Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical StudiesSpotlight Talks

A series of free genealogy and family history guest speaker online talks during 2024.

Join us on the 22nd of May for the second Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies Spotlight Talk featuring Dr Wanda Wyporska, FRHistS, an historian, RootsTech speaker and former CEO of the Society of Genealogists. 

In this talk Wanda will explore the intersections of history, family history and identities. Taking her own Anglo-Polish-Caribbean heritage and training as an historian as starting points, she will discuss the increasing relevance of DNA and the complexities and assumptions about the categorisation of identities, ethnicities and geographies. Wanda will also talk about the relevance of genealogy to current debates on so-called contested history and reparations.

Time will be available for Q&A.

Visit MyCLL to reserve your place. 

New to our online booking system 'MyCLL'?

As a first-time user, you will be asked to set up an account with username and password, and provide brief details to create a personal profile. Thereafter you will be able to select the SIGS Spotlight Talk.

Once you have set-up your account, follow the steps below to reserve your place. 

  1. Click the red 'enrol' button for the Spotlight Talk
  2. Click on the red 'add to my order' 
  3. Read and tick the 'standard university policies' section and 'proceed to checkout'
  4. 'Proceed to checkout' (again) and click 'enrol now'...that's you signed up.

We hope you can join us!

Learn more about Strathclyde Institute for Genealogical Studies

Talk 1 - Wednesday 24th of January 

The first talk in the series was held on Wednesday the 24th of January. Guest speaker Nathan Dylan Goodwin, a genealogist and author of the Forensic Genealogist fiction series (and other non-fiction and fiction books) discussed how he uses real genealogy and historical facts in his fictional writing. Using his genealogical crime mystery stories as case studies, he explored the issues and problems of combining fact and fiction and the use of authentic genealogical methodology.

Nathan will also shared some of the more interesting and less familiar records which he has used in the process of writing his books.