• Details of personal life (Name, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, etc.)
• Family life details (Father’s name, Family background, etc.)
• Details of education & professionallLife
• Details of community activities, volunteer work, and honors
• Details of Publications, awards, and notable achievements.

Guidelines for Writing a Biographical Sketch [Tips]

A biographical sketch is a short story about the life of an individual. It is used in reference to an author, musician, artist, historian, scientist, or any other person who has lived and worked.

The biographical sketch must contain enough information to describe the subject of the biography. The biographical sketch is not a research paper that should include lengthy lists of sources, facts, statistics, or personal opinions.

The following are general guidelines for writing biographical sketches. If you follow these rules, your biographical sketch will be successful.

• Keep it brief and provide only the essential facts.
• Be sure to include the person’s name at the beginning of the biography.
• Include only those details that are significant to the subject’s life.
• Provide a clear and concise summary of the person’s accomplishments.
• Provide specific examples of the person’s achievements.
• Use the first person when possible, but not too often.
• If you are writing about someone deceased, use the third person.
• Be sure to include the date of birth and death if a person is not alive.
• Be sure to write the sketch in the past tense if a person is not alive.
• Don’t refer to the subject by name unless he or she is still alive.

Video Credit: Nihir Shah

Biographical Sketch Example for Students

1. biographical sketch of apj abdul kalam.

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (15 October 1931 – 27 July 2015) was an Indian aerospace scientist who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. He was born in a Tamil Muslim family in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and studied physics and aerospace engineering.

He spent the next four decades as a scientist and science administrator, mainly at the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He was intimately involved in India’s civilian space program and military missile development efforts.

He earned the nickname “Missile Man of India” for his work on developing ballistic missiles and launch vehicle technology. He also played a pivotal organizational, technical and political role in India’s Pokhran-II nuclear tests in 1998, the first since the original nuclear test by India in 1974.

Kalam was elected as the 11th President of India in 2002 with the support of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the then-opposition Indian National Congress. Widely referred to as the “People’s President”, he returned to his civilian life of education, writing and public service after a single term. He received several prestigious awards, including the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour.

Kalam was fondly known as the People’s President and referred to as the “Missile Man of India” due to his work in developing ballistic missiles and launch vehicle technology. He was also an accomplished author, having written several books, such as India 2020, Ignited Minds, Wings of Fire and Target 3 Billion.

He was also an inspirational speaker and was mainly known for his motivational messages to the youth of India. He was also a strong advocate of the modern education system and its integration with the culture of India. He passed away due to sudden cardiac arrest in 2015.

2. Biographical Sketch of Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking was one of the most renowned scientists of our time. He was born in Oxford, England, on  January 8,  1942. When he was just eight years old, his family moved to St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Stephen Hawking began his schooling at the Byron House School in Highgate, London. He later attended St. Albans School, where he developed a passion for mathematics and physics.

In 1959, Stephen Hawking was accepted into Oxford University to study natural science. However, he soon realized that his true passion was physics. He transferred to the physics department and earned his Ph.D. in cosmology.

During his time at Oxford, Stephen Hawking made several important discoveries in the field of theoretical physics. In 1974, he published a paper on the nature of black holes. This work earned him a place as one of the leading experts on black holes.

In 1979, Stephen Hawking was appointed as the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. This is a position that was once held by Isaac Newton.

Throughout his career , Stephen Hawking made many important contributions to the field of physics. In 1988, he published his best-selling book, A Brief History of Time. This book explained complex theories in a way that was accessible to the general public.

On March 14, 2018, Stephen Hawking passed away at the age of 76. His legacy will continue to inspire scientists and laypeople for generations to come.

3. Biographical Sketch of Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar is a former Indian cricketer and a former captain of the Indian national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He is the highest run-scorer and the most capped player in Test cricket history.

He is also the first batsman to score a double century in a One Day International. In 2002, he was the only Indian cricketer to be ranked among the top 10 players in the world by Wisden. Tendulkar has received many awards, including the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India.

Born on April 24, 1973, in Mumbai, Tendulkar began playing cricket at the age of eleven. He made his Test debut against Pakistan in November 1989 and One Day International debut in December 1989. He quickly established himself as one of the most talented batsmen in the world. He became the first Indian batsman to score a century in a Test match overseas and the youngest player to score a century in a Test match. He also holds the record for the most Test centuries and the most One Day International centuries.

Tendulkar has been a part of four World Cup winning teams and is the only player to have been a part of all three of India’s cricket World Cup winning teams. He was also the captain of the Indian team that won the 2011 World Cup. He retired from Test cricket in November 2013 and from One Day International cricket in December 2012.

4. Biographical Sketch of Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is an Indian cricket player who currently captains the Indian national team. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional right-arm medium-pace bowler. Kohli is regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world. He plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and has been the team’s captain since 2013.

Kohli was born on November 5, 1988, in Delhi, India. His father, Prem Kohli, was a lawyer and his mother, Saroj Kohli, is a housewife. He has two siblings, a brother, Vikas, and a sister, Bhawna. Kohli was raised in Uttam Nagar and started playing cricket at a young age. He attended Vishal Bharati Public School and West Delhi Cricket Academy.

Kohli made his debut for the Indian national team in 2008 and has since played over 200 matches for the team. He has been a regular team member in all three formats of the game and is considered a key player in the Indian batting lineup. Kohli has scored over 10,000 runs in international cricket and is the second-fastest player to reach the milestone, behind only Sachin Tendulkar. He has also been named as the ICC ODI Player of the Year on three occasions (2012, 2017, 2018).

Kohli is married to Anushka Sharma, a Bollywood actress, and the couple has a daughter named Vamika Kohli.

5. Biographical Sketch of PV Sindhu

Pusarla Venkata (PV) Sindhu is a professional badminton player from India. She is currently ranked as the second-best female player in the world by the Badminton World Federation. Sindhu has won many prestigious titles, including the BWF World Championships, the India Open, and the Syed Modi International Badminton Championships.

Born on July 5, 1995, in Hyderabad, Sindhu started playing badminton at a very young age. She was inspired by her father, who was a former volleyball player. Sindhu quickly rose through the ranks, winning several state and national level tournaments. She made her international debut in 2009 and won her first major title, the Malaysian Open, in 2013.

Since then, Sindhu has established herself as one of the top badminton players in the world. She has won numerous medals at the BWF World Championships and the Asian Games. In 2016, she became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal in badminton. Sindhu is also the first Indian to win the BWF World Championships.

Sindhu is known for her aggressive play style and ability to play long rallies. She has a powerful backhand and is capable of executing difficult shots. Sindhu is also known for her mental toughness, which has helped her in many close matches.

Sindhu has inspired many young girls to take up badminton. She is a role model for athletes all over the world.

6. Biographical Sketch of Rabindranath Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali writer, poet, and philosopher. He was born in Calcutta, India, on May 7, 1861, into a wealthy and well-educated family. His father, Debendranath Tagore, was a leader of the Brahmo Samaj, a religious reform movement.

He began writing poetry at an early age, and his first collection was published when he was only 17. By the time he was in his twenties, Tagore had established himself as one of Bengal’s leading writers, and his work began to be translated into other languages.

In 1901, Tagore published his most famous work, Gitanjali, a collection of poems that won him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. He is the only Asian writer to have been awarded the Nobel Prize.

Tagore was a prolific writer, and his poetry, novels, short stories, and essays are widely read in both Bengali and English. His work explores the themes of love, humanity, and spiritualism, and deep respect marks his writings for Indian culture and tradition. Tagore was also an accomplished painter and musician, and his compositions are popular throughout India.

Tagore’s ideas and work profoundly influenced the development of Indian thought, and he is often hailed as one of the country’s most influential thinkers. He died in 1941 at the age of 80.

FAQs (People Also Ask)

1. what is a bio sketch.

A bio sketch (biographical sketch) is a short, usually one-page, summary of a person’s life and work. It is similar to a biography but usually shorter and less detailed. A bio sketch may be written about a person who is still alive, or it may be written about someone who has died.

2. What does a Biographical Sketch mean?

A biographical sketch is a short summary of a person’s life, typically written by someone else.

3. How to write a Biographical Sketch about yourself?

To write a biographical sketch about yourself, it is important to be honest, and to include as much relevant information as possible. Try to give a clear and concise overview of your life, and avoid including irrelevant or personal details.

Shobhit is the founder of Ishiksha, content writer and educator who has been creating educational content since 2021. His writing covers topics like science, technology, and the humanities. When he isn't writing, Shobhit enjoys reading nonfiction, watching documentaries, and going on nature walks.

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Mother Teresa Bio Sketch | Life  & Legacy | 100, 150, 200, 300 & 400 + Words

 Use the following information and Write Mother Teresa Bio Sketch.

• Birth — 27 August 1910 of Albanian parents in Skopje
• Real Name — Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu
• 1928 — the Joined convent in Ireland; 18 years old
• 1929 — Sent to Darjeeling, India
• 1931 — Began teaching at Kolkata Girls’ School
• 1948 — Left teaching to work among the poor in slums of Kolkata
• 1950-1996 — Worked for the downtrodden and sick destitute
• 1979 — Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
• Death — 5 September 1997

Answer                           Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was born on 27 August 1910 of Albanian parents in Skopje. Her real name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She joined a convent in Ireland in 1928. When she was only 18 years old she was sent to Darjeeling. Here she began teaching in Kolkata Girls’ School. Later she left teaching to work among the poor in slums. From 1948 she started working for the downtrodden and sick destitute . She worked selflessly for them. For her sincere, dedicated and selfless work, she was awarded Nobel Prize for peace in 1979. She left for her heavenly abode on 5 September 1997.

Download the above Bio-Sketch in PDF

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Descriptive Paragraph on Mother Teresa – 100 Words

Mother Teresa was a true embodiment of love and compassion. She dedicated her entire life to serving the poor and needy. She always acted kindly and selflessly. Her mission was to serve humanity. She helped those who were suffering from poverty, sickness, or any other kind of distress. The legacy she left behind is an inspiration for all generations to come. She founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata that have spread across the world today with over 4,500 sisters helping people in need. Mother Teresa’s work gained worldwide recognition and received numerous awards including the Nobel Peace Prize. Her humility and simplicity were remarkable.

Descriptive Paragraph on Mother Teresa – 150 Words

Mother Teresa devoted her life to serving the poor and sick. Mother Teresa’s gentle smile, wrinkled face, and kind eyes that radiate with compassion are the synonym of humanity . Her iconic white sari symbolizes humility and simplicity. The values she lived by until her last breath was amazing. Her life conveys both strength and fragility, portraying a woman who was fiercely determined in carrying out God’s work. Despite being a global figure, she led a very basic lifestyle without any extravagance or luxury. The love she radiated could be seen on every face that came into contact with hers. In conclusion, Mother Teresa’s contribution towards humanity will always remain unparalleled. Her tireless efforts have set an example for millions around the globe to follow their hearts by serving others selflessly without expecting anything in return – something we could all learn from her life story. Throughout her lifetime, Mother Teresa tirelessly worked towards eradicating poverty and promoting peace throughout the world through various charitable initiatives. Her legacy has since inspired countless individuals around the globe to follow in her footsteps and dedicate themselves towards making our world a better place for everyone.

Descriptive Paragraph on Mother Teresa – 200 Words

Mother Teresa, a name that has become synonymous with compassion and selflessness. She was born in Skopje, Macedonia in 1910. From a young age, she felt called to serve those less fortunate than herself. At the age of eighteen she joined the sisters of Loreto as a missionary. After many years serving abroad in India, Mother Teresa experienced what she described as “a call within a call,” urging her to leave the convent and begin working directly with the poor and sick on the streets of Calcutta. Despite facing numerous obstacles including lack of funding and societal disapproval for her work with lepers and dying patients, Mother Teresa’s unwavering faith inspired others to join her cause. In 1950, she founded the Missionaries of Charity which quickly expanded across borders to provide comfort and care for those suffering in poverty around the world. Throughout her life’s work, Mother Teresa tirelessly sought ways to bring dignity and love into people’s lives regardless of their circumstances or beliefs – exemplifying an unwavering commitment to service that has touched countless hearts even decades after her passing in 1997. We can all learn from Mother Teresa’s example and strive to make this world a better place by lending our time and energy towards improving the lives of those around us.

Descriptive Paragraph on Mother Teresa – 300 Words

Mother Teresa, also known as Saint Teresa of Calcutta, was a prominent figure in the world of humanitarianism. Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26th, 1910, in Skopje, Macedonia, Mother Teresa dedicated her life to helping others. Throughout her lifetime she received numerous accolades for her charity work. however, it was not until after her death that she became widely recognized as one of the most selfless and compassionate individuals to have ever lived.

Her 10 points embody the very essence of her mission to serve the poorest of the poor.

1.Firstly, she believed in doing little things with great love, emphasizing that even small acts can make a big difference in someone’s life. 2.Secondly, Mother Teresa recognized that every person has inherent worth and dignity regardless of their circumstances or social status. 3.Thirdly, she emphasized the importance of forgiveness to healing and reconciliation. 4.Fourthly, Mother Teresa encouraged people to give generously without expecting anything in return – an attitude rooted in humility and gratitude for what one has been given. 5.Fifthly, she urged everyone to see Jesus Christ in every person they met – especially those who are suffering or marginalized. 6.Sixthly, Mother Teresa held fast to her faith as an anchor amidst life’s storms; believing that prayer is essential for spiritual growth and strength. 7.Seventhly, she taught that peace begins with inner peace; it is only when we find harmony within ourselves that we can radiate it outwards towards others. 8.Eighthly, Mother Teresa championed education as a tool for empowerment; recognizing its potential to break cycles of poverty by equipping individuals with skills needed for meaningful employment opportunities. 9.Ninthly and tenthly respectively were two crucial points which stood at the center of all her work: unconditional love and service without any expectation- being compassionate & providing help where there is none – these values drove her entire ministry throughout her life.

Descriptive Paragraph on Mother Teresa – 500 + Words

Mother Teresa, the epitome of compassion and selflessness, continues to inspire millions across the globe with her extraordinary humanitarian work. Her unwavering commitment to serving the poorest of poor has earned her a place in history as one of the most revered figures of the 20th century. Let’s dive deeper into Mother Teresa’s life story – from her early days to becoming a global icon for peace and love. Let’s take a glimpse into the remarkable life journey of this incredible woman through this bio sketch of Mother Teresa!

Who was Mother Teresa?

Mother Teresa, born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje, North Macedonia on August 26, 1910, was a Catholic nun and the founder of Missionaries of Charity. Her mission in life was to serve the poorest of poor by providing them with food, shelter, medical care and love. She dedicated her entire life towards serving humanity regardless of their caste or creed. In 1928, she joined the Sisters of Loreto convent and took up teaching at St. Mary’s School in Calcutta (now Kolkata). However, witnessing poverty-stricken people around her compelled her to leave the convent in 1948 and establish Missionaries of Charity. Under Mother Teresa’s guidance and leadership, the organization grew rapidly across India and other parts of the world. Today it has over 4,500 nuns operating more than 750 homes for destitute individuals in over 130 countries. Her selfless service earned her numerous awards such as Nobel Peace Prize (1979), Congressional Gold Medal (1997) and Bharat Ratna (1980). Despite passing away on September 5th ,1997 at age eighty-seven due to heart failure; her legacy continues to inspire us today!

Early Life:

Mother Teresa, whose real name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, was born on August 26th, 1910 in Skopje, a city that is now part of North Macedonia. She was the youngest child of Albanian parents and had two older siblings. Her family was deeply religious and she grew up attending church regularly. When Mother Teresa was only eight years old, her father died suddenly. This left her mother to raise the children alone while also running their small business. Despite these difficult circumstances, Mother Teresa’s mother remained committed to providing for her family and instilling strong values in her children. From an early age, Mother Teresa showed a strong desire to help others. When she was just twelve years old, she began volunteering at a local hospital where she cared for patients with tuberculosis. This experience had a profound impact on her life and helped shape her future as a caregiver and humanitarian. At the age of eighteen, Mother Teresa joined the Sisters of Loreto convent in Dublin where she received training as a teacher before being sent to India to work as a missionary. It was there that she first encountered extreme poverty and suffering which would later inspire her life’s work serving the poorest of the poor across the world.

Mother Teresa Quotes

Mother Teresa was a woman of deep faith and compassion, who dedicated her life to serving others. Her words continue to inspire people around the world today. Here are some of her most famous quotes: “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” “I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish he didn’t trust me so much.” “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love. These quotes reflect Mother Teresa’s belief in the power of love and compassion to make a difference in the world. They remind us that even small acts of kindness and generosity can have a profound impact on those around us. In addition to these well-known quotes, Mother Teresa also wrote extensively about her experiences working with the poor and sick in India. Her writings offer insights into her spirituality and her deep commitment to serving others. Mother Teresa’s words continue to inspire people today as they strive to make a positive difference in their communities and beyond.

Mother Teresa was a true inspiration to millions of people around the world. Her selfless work and dedication to helping the poorest and most vulnerable in society are admirable qualities that we can all learn from. Through her tireless efforts, Mother Teresa showed us that even small acts of kindness can make a significant impact on our communities. Her famous quote “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love” is a testament to this belief. Her legacy lives on through the Missionaries of Charity, which she founded in 1950. The organization continues to help those in need across the globe, with over 4,500 sisters now serving in more than 130 countries worldwide. Mother Teresa’s life epitomized compassion and dedication towards others. She taught us that no matter how big or small our actions may seem, they have the power to change someone’s life for the better. We should strive to follow her example by showing kindness and empathy towards one another every day.

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Creating bio sketches of your ancestors

June 8, 2018 By Janine Adams 21 Comments

I was intrigued by the idea and asked her to give me a little more information, along with an example.

Maria wanted to make her research more easily understood by her children and grandchildren, she is writing these short sketches of each ancestor. Her research on some of her lines goes back to the 15th century, so it’s a big task!

I’m thoroughly impressed that Maria’s goal is to write one of these each day. I think that’s a wonderful way to make an overwhelming project seem much more attainable.

Maria said that she used the Register Style Template from the New England Historic Genealogical Society as the basis for her sketches. I love that sources and footnotes are a prominent part of the template.

Here’s a sample sketch, of one of Maria’s ancestors on her father’s side. She explains, “My accreditation is in Mexico and the bulk of my research is done in Spanish language areas. I used tools that were developed for New England colonial area research, however, and that works splendidly.”

Click on this link to read Maria’s sketch of José Anastasio Tello.

Maria reports that her children not only have found the sketches easy to understand but they’re actually grateful for them!

In addition to the obvious benefit of having an easily understood way to present genealogical information to those who follow you, I can see how useful this exercise is to find holes in your research. I can also see its benefits for reacquainting yourself with your ancestors.

Reunion, the genealogy software I use, will create these reports automatically, I discovered. But Maria and I discussed the benefits to doing them by hand. There’s a big difference between creating something and reading something. (This is part of a larger post I’m contemplating on manual versus automatic in genealogy–keep an eye out.)

As I look toward shifting to a different family line in my own research, I think I’m going to take the time to write a bio sketch for the main ancestor I’ve been researching, George Washington Adams (1845-1938) before I say goodby to him for a little while. I think it should be a fun exercise.

Maria, thank you so much for sharing what you’re doing! And best of luck completing all the profiles!

June 8, 2018 at 9:35 am

Such a good idea. I try to write biographical pieces as part of my one name study but haven’t used a consistent format like this.

June 11, 2018 at 9:06 am

Glad you found it helpful!

June 8, 2018 at 9:42 am

I’ve been doing the same thing and I use Reunion too. I open the Register style report created by Reunion in Word and can modify and add to the canned text before saving it as a PDF. All the hard word–formatting and footnotes–have been done for me and I get to concentrate on the fun text part.

Glad that works for you, Susan! I like that hybrid approach.

June 8, 2018 at 11:26 am

I write bio sketches of my further back ancestors that I don’t know lots about. My family definitely appreciates the storytelling aspect of them.

I think it’s a great way to share info with family! Thanks for commenting.

June 8, 2018 at 11:44 am

Those who like this idea should join WikiTree.com. It’s a free, open-source, shared tree that encourages writing biographical profiles for each person in the tree. It’s been my observation that, on average, the people on WikiTree are more disciplined that those at FamilySearch and more collaborative.

June 11, 2018 at 9:07 am

Thank you for reaching out with that info, Jim!

June 8, 2018 at 1:46 pm

A group of nine female authors from Montreal have recently published a book “Beads in a Necklace: Family Stories from Genealogy Ensemble.” We have been giving workshops on writing our stories and how to self-publish. Copies of our book are available at Coles” in Dorval, also in Chapters in Pointe-Claire anad Clios in Point-Claiare Shopping Plaza. Enjoy You might want to check out our blog at Genealogyensemble.com

Wishing you much success with your book, Claire.

June 8, 2018 at 5:44 pm

A year ago I was telling my adult son about one of his ancestors and he told me I have to write these stories down, as I’m the only one who knows much about the ancestors now that many family members have passed away. He suggested I do one bio a week and I’m afraid I haven’t done more than a dozen. I’m motivated to continue with this now. I’m a long-time Reunion user but realize that I don’t know about many of its capabilities. Thanks for the Reunion suggestions and also the WikiTree idea.

June 11, 2018 at 9:08 am

You’re welcome, Linda. I’m glad you found this post motivating!

June 9, 2018 at 7:11 am

I didn’t know Reunion had this feature. I need to check it out. Thanks for sharing this info.

June 11, 2018 at 9:09 am

Reunion has a lot of different reports, once you start digging around. This one is a Register report.

June 10, 2018 at 8:16 am

My genealogy software writes these types of biographies too, but I prefer to write my own. It makes them more interesting to read when they aren’t as mechanical, and I can add facts and other things that a software program might not do, such as ages of a child who died very young, and significance of certain dates. “He died suddenly in a car accident and was buried on Valentine’s Day, February 14” or “She was born during a winter storm on January”, etc.

June 11, 2018 at 9:10 am

I think it’s great that you’re writing these reports, Shasta. Taking the extra effort to write them from scratch sounds valuable to me (though I haven’t yet done it myself). Thanks for commenting!

June 30, 2018 at 6:06 pm

It was good to see the sample sketch. This is what I have started to do but lacked a sample to help me stay on track. I want to focus on the more recent generations that I knew or heard the stories about so that family members of the next generations can have an opportunity to connect. Some of those stories may take more than the sample, but I wanted a guide Thank you for sharing!

June 30, 2018 at 6:30 pm

July 1, 2018 at 4:34 am

That was an interesting blog (as usual) and a nicely written sketch. However, I would suggest that the sketch “buried the lead,” as newspaper folks would say. I like to start my stories with the item that will grab the attention of the reader, something like: Petra Lozamantes (roughly translated as “child of the lovers”) apparently was.

Of course, my style isn’t intended for a genealogical journal, but rather to inform my extended family.

Regardless of whether you like this style or not, here’s a way to get feedback from your family members. Form a family group on Facebook, and periodically publish a story there. The number of “Likes” will advise you whether you’ve succeeded in getting their attention.

July 15, 2018 at 9:31 pm

Am I missing something? These bios don’t appear as being unique to the individual. Don’t really tell us what made them ‘tic.’ They appear as an obituary but don’t tell us what they were like. Did they hate the local paper, did they read the paper on the back porch in their pj’s? How do you find an interesting anecdote about someone who never had a story about them placed in a newspaper?

I’ve written anecdotes of relatives I knew but, what do I do for someone I’ve never met?

I hope I’ve phrased the question without offending anyone – didn’t mean to. I’m just curious.

July 16, 2018 at 6:33 am

Don, as I understand it, these biographical sketches are an alternative way to present sourced data gathered in the research process, as opposed to anecdotes. Creating anecdotal stories about ancestors I think would require a different standard for genealogical proof. They’re a different animal.

Your question about finding interesting anecdotes about people who weren’t in the newspaper is a good one. That’s where oral histories come in, I think. For me, oral histories aren’t especially reliable, since they’re often based on the recollections of an elderly person, or on family lore, but they do provide more colorful stories. You might consider searching local or genealogical libraries for family histories of your family that might provide those kinds of stories.

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Biography Online

Biography Mother Teresa

“It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.”

– Mother Teresa. From: No Greater Love

Short Biography of Mother Teresa

On her arrival in India, she began by working as a teacher; however, the widespread poverty of Calcutta made a deep impression on her, and this led to her starting a new order called “The Missionaries of Charity”. The primary objective of this mission was to look after people, who nobody else was prepared to look after. Mother Teresa felt that serving others was a fundamental principle of the teachings of Jesus Christ. She often mentioned the saying of Jesus,

“Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.”

As Mother Teresa said herself:

“Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service .” – Mother Teresa

In 1952, she opened her first home for the dying, which allowed people to die with dignity. Mother Teresa often spent time with those who were dying. Some have criticised the lack of proper medical attention, and their refusal to give painkillers. Others say that it afforded many neglected people the opportunity to die knowing that someone cared.

Her work spread around the world. By 2013, there were 700 missions operating in over 130 countries. The scope of their work also expanded to include orphanages and hospices for those with terminal illnesses.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

—- Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa never sought to convert those of another faith. Those in her hospices were given the religious rites appropriate to their faith. However, she had a very firm Catholic faith and took a strict line on abortion, the death penalty and divorce – even if her position was unpopular. Her whole life was influenced by her faith and religion, even though at times she confessed she didn’t feel the presence of God.

The Missionaries of Charity now has branches throughout the world including branches in the developed world where they work with the homeless and people affected by AIDS. In 1965, the organisation became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI.

In the 1960s, the life of Mother Teresa was brought to a wider public attention by Malcolm Muggeridge who wrote a book and produced a documentary called “ Something Beautiful for God ”.

In later years, she was more active in western developed countries. She commented that though the West was materially prosperous, there was often a spiritual poverty.

“The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.”

-— Mother Teresa

When she was asked how to promote world peace, she replied,”Go home and love your family”.

Over the last two decades of her life, Mother Teresa suffered various health problems, but nothing could dissuade her from fulfilling her mission of serving the poor and needy. Until her very last illness she was active in travelling around the world to the different branches of The Missionaries of Charity. During her last few years, she met Princess Diana in the Bronx, New York. The two died within a week of each other.

Following Mother Teresa’s death, the Vatican began the process of beatification, which is the second step on the way to canonization and sainthood. Mother Teresa was formally beatified in October 2003 by Pope John Paul II . In September 2015, Pope Francis declared:

“Mother Teresa, in all aspects of her life, was a generous dispenser of divine mercy, making herself available for everyone through her welcome and defense of human life, those unborn and those abandoned and discarded,” “She bowed down before those who were spent, left to die on the side of the road, seeing in them their God-given dignity. She made her voice heard before the powers of this world, so that they might recognize their guilt for the crime of poverty they created.”

Mother Teresa was a living saint who offered a great example and inspiration to the world.

Awards given to Mother Teresa

• The first Pope John XXIII Peace Prize. (1971)
• Kennedy Prize (1971)
• The Nehru Prize –“for the promotion of international peace and understanding”(1972)
• Albert Schweitzer International Prize (1975),
• The Nobel Peace Prize (1979)
• States Presidential Medal of Freedom (1985)
• Congressional Gold Medal (1994)
• U Thant Peace Award 1994
• Honorary citizenship of the United States (November 16, 1996),

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “ Biography of Mother Teresa ”, Oxford, UK.  www.biographyonline.net , 18th May 2006. (Updated September 2016)

Mother Teresa Biography

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Book Marketing & Publishing Tips

Writing Your Author Bio? Here Are 20 Great Examples. (Plus a Checklist!)

October 15, 2020 by Diana Urban

Writing your author bio can be a daunting task, but a well-crafted bio can help readers learn more about what makes you and your books so interesting. You should regularly maintain your bio on places like your BookBub Author Profile so fans and potential readers seeking you out can learn more about you and why they should pick up your latest book.

Stuck on what to include? While there is no one-size-fits-all formula, here are some examples of author bios we love so you can get some inspiration when crafting your own bio. We’ve also created an Author Biography Checklist with recommendations on what to include, as well as where to keep your author bio up to date online.

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1. Ramona Emerson

Ramona Emerson is a Diné writer and filmmaker originally from Tohatchi, New Mexico. She has a bachelor’s in Media Arts from the University of New Mexico and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts. After starting in forensic videography, she embarked upon a career as a photographer, writer, and editor. She is an Emmy nominee, a Sundance Native Lab Fellow, a Time-Warner Storyteller Fellow, a Tribeca All-Access Grantee and a WGBH Producer Fellow. In 2020, Emerson was appointed to the Governor’s Council on Film and Media Industries for the State of New Mexico. She currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she and her husband, the producer Kelly Byars, run their production company Reel Indian Pictures. Shutter is her first novel.

Why we love it: Ramona makes a splash as a new author by detailing her extensive experience in both writing and filmmaking. Her background makes an effective setup for her debut novel about a forensic photographer.

2. Courtney Milan

Courtney Milan writes books about carriages, corsets, and smartwatches. Her books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly , Library Journal , and Booklist . She is a New York Times and a USA Today Bestseller. Courtney pens a weekly newsletter about tea, books, and basically anything and everything else. Sign up for it here: https://bit.ly/CourtneysTea Before she started writing romance, Courtney got a graduate degree in theoretical physical chemistry from UC Berkeley. After that, just to shake things up, she went to law school at the University of Michigan and graduated summa cum laude. Then she did a handful of clerkships. She was a law professor for a while. She now writes full-time. Courtney is represented by Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency.

Why we love it: Courtney concisely leads with her accolades and bestseller status before diving into more personal information with a witty tone. She also includes a call-to-action for readers to sign up to Weekly Tea, one of her mailing lists.

3. Adam Silvera

Adam Silvera is the number one New York Times bestselling author of More Happy Than Not , History Is All You Left Me , They Both Die at the End , Infinity Son , Infinity Reaper , and—with Becky Albertalli— What If It’s Us . He was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start for his debut. Adam was born and raised in the Bronx. He was a bookseller before shifting to children’s publishing and has worked at a literary development company and a creative writing website for teens and as a book reviewer of children’s and young adult novels. He is tall for no reason and lives in Los Angeles. Visit him online at www.adamsilvera.com .

Why we love it: Adam begins his bio with his bestseller accolades and a list of his popular titles. But we especially love how he also includes his previous experience in children’s literature. It’s a fantastic way an author can craft a unique and credible bio using information besides accolades or bestseller status.

4. Farrah Rochon

USA Today Bestselling author Farrah Rochon hails from a small town just west of New Orleans. She has garnered much acclaim for her Crescent City-set Holmes Brothers series and her Moments in Maplesville small town series. Farrah is a two-time finalist for the prestigious RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America and has been nominated for an RT BOOKReviews Reviewers Choice Award. In 2015, she received the Emma Award for Author of the Year. When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading, cooking, traveling the world, visiting Walt Disney World, and catching her favorite Broadway shows. An admitted sports fanatic, she feeds her addiction to football by watching New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons. Keep in touch with Farrah via the web: Website: https://www.farrahrochon.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/farrahrochonauthor Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FarrahRochon Instagram: https://instagram.com/farrahrochon/ Newsletter: http://bit.ly/2povjuZ Join my online Fan Club, the Rochonettes! https://www.facebook.com/groups/FarrahRochon/ Farrah’s Books In Order: The Holmes Brothers Deliver Me (Mar. 2007) Release Me (May 2008) Rescue Me (Jan. 2009) Chase Me (Jan. 2017) Trust Me (May 2017) Awaken Me (Jan. 2018) Cherish Me (Jun. 2018) Return To Me (Aug. 2019) New York Sabers Huddle With Me Tonight (Sept. 2010) I’ll Catch You (Mar. 2011) Field of Pleasure (Sept. 2011) Pleasure Rush (Mar. 2012) Bayou Dreams A Forever Kind of Love (Aug. 2012) Always and Forever (Jan. 2013) Yours Forever (Mar. 2014) Forever’s Promise (Apr. 2014) Forever With You (Feb. 2015) Stay With Me Forever (Aug. 2015) Moments in Maplesville A Perfect Holiday Fling (Nov. 2012) A Little Bit Naughty (Mar. 2013) Just A Little Taste (Jan. 2014) I Dare You! (Nov. 2014) All You Can Handle (June 2015) Any Way You Want It (Feb. 2016) Any Time You Need Me (June 2016) Standalones In Her Wildest Dreams (Jan. 2012) The Rebound Guy (July 2012) Delectable Desire (Apr. 2013) Runaway Attraction (Nov. 2013) A Mistletoe Affari (Nov. 2014) Passion’s Song (Feb. 2016) Mr. Right Next Door (Sept. 2016) Anthologies A Change of Heart (The Holiday Inn Anthology – Sept. 2008) No Ordinary Gift (Holiday Brides Anthology – Oct. 2009) Holiday Spice (Holiday Temptation Anthology – Sept. 2016) Christmas Kisses (Reissue–Contains Tuscan Nights and Second-Chance Christmas previously published by Harlequin Kimani

Why we love it: Farrah packs a lot of information into that first paragraph, elegantly describing the awards she’s received and has been nominated for. We also love how she makes it easy for readers to find her on whichever social media platform they prefer and to discover which book to start with for each series.

5. Angie Fox

New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox writes sweet, fun, action-packed mysteries. Her characters are clever and fearless, but in real life, Angie is afraid of basements, bees, and going up stairs when it is dark behind her. Let’s face it. Angie wouldn’t last five minutes in one of her books. Angie is best known for her Southern Ghost Hunter mysteries and for her Accidental Demon Slayer books. Visit her at www.angiefox.com

Why we love it: We love how Angie distinguishes herself from her characters, making herself relatable to readers. She also mentions her bestseller status and best-known works in a humble way.

6. Tiffany D. Jackson

Tiffany D. Jackson is the critically acclaimed author of Allegedly , Monday’s Not Coming , and Let Me Hear a Rhyme . A Walter Dean Myers Honor Book and Coretta Scott King–John Steptoe New Talent Award winner, she received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University, earned her master of arts in media studies from the New School, and has over a decade in TV and film experience. The Brooklyn native still resides in the borough she loves. You can visit her at www.writeinbk.com .

Why we love it: This is an excellent example of a short, concise bio — a perfect snippet for journalists, bloggers, or event coordinators who need to grab Tiffany’s bio for their article or programming.

7. Kwame Alexander

Kwame Alexander is the New York Times Bestselling author of 32 books, including The Undefeated ; How to Read a Book ; Solo ; Swing ; Rebound , which was shortlisted for prestigious Carnegie Medal; and his Newbery medal-winning middle grade novel, The Crossover . He’s also the founding editor of Versify, an imprint that aims to Change the World One Word at a Time. Visit him at KwameAlexander.com

Why we love it: We adore how Kwame calls out his aim to “change the world one word at a time” along with a handful of his best-known books. Short and sweet!

8. Glynnis Campbell

For deals, steals, and new releases from Glynnis, click FOLLOW on this BookBub page! Glynnis Campbell is a USA Today bestselling author of over two dozen swashbuckling action-adventure historical romances, mostly set in Scotland, and a charter member of The Jewels of Historical Romance — 12 internationally beloved authors. She’s the wife of a rock star and the mother of two young adults, but she’s also been a ballerina, a typographer, a film composer, a piano player, a singer in an all-girl rock band, and a voice in those violent video games you won’t let your kids play. Doing her best writing on cruise ships, in Scottish castles, on her husband’s tour bus, and at home in her sunny southern California garden, Glynnis loves to play medieval matchmaker… transporting readers to a place where the bold heroes have endearing flaws, the women are stronger than they look, the land is lush and untamed, and chivalry is alive and well! Want a FREE BOOK? Sign up for her newsletter at https://www.glynnis.net Tag along on her latest adventures here: Website: https://www.glynnis.net Facebook: bit.ly/GCReadersClan Goodreads: bit.ly/GlynnisGoodreads Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/GlynnisCampbell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/GlynnisCampbell Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/GlynnisCampbell BOOK LIST: The Warrior Maids of Rivenloch: THE SHIPWRECK A YULETIDE KISS LADY DANGER CAPTIVE HEART KNIGHT’S PRIZE The Warrior Daughters of Rivenloch: THE STORMING A RIVENLOCH CHRISTMAS BRIDE OF FIRE BRIDE OF ICE BRIDE OF MIST The Knights of de Ware: THE HANDFASTING MY CHAMPION MY WARRIOR MY HERO Medieval Outlaws: THE REIVER DANGER’S KISS PASSION’S EXILE DESIRE’S RANSOM Scottish Lasses: THE OUTCAST MacFARLAND’S LASS MacADAM’S LASS MacKENZIE’S LASS California Legends: THE STOWAWAY NATIVE GOLD NATIVE WOLF NATIVE HAWK

Why we love it: Like other authors, Glynnis leads with her bestseller status, but not before making sure readers know to follow her on BookBub! We like how her personality shines through in her all-caps calls to action and that she includes the characteristics of her books in a fun way so readers will know what to expect from her work.

9. Laurelin Paige

Laurelin Paige is the NY Times , Wall Street Journal , and USA Today bestselling author of the Fixed Trilogy . She’s a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching edgy black comedy on Netflix or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She’s also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn’t do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio. You can connect with Laurelin on Facebook at facebook.com/LaurelinPaige or on twitter @laurelinpaige. You can also visit her website, laurelinpaige.com , to sign up for emails about new releases. Subscribers also receive a free book from a different bestselling author every month.

Why we love it: We love Laurelin’s bio because she lets her fun personality shine through! She also includes information about a monthly giveaway she runs through her mailing list, which is enticing and unique.

10. Mia Sosa

Mia Sosa is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance and romantic comedies. Her books have received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly , Kirkus Reviews , Booklist , and Library Journal , and have been praised by Cosmopolitan , The Washington Post , Buzzfeed , Entertainment Weekly , and more. Book Riot included her debut, Unbuttoning the CEO , in its list of 100 Must-Read Romantic Comedies, and Booklist recently called her “the new go-to author for fans of sassy and sexy contemporary romances.” A former First Amendment and media lawyer, Mia practiced for more than a decade before trading her suits for loungewear (okay, okay, they’re sweatpants). Now she strives to write fun and flirty stories about imperfect characters finding their perfect match. Mia lives in Maryland with her husband, their two daughters, and an adorable dog that rules them all. For more information about Mia and her books, visit www.miasosa.com .

Why we love it: This is such a well-constructed bio, with a paragraph for each (1) listing accolades and praise from trade reviews, (2) including a blurb about Mia’s overall author brand, (3) describing her previous work experience and how she became an author, and (4) sharing personal information and directing readers to where they could learn more.

11. Aiden Thomas

Aiden Thomas is a trans, Latinx, New York Times Bestselling Author with an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Originally from Oakland, California, they now make their home in Portland, OR. Aiden is notorious for not being able to guess the endings of books and movies, and organizes their bookshelves by color. Their books include Cemetery Boys and Lost in the Never Woods .

Why we love it: A well-known advocate of diverse books, Aiden leads with their identity markers to connect right away with readers of similar identities. The rest of their concise bio fits information about their bestseller status, education, location, personality, and popular titles into just a few short sentences!

12. Wayne Stinnett

Wayne Stinnett is an American novelist and Veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Between those careers, he’s worked as a deckhand, commercial fisherman, divemaster, taxi driver, construction manager, and over the road truck driver, among many other things. He now lives on a sea island, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, with his wife and youngest daughter. They also have three grown children, five grand children, three dogs and a whole flock of parakeets. Stinnett grew up in Melbourne, Florida and has also lived in the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and Cozumel, Mexico. His next dream is to one day visit and dive Cuba.

Why we love it: What better way to introduce an author of novels about travel, seafaring, and military adventures than to share his first-hand experiences! By weaving in relevant professional background and a glimpse of his home life by the sea, Wayne demonstrates deep knowledge of his subjects to his readers, as well as connecting with them on a personal level by describing his family and goals for the future.

13. June Hur

June Hur was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto. She began writing her debut novel after obsessing over books about Joseon Korea. When she’s not writing, she can be found wandering through nature or journaling at a coffee shop. June is the bestselling author of The Silence of Bones , The Forest of Stolen Girls , and The Red Palace , and currently lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.

Why we love it: We love how June includes her background and what inspired her writing. Sharing a story’s origins is a wonderful way to meaningfully connect with readers.

14. Claire Delacroix

Bestselling author Claire Delacroix published her first medieval romance in 1993. Since then, she has published over seventy romance novels and numerous novellas, including time travel romances, contemporary romances and paranormal romances. The Beauty , part of her successful Bride Quest series, was her first book to land on the New York Times list of bestselling books. Claire has written under the name Claire Cross and continues to write as Deborah Cooke as well as Claire Delacroix. Claire makes her home in Canada with her family, a large undisciplined garden and a growing number of incomplete knitting projects. Sign up for Claire’s monthly medieval romance newsletter at: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/622ca9849b7136a9e313df83 Visit Claire’s website to find out more about her books at http://delacroix.net

Why we love it: While Claire has an extensive backlist, she succinctly describes her publishing success and subgenres. She also includes all of her pen names so readers can easily find her, no matter which name they’re looking for.

15. Vanessa Riley

Vanessa Riley writes Historical Fiction and Historical Romance (Georgian, Regency, & Victorian) featuring hidden histories, dazzling multi-culture communities, and strong sisterhoods. She promises to pull heart strings, offer a few laughs, and share tidbits of tantalizing history. This Southern, Irish, Trini (West Indies) girl holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering and a MS in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University. She also earned a BS and MS in mechanical engineering from Penn State University. Yet, her love of history and lattes have overwhelmed her passion for math, leading to the publication of over 20+ titles. She loves writing on her southern porch with proper caffeine.

Why we love it: Vanessa launches into her bio by sharing the specific time periods she writes in, as well as the diverse characters and emotions her readers can look forward to, appealing directly to her ideal audience . She then shares a bit of personal info, leaving readers with an image of her in her element: writing on a porch while sipping tea.

16. April White

April White has been a film producer, private investigator, bouncer, teacher and screenwriter. She has climbed in the Himalayas, survived a shipwreck, and lived on a gold mine in the Yukon. She and her husband share their home in Southern California with two extraordinary boys and a lifetime collection of books. Her first novel, Marking Time , is the 2016 winner of the Library Journal Indie E-Book Award for YA Literature, and her contemporary romantic suspense, Code of Conduct , was a Next Generation Indie Award and RONE Award Finalist. All five books in the Immortal Descendants series are on the Amazon Top 100 lists in Time Travel Romance and Historical Fantasy. More information and her blog can be found at www.aprilwhitebooks.com .

Why we love it: April’s bio is short and sweet, but is packed with interesting information. She was a private investigator and survived a shipwreck? How can you not want to learn more about this author? She also elegantly includes her books’ status and subgenre in the last paragraph, along with a call-to-action for readers to learn more.

17. Julia Quinn

#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don’t read (or write) romance, and if you watch reruns of the game show The Weakest Link you might just catch her winning the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British and literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and knew that there was a Da Vinci long before there was a code. On December 25, 2020, Netflix premiered Bridgerton , based on her popular series of novels about the Bridgerton family. Find her on the web at www.juliaquinn.com .

Why we love it: Julia takes a unique approach, making her bio more voicey and focused on her interests. Yet she keeps it up to date, including her latest news in the last sentence (above the call-to-action).

18. Rick Mofina

USA Today bestselling author Rick Mofina is a former journalist who has interviewed murderers on death row, flown over L.A. with the LAPD and patrolled with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police near the Arctic. He’s also reported from the Caribbean, Africa and Kuwait’s border with Iraq. His books have been published in nearly 30 countries, including an illegal translation produced in Iran. His work has been praised by James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver, Sandra Brown, James Rollins, Brad Thor, Nick Stone, David Morrell, Allison Brennan, Heather Graham, Linwood Barclay, Peter Robinson, Håkan Nesser and Kay Hooper. The Crime Writers of Canada, The International Thriller Writers and The Private Eye Writers of America have listed his titles among the best in crime fiction. As a two-time winner of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award, a four-time Thriller Award finalist and a two-time Shamus Award finalist, the Library Journal calls him, “One of the best thriller writers in the business.” Join Rick Mofina’s newsletter from his website and receive a free eBook! You can also find Rick Mofina’s new exclusive serialized thriller, The Dying Light , by subscribing to Radish Fiction com For more information please visit www.rickmofina.com https://www.facebook.com/rickmofina or follow Rick on Twitter @Rick Mofina

Why we love it: Including Rick’s first-hand experiences as a journalist lends him credibility in his genres of Crime Fiction and Thrillers. He also includes a list of well-known authors who have praised his work, and these endorsements may encourage those authors’ fans to give Rick a try. The free ebook offer effectively sweetens the deal!

19. J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A Word on Words . She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker. With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim, prestigious awards, been optioned for television, and has been published in 28 countries. J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Why we love it: This is a great example of a concise bio suitable for use in any blog or publication. J.T. keeps to just the essential ingredients of a professional author bio: accolades, genres, experience, and a bit of what she’s up to today for a personal touch.

20. James S.A. Corey

James S.A. Corey is the pen name for a collaboration between Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. James is Daniel’s middle name, Corey is Ty’s middle name, and S.A. are Daniel’s daughter’s initials. James’ current project is a series of science fiction novels called The Expanse Series. They are also the authors of Honor Among Thieves: Star Wars (Empire and Rebellion).

Why we love it: We love co-author bios that reveal how the duo came up with their pseudonym as a fun fact for readers! We also like that the reminder of this bio simply points readers straight to their buzziest works.

Want to share this post? Here are ready-made tweets:

Click to tweet: If you’re writing your author bio, these examples are so helpful! #writetip #pubtip http://bit.ly/1OSBcDO

Click to tweet: Make sure to keep your author bio updated! Here are some great bio examples, PLUS a printable checklist of what to include and where to keep it up to date. #amwriting http://bit.ly/1OSBcDO

This post was originally published on October 15 2015 and has been updated with new examples and a PDF checklist!

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How to Write a Professional Biosketch

A guide for people in university, health care, government, and nonprofit work..

Posted May 22, 2019 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

• What Is a Career
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As someone who reviews a lot of grant applications, conference submissions, and internship applications, I read a lot of “ biosketches ” (brief descriptions of professional identity ) from people at all career stages.

Unfortunately, many people do not put their best foot forward and sometimes don’t even seem to recognize their key professional strengths. Even distinguished senior professionals sometimes use very dated biosketches that do not communicate their status in the field.

Biosketches are yet another of the many “soft” professional skills that do not get taught in school, but are important for professional success. When you search the internet for guidance on writing a biosketch, the hits mostly take you to very business-oriented examples. Those are fine for corporate settings, but the culture in psychology and related human and social services is different. People who work in anything related to education , health, government, or social justice-oriented nonprofits need a biosketch that fits those professional cultures. If you work—or hope to work—in one of those settings, read on.

What Is a Professional Biosketch?

A biosketch (or sometimes shortened to just “bio”) is a one-paragraph description of your professional identity. It is generally no more than half a page long (single-spaced), and usually ranges from 50 to 300 words.

The main purpose of a professional biosketch is to identify the professional community to which you belong, and to briefly describe the steps you have taken to join that community. As you develop professionally, it also becomes important to describe the ways that your work has been recognized by your professional colleagues.

How Do Biosketches Compare to Other Professional Documents?

Professional biosketches are just one of several different types of personal descriptions that you might come across in human and social services: In addition to biosketches, there are also resumés , “ curriculum vitae ” (usually shortened to “cv”), and reflexivity statements (also called in positionality statements).

Biosketches are different from resumés or “ curriculum vitae ,” which are both more detailed descriptions of your work history and professional accomplishments, with dates and locations and other specifics. People in psychology and related fields say “cv” more than resumé, and cvs are usually much longer. My current cv, for example, is 22 pages long, and even at that length omits a lot of details from earlier in my career.

[Note: the National Institutes of Health has a short cv form that they also, unfortunately, call a biosketch, so you’ll sometimes hear people refer to an NIH biosketch. Those are four- to five-page versions of people’s full cvs. Although they look more like resumés or cvs, what they have in common with other biosketches is that they focus on highlights of your work, in this case those most relevant to the grant proposal. If you apply for federal grants, you can learn more about completing those here, including seeing a sample here .]

Reflexivity statements are also more detailed than biosketches, but focus on how your other personal, social, and historical characteristics can “situate” your work—exploring how your experiences growing up, or as a parent, or someone with a particular health history, for example, change the way you approach scientific questions. They are still work documents, unlike autobiographies, because the goal is to make you a better scholar or therapist.

When Do You Use Biosketches?

Some common places you will see biosketches:

1. Websites for universities, medical schools, government agencies, nonprofits, and other organizations. Most university departments have individual pages for each faculty member, and these often include biosketches. For other organizations, you’ll often see an “About Us” page that provides a brief description of key personnel.

2. Conference submissions and other presentations . If you are a student, researcher, or professional trainer, it is increasingly common that you will need to provide a brief biosketch as part of a conference or workshop submission. Many agencies that certify continuing education credits are now required to collect this information, to show that the people delivering the content have the appropriate education and training to do so.

More advanced professionals will also need a biosketch for such things as giving an invited speech or joining an advisory board. I have more than one version of my biosketch, adapted for whether the audience is more research-focused or provider-focused, and also versions for different topics I speak on. For example, sometimes I give talks that are more focused on resilience and other talks are more focused on violence or a specific type of violence, and I’ll adapt my biosketch to emphasize my experience that is most closely related to the topic I’m speaking on. You can see examples of a couple of different versions of my biosketch here and here . The first emphasizes my scientific credentials, the second my writing experience.

3. Grant applications . One of the most important parts of any grant proposal is the “why us” pitch , and there is always a section to describe the key personnel or team who will conduct the project. Each person will need a one-paragraph description of why they are well-suited for their role. This includes federal grants that also require the five-page biosketch form—you will still need to put a brief description of your credentials and why you are a good person to conduct this study in the text of the grant application (do it whether they explicitly ask for that or not).

What Goes in a Biosketch?

For most people, the biggest challenge in writing a biosketch is getting comfortable with what I call “the fine art of blowing your own horn.” I totally get that—my family’s roots are in rural Appalachia, where puttin’ on airs is just about the worst social crime you can commit. I still have to work at graciously accepting compliments—I don’t know if I will ever get over that ingrained discomfort. Nonetheless, the only way for people to find you and recognize that you’d be good for their job or conference or whatever is for you to tell them something about you. I have found that putting it in writing is easier than dealing with the same challenge in a face-to-face setting, so it can be good practice and can give you some lines you can use in interviews or similar situations.

Opening. The opening should introduce you and situate you professionally, by giving your name, degree(s), and current institutional affiliation. Stick to your main affiliations, but it is OK to list more than one (I do). Usually the wording is in the third person. For example (hypothetical made up example), “Maria Vasquez, M.A., is a graduate student in clinical psychology at Awesome University.”

Where You Fit in the Professional Universe. The next couple of sentences should identify your main areas of focus. If you are a senior person, you should communicate that experience. So for example, for me, I emphasize that the major focus of my work is on violence and that I have addressed this problem in multiple roles over the years (researcher, therapist, activist).

If you are a more junior person starting out, then it would be good to get a little more specific about the nature of your interests. For example, “My research interests focus on the impact of childhood neglect on academic achievement.”

If you are a more senior person, then you should stop saying what your research interests are and start describing your research accomplishments. You might think that this seems obvious, but it is probably the single most common mistake I see in professional biosketches—that some distinguished person still sounds like they haven’t finished their first research project. A lot of people will use the convention of saying what they are “best known for,” such as “Dr. Brown is best known for his work in preventing adolescent substance abuse ” or “Dr. Han is best known for creating a school-based curriculum in social-emotional learning.” [Again these examples are made up.]

The first half of your biosketch is also a good place to note any accomplishments regarding these topics, especially if you were the first person to develop a program or pass a law or study an issue. If you are an experienced person, then it is good to say that you “have more than 10 years’ experience providing expert testimony” or “Dr. Brown has authored or co-authored more than 100 publications on substance abuse.”

Your Relationships With Professional Organizations. The second half of your biosketch is a good place to describe some of the ways that you have interacted with or been recognized by professional organizations.

The organizations you emphasize depends somewhat on the purpose of your biosketch (and probably one of the main places that it might make sense to have different versions for different purposes).

If you are applying for a grant or submitting to a research-oriented conference or, for whatever reason, trying to impress university professors or other people in academia.

In these cases, it is good to mention sources of grant (aka “external”) funding that you have received, especially for research. If you are a student or junior professional, these can include funded fellowships or assistantships as well as small grants from your own university. If you are mid-career or senior person, then it is best to emphasize larger research grants from Federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health or from large nonprofit foundations such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

This is also a good place to mention any awards.

People often ask me about how far to go back on awards, and a good rule of thumb is to go back no more than one role or career/developmental stage. So, for graduate school applications, yes, put down undergraduate accomplishments, but most high school accomplishments should roll off both your biosketch and your cv or resumé. Once you have a college degree, no one wants to know that you were president of the chess club in high school. The only exception would be if you have some extraordinary high school accomplishment, such as being an Olympic gymnast.

If you have a graduate degree and are looking for a professional position such as professor or therapist, then most of your undergraduate accomplishments should roll off both your biosketch and cv. Again, unless they are exceptional. For the rest of us, it’s better to emphasize your more recent accomplishments.

If you don’t have any awards (yet), this section can still be a good place to note professional affiliations, professional licenses, or involvement with national organizations, such as chairing a committee or something like that.

The last type of organization to consider is media organizations. When I am giving talks to audiences that more mostly practitioners, students, or members of the general public, I often mention some of the news outlets where my work has appeared. This can be a way to show that your work is the kind that “breaks through” and gets outside of the ivory tower.

However, this same approach may turn some reviewers off if you are submitting a grant or a conference proposal. Unfortunately, some academics are quite proud of the fact that no one outside academe reads their work and they look down their nose at efforts to communicate science to the general public. They are wrong, of course, but sometimes you have to play the game before you can change the game, so I’d add these references cautiously, especially if you are not sure of the audience.

Playing with the content or pushing the boundaries of how personal to get. More and more, I see people experimenting with the content of biosketches in much the same way that people have re-vamped obituaries so that they are more personal. I think this is a great movement and I support it when I can (you’ll see some of the biosketches from ResilienceCon are anything but stiff). I encourage people to try to push those boundaries so that there is a bit more of our full true selves in our professional personas. However, I personally also recommend a pragmatic approach. If you are working on your first Federal grant, that is probably not the time to play with the traditional format, because you risk looking uninformed instead of revolutionary.

With a little practice, we can all learn how to put our best foot forward.

You can see some examples of professional biosketches here and here . Some of my colleagues' biosketches are here . Click here for examples of biosketches for students and more junior professionals from ResilienceCon scholarship winners.

Sherry Hamby, Ph.D. , is a research professor of psychology at Sewanee, the University of the South.

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Lesson of The Day

Writing a Short Biography With Obituaries

In this lesson, we invite students to learn about obituary writing in The New York Times, and then write about someone who led an interesting life, using the format of an obituary.

By Erica Ackerberg

Lesson Overview

Featured Section: Obituaries

When the reporter Margalit Fox retired, she reflected on her career as an obituary writer at The New York Times: “Writing daily obits only reinforced what I had long suspected: It is the best beat in journalism. The reason is simple: In following their subjects from cradle to grave, obits are the most narrative genre in any daily paper. For a writer, there is little better than being paid to tell stories.”

Since 1851, hundreds of thousands of obituaries have appeared in The Times. In the most basic sense, an obituary is an announcement of someone’s death. But each one is also a life story: It highlights the impact a person had on the world and what made him or her special. Those you’ll see in the pages of The Times are usually of famous people, such as Hank Aaron or Betty White , but you’ll also find obituaries of lesser known, but otherwise newsworthy, people, like Betty King, who worked backstage at Carnegie Hall, and André Cassagnes , the inventor of the Etch A Sketch.

In this lesson, you will read some of the obituaries published in The New York Times to find out what they’re like, what kinds of information they typically include and how they are written. Then, you’ll research and write an obituary for someone who led an interesting life.

Curriculum Connections

Teachers, writing an obituary can help your students practice essential research, writing and storytelling skills. You can have them write obituaries for people they knew, notable figures or anyone else whose life story is worth knowing. Here are a few ideas for different subject areas:

An English teacher might have students write an obituary for a character from a shared class text to better understand who that person was, what was important to him or her and what effect he or she had on others in the book. Students could also write obituaries for authors or other important people from your curriculum.

A social studies teacher could do the same with a historical figure. A math or science teacher might pick an influential person from a field of study students are learning about.

Health or advisory teachers could use this lesson to talk about ways to remember and memorialize those who have died. They might engage students in discussion on how different cultures honor the dead.

Watch this trailer for a documentary about the Obituaries desk of The New York Times, and think about the following questions:

What does it mean that obituaries are a way “to make the dead live again”?

Does writing or reading about someone who has died feel depressing to you, or even creepy? Or, as with these obituary writers, do you find it intriguing?

Is there anyone whose life story you would like to tell? What made that person’s life special or meaningful?

Pick one of these obituaries to read. Or search through the Obituaries section to find one that interests you.

Questions for Writing and Discussion

Read the obituary you chose, and then answer the following questions:

1. What, if anything, did you know about this person before you read his or her obituary?

2. List some basic facts about the person: Where and when was he or she born? Who was in his or her family? What did this person accomplish in life? When and how did he or she die?

3. Why do you think The New York Times wrote an obituary about this person? What made this person newsworthy? How was his or her life special?

4. Was there anything about the person’s life that surprised you? What detail did you find most interesting? Why?

5. What, if anything, do you find inspirational about the person’s story?

6. Now, read the obituary as a writer. What do you admire about the way this piece was written? What is your favorite line, and why?

Going Further

Now, it’s your turn: Write an obituary for someone — perhaps someone you knew personally, a historical figure you are learning about in school, a character from a novel you are reading or anyone else whose life story you’d like to tell.

1. First, you’ll need to do research. You might read newspaper articles or biographies, watch or listen to interviews featuring your subject, or talk with the person’s family members or friends.

(If you’re speaking with someone whose loved one has recently died, remember to approach the conversation with compassion. When Neil Vigdor, a Times reporter, calls someone who has lost a family member or a friend, he starts by saying, “I’m deeply sorry to be reaching out under these circumstances.” Then he asks to hear more about the person who died.)

2. Next, you’ll need to identify the most basic facts of the person’s life and death. Here is part of a tip sheet from The Times’s Obituaries desk on the essential information every obituary should include:

Date of death Place of death Age at death Cause of death Full birth name, and place and date of birth Education Military service Marriages, to whom and when; and divorces, if there are any. Names of parents, siblings, spouse or companion and children. Numbers of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The more biographical background the obituary can give, the better. For example, how did they start their careers? Details like education and military service should be given when relevant or interesting. If possible, give the names and occupations of the subject’s parents, as well as his or her place and date of birth.

But you don’t want your obituary to just be a list of dry facts. Add what journalists call “color.” What made this person’s life interesting? In “ How to Write an Obituary, ” Malia Wollan interviews Victoria Chang, a poet who wrote obituary poems after her mother died, and gives examples of these kinds of details:

“Everyone is special and quirky, and I think the best obituaries capture the essence of those qualities about each of us,” Chang says. What things did she collect? What did she love to eat? What brought her joy?

3. Finally, it’s time to write. The format of an obituary is often uniform. Ms. Wollan describes it this way:

An obituary tends to have three distinct parts: the beginning (name, age, date of death, cause of death [if possible to include], work, education); the middle (anecdotes that celebrate the person’s life); and the end (so-and-so is survived by, which Chang calls “a very efficient way of saying who’s grieving.”)

Also, consider the tone you want your obituary to have. Ms. Wollan continues:

An obituary is for the living, but you should consider the sensibilities of the deceased. How would the person want to be remembered? “Imagine what they would write about themselves,” Chang says. It’s OK to be funny. “There’s a lot of humor and oddity, strange tensions and funny stuff about people and the things they do together,” Chang says.

And if you want to get creative, instead of writing a traditional obituary, make a slide show of the person’s life with photos and text , put together a mixed media collage or write an obituary poem, as Ms. Chang did for her mother. Share what you make with your class.

If you want to learn more about obituaries in The New York Times, the documentary “ Obit ” is available on Amazon Prime. You can also listen to this interview on NPR with two obituary writers from The New York Times.

Want more Lessons of the Day? You can find them all here .