How Institutions Turn Human Lives into Documents
A person has a life; an institution has a file. Between them emerges a documentary biography: dates, statements, certificates, annotations and confirmations. The book explores what happens when lived experience is translated into an institution’s language.
The concept brings migration, professional recognition, trust and bureaucracy together. It attends to situations in which a person tries to explain a life while a system searches for the appropriate field in a form.
The intended form is public-interest writing with literary scenes, humor and irony. Work on the outline and opening chapters began in September 2026. The book is not yet published.
Questions explored in the book
- How does a life become a form and a file?
- Why can a detailed biography be less persuasive than a short certificate?
- What is lost in migration, translation and professional recognition?
- How is trust in a documentary version of a person established?
- How does artificial intelligence change the production of persuasive representations?
Publication & availability
There is currently no published edition, ISBN or verified purchase link. Publisher, format and purchase information will follow when an edition is prepared. Publication and collaboration inquiries can be sent to the author.
Documents and links
Purchase information will be added when the edition is ready.