ROOTS AND STORIES; Writing Your Family History
Date: Sunday, 6 December 2026
๐ฆ Time: 11:30 am โ 3:30 pm uk
๐ป Venue: Online via Zoom
๐๏ธ Registration Fee: ยฃ25
Every family has a story. Who will tell yours?
Who were your ancestors? What were their lives like? What stories, struggles and triumphs have been passed down through generations? And what might be lost if nobody takes the time to record them? The preservation of family history has a long-standing tradition in Islamic scholarship, with early Muslim scholars documenting genealogies and recording the lives and legacies of those who came before them.Join us for Roots and Stories, an engaging and practical seminar exploring how to research, organise and write your family history. Learn how to interview relatives, collect family stories, examine historical documents and photographs, and organise your findings into a coherent narrative. We will also explore how to develop your narrative voice and choose an appropriate tone and writing style to bring your family’s history to life. Whether you are beginning to explore your ancestry or have long wanted to put your family’s stories into writing, this seminar will offer practical guidance and insights to help you begin preserving your family’s legacy for future generations.
Your family’s past deserves to be remembered. Learn how to tell its story.
Registration and Payment
Seminar Fee: ยฃ25
To secure your place, please make payment by bank transfer using the following details.
Bank Details
Account Name: Islamic Literary Society
Sort Code: 30-90-90
Account Number: 40939668
Payment Reference: Roots and Stories โ [Your Full Name]
Please include Roots and Stories, followed by your full name, in the payment reference. This will help us identify and confirm your payment.
To register, please email info@islamicliterarysociety.com with your full name, and confirmation of payment. An email confirmation will be sent to you to confirm your registration.
Accessing the Seminar
The seminar will take place online via Zoom. The joining link will be sent to the email address provided by each attendee two days before the event, on Friday, 4 December 2026. Please ensure that you provide a valid email address when registering and check your inbox, including your junk or spam folder, for the joining instructions.
Seminar Rules and Guidelines
1. Recording and Confidentiality
Recording, photographing or otherwise capturing any part of the seminar is not permitted without the organiser’s prior permission. Please respect the privacy of the instructor and all participants.
2. Minimum Number of Participants
A minimum of four participants is required for the seminar to go ahead. If fewer than four people register, the seminar will be cancelled and all payments received will be refunded in full.
3. Use of Proceeds
All proceeds from the seminar will go towards supporting the activities of the Islamic Literary Society.
4. Islamic Etiquette and Respectful Participation
This is an interactive seminar, and participants are encouraged to contribute, ask questions and engage in discussion. Everyone is expected to treat the instructor and fellow participants with respect and to observe Islamic etiquette throughout the session. Please be considerate of differing perspectives and allow others the opportunity to contribute.
5. Prayer Breaks
If a prayer time falls during the seminar, a ten-minute break will be provided at an appropriate point, after which the session will resume. Participants are asked to return promptly so that the seminar can continue as scheduled.
6. Lunch Break
A 30-minute lunch break will be provided during the seminar.
7. Questions and Answers
Time will be allocated for questions and answers, allowing participants to seek clarification, share relevant reflections and engage further with the topics discussed.
By registering for the seminar, participants are expected to observe these guidelines to help ensure a respectful, productive and beneficial learning experience for everyone.
About the Instructor
The instructor holds a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree and has a keen interest in history, Islamic literature, poetry and literary writing. Having written a book on his own family history, he will draw on his personal experience of researching and documenting his family’s past. The presentation will focus on the approach he adopted when researching and writing his book, including the methods he used, the practical challenges he encountered and the lessons he learned throughout the process.
Please note: The instructor does not claim to be an expert in genealogy or family-history writing and does not hold a formal qualification in this specific field. The seminar is based on his personal research and practical experience of researching, collecting and documenting his own family history. It is intended to share practical insights and approaches drawn from that experience rather than provide formally accredited training or professional instruction. By registering for this seminar, you acknowledge and accept that the instructor will be sharing his personal experiences, methods and insights. You should not expect specialist expertise, professional advice or formally qualified instruction in genealogy or family-history writing.
