Academic Writing Retreats: Winter Writing & Collaborative Writing

FairerTales Winter Writing Retreat

In January 2017, produced the first FairerTales Winter Writing Retreat for Researchers (download brochure as a pdf). We set it up as a safe space, in which academic writers can develop their ideas, find peer-support, and take time for well-being practices. In a climate of creative, intellectual freedom, mutual support, wholesome meals, and structured well-being elements such as yoga, walks or sauna. the retreat supports researches to learn the practices of Liminal Thinking Capacity. The next retreat for 2018 is in preparation.

“The writing workshop was incredibly well thought through from start to finish. From the Polish castle by a frozen lake, to the roaring fires and a private drawing room, to the pool, sauna and ping pong table. Choosing a January midweek slot gave us the place to ourselves which felt quite a privilege. Hannah is multi-talented and looked after our spiritual health with yoga, our writing schedule with a clear daily structure and our nutrition with regular healthy snacks. 

It was lovely to share ideas and insights with thoughtful colleagues as well as laugh about life in academia. We certainly put the world to rights. I finished a paper, a book proposal, the first chapter of a new fictional book and wrote the lyrics of a song that Hannah put to music. My creative thinking warmed up and truly flowed. It feels like a floodgate has opened! Thanks Hannah. Thanks to my writing buddy Lina as well who also made it a very special experience.” Dr Jess Symons, University of Manchester.

Collaborative Writing Retreat

An AHRC-funded working group of researchers from three different UK Higher Education Institution invited FairerTales to facilitate their writing retreat, a part of their shared project. During the retreat, they worked on connecting and developing their ideas around the themes of community, the learning city, and community-led learning. The FairerTales focus was helping the three researchers to think about modes of academic collaboration, to re-visit their mutual expectations, and establish shared goals. Furthermore, FairerTales kept track of developing ideas, protocoled them, mediated the discussion, and structured the workflow on the retreat. And we also did some of the catering for the group, providing a healthy picnic lunch and a comforting mushroom risotto.