Authors' Lives is one of National Life Stories' flagship projects, launched in 2007 with the aim of producing a comprehensive national collection of biographical interviews with the UK's writers. To date, 78 writers have recorded their life stories for the collection. Each in-depth interview documents the whole life story of each person and their writing process, capturing in the process a wide range of testimonies about the key figures in an authors' professional sphere such as writers, agents, editors and publishers; the role of professional and trade associations; changing readership and media trends; the role of book prizes; and the impact of the rise of new technologies on writing careers.

NLS is seeking an experienced interviewer with a background in oral history/interviewing and knowledge and understanding of the British literary scene to record five new life story oral history interviews for the collection over the next 12 months.

Oral history interviewees will be selected from a shortlist compiled by NLS, in conjunction with the NLS management team. NLS will provide mentorship in the life story methodology and any further training as required, but we expect candidates to have previous experience in conducting interviews with authors and/or literary world professionals.

NLS will fund 14 days' work per interview at £193.40 per day, plus expenses.

The successful candidate will be issued a contract with National Life Stories to conduct interview(s) on a self-employed basis as a contractor to National Life Stories. The successful candidate will take responsibility for their own tax and National Insurance contributions and will invoice each month in arrears for the time worked in that period. The interviewer does not need to be based in London, but will need to be prepared to make some trips to the British Library in St Pancras to attend progress meetings.