Memoir is a Hugo blog theme that creates a clean, elegant, dark-mode-capable static site using Bulma CSS, with search, pagination, typewriter effects, Disqus comments, and Flickity carousels.
What is Memoir?
Memoir is a Hugo theme for building static blogs, adapted from Hugo Northeast by y1zhou and built on the Bulma CSS framework. It takes Markdown content from a Hugo site and renders a responsive HTML site with a light/dark mode toggle, built-in search, and pagination. The theme is maintained by tthseus and available on GitHub under the MIT license. A live demo is hosted at tthseus.github.io.
Key Features
- Responsive layout — The theme scales cleanly across screen sizes using the Bulma CSS framework.
- Light/Dark mode — Readers can switch between a light and a dark color scheme.
- Search function — A site search feature lets visitors find posts by keyword.
- Pagination — Blog listings are split into pages for easier navigation.
- Typewriter effect — An animated typewriter effect is included for displaying text in a dynamic way.
- Transparent navigation bar — The nav bar is transparent and draws inspiration from Apple Newsroom.
- Disqus comments — Posts can use Disqus to display reader comments.
- Flickity carousels — Image and content carousels are powered by the Flickity library.
Who is it for?
Memoir suits Hugo users who want a simple, readable blog design without a heavy dependency tree. Bloggers who post regularly benefit from the built-in search and pagination for growing archives. Developers who like Bulma can override the theme's SCSS variables to create a custom look. Writers who value reader interaction can enable Disqus comments per post.
What can you do with Memoir?
- Personal bloggers — Set up a minimal dark-mode blog with search and pagination by copying the exampleSite content into a new Hugo project.
- Developers — Customize the theme's Bulma CSS variables and components to match a personal brand or client project.
- Content creators — Use Flickity carousels to present image galleries or media sliders within individual posts.
How does Memoir work?
Getting started follows the standard Hugo workflow: create a new site, add the theme as a Git submodule, copy the exampleSite config and content, then run the local server. The repository includes a config.toml and an exampleSite folder with sample content so the theme runs out of the box. The production build outputs a static public folder that can be hosted anywhere.
FAQ
Is Memoir free?
Yes, Memoir is licensed under the MIT license, so it is free to use, modify, and redistribute, even for commercial projects. The license file is included in the repository.
Does Memoir support dark mode?
Yes, Memoir includes a light/dark mode toggle that allows visitors to switch between themes. The dark mode is implemented through Bulma CSS and is one of the theme's headline features.
What is Memoir based on?
Memoir is an adaptation of the Hugo Northeast theme by y1zhou, and it uses Bulma CSS as the styling framework. It also integrates Flickity for carousels and Disqus for comments, and its navigation bar design is inspired by Apple Newsroom.
