Donating your diaries might be an option if you have absolutely nobody to leave them to. I’ve written diaries since 1981 (I was born in 1965) and just lately I’ve been thinking it would be a bit of a shame to just let the council chuck them out when my body is discovered two years after my death. If you’re like me, someone who lives quietly, privately, perhaps even reclusively with no next of kin, the idea of your diaries ending up in the wrong hands or being wasted can feel bad. That’s where donating your diaries might make sense.
Who Would Even Want Them?
You might be surprised. Diaries are rich, intimate sources of lived history, especially when they come from ordinary people. The everyday thoughts of someone who lived through major (or minor) moments are invaluable to archivists, researchers, and future generations. Donating your diaries ensures your words don’t vanish into a skip with the rest of your belongings.
There are organisations in the UK actively looking to preserve personal writings. A couple worth considering:
The Great Diary Project – Based at the Bishopsgate Institute in London, this project collects and preserves unpublished diaries from people of all walks of life. It’s a safe and thoughtful place for donating your diaries.
The Mass Observation Archive – Originally set up to record everyday life in Britain, this archive welcomes contributions from regular people, especially those documenting daily experiences.
Local History Centres & Archives – If your writing touches on the places you’ve lived, your local archive might be interested in housing your collection. Think of donating your diaries as a personal contribution to regional history.
And What If I Don’t Want My Family Reading Them?
Fair question. If you’re estranged from family, or simply don’t want relatives stumbling across your innermost thoughts, donating your diaries allows you to control where they go and how they’re accessed. Some archives allow you to set access restrictions for years after your death – so your secrets can stay secret, at least for a while.
Planning Ahead
If you live alone and have no next of kin, you might be wondering: Who would even know to carry out my wishes? It’s worth putting together a basic will or legacy document that states your intentions clearly.
Include diary donation instructions in your will. You don’t need a complicated legal document – just a clear plan that someone trustworthy knows about.
Let a solicitor or trusted friend know your wishes. If you’re a loner (like many of us are), make sure someone knows you’re interested in donating your diaries so they can contact the right organisation.
Label your diaries. A simple note on the inside cover, like “These diaries are intended for donation to [Archive Name],” can help guide people even if they discover your writing after the fact.
Why Bother?
Because what you’ve written might matter. The quiet observations, the offhand jokes, the weird dreams, the emotional spirals might be of interest.
Donating your diaries isn’t about vanity or ego, I don’t think; it’s about acknowledging that even a private life decades ago could be so interesting. I myself wouldn’t mind reading a diary by someone with mental health issues living in 1930’s London for example.
Looking back through my old diaries, it’s clear how Avoidant Personality Disorder took root in my life. The repeated experiences of rejection by father figures, combined with not knowing who my biological father was until my mid-30s, left a deep mark. I can see now how much I longed for male attention – craved it, really.
The pages are filled almost entirely with boys and men. There’s barely anything else. They read as manic, desperate for validation, and often painfully attention-seeking.
I’ve been thinking of labelling these diaries in a way that might be helpful to others – especially those curious about how AvPD can take shape over time. They might offer insight into the emotional patterns and longing that can lead someone to where I am now.
I was also involved in animal rights for a while and have some recognizable names in my diaries, so I might label those ones appropriately too.
In reality, I expect them to gather dust and eventually disintegrate – but you never know, do you? These institutions must think differently; otherwise, donating your diaries wouldn’t even be a thing.
Further Reading And Resources
The Great Diary Project – Based at the Bishopsgate Institute in London, this project collects and preserves unpublished diaries from people of all walks of life. It’s a safe and thoughtful place for donating your diaries.
The Mass Observation Archive – Originally set up to record everyday life in Britain, this archive welcomes contributions from regular people, especially those documenting daily experiences.
Local History Centres & Archives – If your writing touches on the places you’ve lived, your local archive might be interested in housing your collection. Think of donating your diaries as a personal contribution to regional history.