THE TABOO LIBRARY
TABOO OF GHOST WRITING
GRAFFS GHOSTWRITING
Carsten Graff has written several bestsellers and has received the Danish Writers' Association's award for the most innovative non-fiction book of the year. He writes in Danish and English and has published more than twenty books, including biographies, philosophy, satire, children's books, and novels. Several have appeared on bestseller lists in Denmark and Russia. Together, they have been printed in approximately 500,000 copies.
Who wrote the book?
If another person can express your thoughts better than you can yourself, who is the real author? Is it the person whose name is on the cover, or the person who writes the sentences? Throughout history, many autobiographies have been collaborative projects, yet we continue to romanticize the idea of the solitary author. Ghostwriting raises uncomfortable questions about creativity, identity, authenticity, and ego.
BECOMING ANOTHER PERSON
When I write a biography, I do not merely interview a person and put their words on paper. I immerse myself in their memories, emotions, and way of thinking until I begin to write in their voice.
Most of my biographies are written in the first person. Although I write the words, the thoughts and experiences belong to the main character. Many clients have told me that I seem to understand what they think and feel even better than they do themselves. In this sense, ghostwriting becomes an intimate collaboration and a search for meaning rather than a technical writing exercise.
BOOKS AS THERAPY
For many people, writing a biography is not merely about publishing a book. It is a way of understanding their own lives.
I have worked with entrepreneurs, artists, billionaires, victims of crimes, and ordinary people. Some wanted to inspire others. Some wanted to preserve memories, and some wanted to tell their own version of their story to the public. In most cases, the writing process itself became therapeutic. By giving shape to memories and experiences, the people I have portrayed discovered meanings and connections they had never seen before.
BOOKS AS MARKETING
Books can also serve as powerful marketing tools. I authored the text for the renowned Geranium restaurant and wrote the memoir of Jesper “Kasi” Nielsen. Jesper’s book was translated into six languages, with nearly 150,000 hardcover copies distributed to jewelry stores across Europe and the United States. This initiative played a key role in delivering an exceptionally successful launch for one of Jesper’s new startups.
A FINAL LETTER
Not all books are intended for the public. A Danish billionaire once asked me to write his life story, detailing the painful truth of how his pursuit of wealth damaged his family life and his relationships with his children. We titled the book "The Price of Money" and printed one copy. The book is currently in his bedside drawer and will be available to his family after his death.
