Academic writing can be deeply meaningful, even joyful. It is where ideas take shape, where we experiment, struggle, and slowly develop our own voice. At the same time, writing can feel exposing, frustrating, and at times overwhelming — especially so in the early years of an academic career, when many expectations, uncertainties, and aspirations intersect.
On March 30 from 14:00 to 16:00 (location: Capitool 308), we warmly invite you to join us for an open and honest conversation about what writing actually feels like. This workshop is facilitated by Ellen Nathues together with our invited guests Monica Nadegger (LMU Munich & MCI Innsbruck) and Milena Leybold (Johannes Keppler University Linz). Together, the three of us have been writing collaboratively about vulnerability and academic life as an early-career-scholar, keeping a letter diary to each other throughout difficult periods of our PhD journeys. Building on our joint reflections in “Dear vulnerability … writing toget-her to escape and resist the neoliberal university” (written by us in the form of a Collective I; but more on that in the workshop), we move beyond productivity advice or publication strategies. Instead, we open up space to explore the lived experience of writing and the questions it raises for early-career scholars, such as
- What does writing do to us — and who does it ask us to become?
- How does writing shape our academic identity?
- Who are we becoming as academics through the way we write?
- How do we navigate vulnerability, ambition, critique, and care in our writing practices?
Through shared reflection and dialogue, we aim to cultivate a supportive environment in which writing is not something we struggle with alone, but something we can explore, question, and sustain together. Whether drafting a first paper or revising a long-standing manuscript, all early-career scholars are warmly welcome. The workshop is in-person only; coffee, tea & treats will be served.
Questions about the content: contact Ellen Nathues