Our story
Almost every Muslim household in the UK has a cupboard, a shelf, or a box it doesn't like to think about. Inside are old copies of the Qur'an too worn to read. Prayer books inherited from a parent. Kids' madrasa workbooks. Torn pages that once sat on a bookstand. Nobody wants to throw them away — you can't, not in good conscience. But you also can't read them, gift them, or leave them on a loft floor forever.
We started BookBurial because we lived this ourselves. After losing a loved one, we were left with three boxes of religious books and no idea what to do with them. Driving to Gardens of Peace in East London was the only option we could find — and it meant a half-day round trip on a weekday, for anyone close enough to do it. Most people aren't.
What we do
BookBurial is a postal literature burial service, operating across the United Kingdom. You post us your books — at your own shipping cost — and we take care of everything from there:
- Each parcel is opened carefully, inventoried, and stored respectfully off the floor in a dedicated facility.
- Twice a year, we pool all received items and bury them at a partnered Muslim cemetery in a clean, private plot where no one will walk.
We charge a fair price — £7 per order plus £8 per kilo — which covers handling, the burial itself, the plot donation to our partner cemetery, and the administration around it. Bulk rates apply for mosques and schools.
Our commitment
We treat every parcel as if it were our own family's. That means:
- Nothing is opened casually. Contents are checked only to confirm what we've received and to shroud them for burial.
- Nothing is discarded. We only bury paper-based religious literature. Any non-paper items that arrive (CDs, ornaments, tasbih, prayer mats, electronics) are set aside and returned to you at cost — never thrown away without your instruction.
- Nothing is commercialised. Contents are never sold, photographed, or shared.
Who we partner with
We work with established UK Muslim cemeteries, masjid burial trusts, and other organisations that specialise in this kind of work. We don't name them publicly out of respect for their privacy and to avoid implying an institutional endorsement that they haven't given — but we welcome direct questions from families or scholars who'd like to verify.
Get in touch
If you have a question we haven't answered, contact us directly or read our FAQ.