A new year is upon us. Do you want to get started on a family history book or website project, but don’t have the right idea yet? Here are some alternatives to what we usually imagine a family history looks like.
An anthology of short stories
Maybe you don’t have enough material for a book, but how about compiling some short stories from your family history? Or bedtime stories that could help children learn about the elders and ancestors in their family? Or even a novella about a particular event? A family history doesn’t always have to span countries and generations. What matters is that it matters enough to you to pass on. Start simple, get fancy later.
A cookbook peppered with tales
Collecting family recipes and favourite dishes can be such a meaningful practice in itself, but it can be enhanced by including stories about the dishes, the occasions and the people involved in making and feasting on them. A wholesome book indeed! As an example, have a look at my Cooking from Memory project. It might inspire you to get started.
A collection of letters and journals
What better way to learn about our family and ancestors than through their reflections and correspondences? With permission, of course. Letters and journals provide meaningful insights into the daily lives and little details about people we may know only in a certain way. There is probably nothing more intimate. You could include all the letters or entries chronologically, or intervene as an editor to curate them. If you need a helping hand to transcribe handwritten pages, consider working with me.
A pocketbook of favourite verses
Do you have any poets in your family? Or perhaps lovers of poetry? A compilation of verses written or loved by various members of a family can be a beautiful keepsake to pass on through the generations. I can’t wait to collect my great-grandmother’s poems into a little volume! She not only wrote poetry, but also kept cut-outs of favourite poems from magazines and newspapers. In her chapbooks of poetry, she would dedicate lines to her loved ones, too.
A family photo book and anecdotes
Photographs can hold their own. If you’re more of a visual person and have some photographs of your family, perhaps a photo book with well-positioned and concise captions and anecdotes is the way to go! Everyone from children to adults will enjoy browsing through them, and they offer various levels of depth and engagement depending on what the reader is seeking.
Let’s work on your project together! We can collaborate on outlining and ideating, writing, editing or transcription.
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Kriti Bajaj 
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