<figure><figcaption>(SIU Press / SIU Press)</figcaption></figure>

Journey back Inside The Blanket Fort as we celebrate National Memoir Writing Month, with the SIU Press series, Illinois Lives: Memoirs from the Prairie State.

Memoirs—the personal, evocative, true stories we tell—have the power to educate, enlighten, and entertain. In its continuous and longstanding goal to amplify diverse voices, for more than fifty years, SIU Press has published hundreds of memoirs and autobiographies. These books include the stories of a woman pioneer, a Chicago Heights mob member, people who escaped enslavement through the Underground Railroad in Illinois, Civil War soldiers, politicians, Black families, a Civil Rights worker, and many more.  
 
We are seeking to build on this strong foundation by publishing up to two new memoirs a year written by people who are from or in Illinois. We will also consider edited historical memoirs by people from Illinois and its surrounding states. New books will feature the voices of people who have traditionally been overlooked. We welcome a diversity of background, thought, style, and expression. You can send queries and book proposals to Executive Editor Sylvia Frank Rodrigue at acqeditor@siu.edu. 

This month on Inside the Blanket Fort, we’ll be exploring some of the titles already included in the Illinois Lives series.