Book dedications in memory of someone
A dedication in memory of someone usually names the person, sometimes adds their years, and ends with one true detail about them. Below are examples from the simplest to the most personal. Choose one to see it on the page, or write your own.
By the Proselis team · Updated
Simple dedications in memory of someone
In memory of my father.
For Thomas, who should have been here to read this.
In memory of Thomas Hale, 1948–2021.
In memory of my mother, who taught me to love books.
For Grandpa Joe. Always.
Loving dedications in memory of someone
In loving memory of my father, Thomas Hale, who told the best stories I ever heard.
For my grandmother, who never saw this book finished but heard every chapter in my head.
In memory of Thomas Hale. I wrote the ending you always wanted.
In loving memory of my husband, Robert, who read the first page and made me promise to write the rest.
For my mother, who believed in this book long before I did.
Personal dedications in memory of someone
For Dad. I still hear you reading this out loud.
To my mother’s memory and to the garden she left us.
For Ellie, my best friend, who would have laughed at all the right parts.
For our son, Sam, who is in every chapter, even the ones he never got to see.
Dedications in memory of someone you lost recently
These suit a book finished soon after someone died.
For Grandma Rose, who held my hand while I wrote the last chapter and let go soon after.
In memory of my wife, Anna, who asked to hear the ending one more time. Here it is.
How do you write a dedication in memory of someone?
Start with “In memory of” or “In loving memory of,” and then add the name. Years are optional and add a quiet formality. If you add anything more, make it one detail that only they had, such as a saying, a habit, or the story they always told.
Can you dedicate a book to someone who died before it was finished?
Yes, and many authors do. A line such as “who never saw this finished” tells readers what the book meant to you without needing more explanation.
Where does the dedication go?
In a printed book, the dedication gets its own right-hand page after the copyright page, usually centered about a third of the way down. Some books share that page with the epigraph. In an ebook, it comes right after the copyright page.
How long should a dedication be?
Most are one or two lines. Anything longer usually belongs in the acknowledgments at the back, where you can thank everyone by name.
Questions
Should I include the years they lived?
Include them only if it feels right. Years make the dedication read like a memorial. Without them, it reads more like a letter.
Should I ask the family before dedicating a book to someone who died?
It’s a kind thing to do, especially if you use their full name. Most families are moved by a dedication, and asking first lets them prepare to see it in print.
Can I dedicate a book to more than one person?
Yes. Name them together, as in “For Maya and Leo,” or give each person a line. If the list grows past three or four names, move your thanks to the acknowledgments.
Do I have to include a dedication?
No. Many books have none. Leave it out if nobody comes to mind, because a forced dedication shows.
Should the dedication be in italics?
It’s common but not required. Most dedications are centered and set in italic or small type so they stand apart from the text.
Give your dedication its own page
Proselis has a dedication page ready in its Front Matter menu, so your dedication lands in the right place in your EPUB and print PDF. Writing is free. Publishing a book as an EPUB and a print-ready PDF is a one-time $20.