The National Association of Memoir Writers was founded in 2007 by Linda Joy Myers, a therapist and award-winning memoirist who recognized a growing need for dedicated support within the memoir writing community. What began as a modest gathering of writers drawn to the art of personal narrative has since grown into one of the most respected organizations in the field.
NAMW operates primarily as an online community, offering its members access to teleseminars, webinars, expert interviews, and an extensive library of craft-focused resources. Central to NAMW’s mission is the belief that every life holds a story worth telling. NAMW has hosted hundreds of events featuring prominent authors, editors, and publishing professionals, making industry knowledge accessible to writers at every stage of their journey.
For those navigating the often solitary work of memoir writing, NAMW offers a sense of community and belonging among others who understand that writing truthfully about one’s own life takes both courage and skill.
Memoir Nation was founded in 2025 by Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press, and Grant Faulkner, former executive director of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)—though its roots trace back to 2018, when the two began cohosting the widely followed podcast Write-minded, which was rebranded as Memoir Nation upon the community’s official launch.
The organization is equal parts movement, support group, educational center, and accountability engine. Rather than building a conventional writing organization, Memoir Nation is something more expansive: a platform where memoirists at every level can find the inspiration, structure, and emotional grounding needed to write and complete their life stories.
Central to Memoir Nation’s philosophy is the belief that memoir, at its best, is not merely a personal exercise but a public act—one capable of sparking broader conversations and even contributing to meaningful change. Warner and Faulkner bring to the organization deep and complementary expertise in publishing, community building, and the writing life, making Memoir Nation a well-credentialed home for anyone ready to find themselves in the story of their life.
Linda Joy Myers, PhD, MFT, is president and founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers. Her first memoir, Don’t Call Me Mother: A Daughter’s Journey from Abandonment to Forgiveness, was a finalist in the ForeWord Book of the Year Award and the IndieExcellence Awards, and a BAIPA Gold Medal award winner. Her latest memoir, Song of the Plains, was a finalist in the Best Book Awards. Author of The Power of Memoir—How to Write Your Healing Story, Journey of Memoir, and Becoming Whole, Linda Joy’s prize-winning fiction, nonfiction, and memoir pieces have been published in literary journals and online. She writes for the Huffington Post, and is co-author with Brooke Warner of Breaking Ground on Your Memoir. Linda Joy has been a therapist for 40 years, where the power of story is part of the healing process. A memoir coach for two decades, Linda Joy helps people dive deep into writing their truths while crafting a publishable story. Her monthly programs on NAMW offer writers tools about breaking silence, developing a powerful story, and finding the best publishing path.
Brooke Warner is publisher of She Writes Press and the cofounder and cohost of the Memoir Nation community and podcast (with Grant Faulkner). She writes the popular weekly Substack, Writerly Things, which focuses on publishing and memoir. Brooke has been in the publishing industry for 25 years, including nine years as Executive Editor of Seal Press. She’s guided hundreds of authors from idea to publication with her blend of upbeat encouragement and firm direction. Brooke brings to her coaching and teaching an understanding of the inner workings of a complicated industry, which she uses to steer her authors toward their publishing goals. Brooke’s weekly podcast is Memoir Nation and is ranked the #4 best podcast for writers by Feedspot. She’s also the author of Write On, Sisters!: Voice, Courage, and Claiming Your Place at the Table, Green-Light Your Book: How Writers Can Succeed in the New Publishing Era, What’s Your Book? A Step-by-Step Guide to Get You from Idea to Published Author, a project she completed in six months, and How to Sell Your Memoir: 12 Steps to a Perfect Book Proposal. Brooke is also the co-author with Linda Joy Myers of Breaking Ground on Your Memoir and Magic of Memoir.
