Researching and writing family history workshop

Family history can be a rich source of inspiration for your creative practice, but it can be difficult to know where to begin. My interactive workshop will inspire your community with new ideas, practical tips, and resources. I’ve designed the learning content to be adaptable to a range of settings, so let’s chat about what will work for your library or organisation.

Topics

  • Conducting family history research and helpful Australian archives

  • How to research marginalised communities

  • Worldbuilding and creative thinking

  • True crime and historical military research

  • Writing and publishing advice

Feedback

“Jonathan was great to work with. It was a very stress-free experience organising the workshop and the community members that attended all gave overwhelmingly positive feedback. Jonathan’s workshop was appropriate for people just starting out, and experienced family history researchers. All came away having learnt something new, with many saying they felt inspired. ”
— Glenn Greening,​​​​ Community Programming Librarian, Ballarat Central Library
“A wonderful series – I felt you were a very generous and considerate presenter, and your work on The Boy in the Dress was able to really illuminate the subject matter you presented.”
— Leeanne Surjadi, Library Community Engagement Coordinator, Vision Australia
“The writer Jonathan Butler is amazing. He was very friendly, knowledgeable and creative. I really enjoyed listening to him. Very inspirational. I also enjoyed listening to the other participants describing their interests and plans for writing. It was wonderful and of exceptional standard. ”
— Vision Australia/Writers Victoria Participant

Past hosts of this workshop

  • Ballarat Heritage Festival 2024

  • Writers Victoria & Vision Australia 2023

  • Sacredge Festival Queenscliff 2023

  • Townsville Festival of Stories 2022

  • Geelong Library & Heritage Centre (Q.Lit) 2022

  • Warrnambool Library (Q.Lit) 2022