Academic Writing Month 2026: activity programme

Throughout November, our postgraduate researcher community will be able to get involved in a rich programme of workshops, writing sessions, bootcamps and social media engagement. All events will be delivered online and are free to attend. 

You can learn more about AcWriMo on the PhD 2 Published website. 

GuildHE Research writing tips, LinkedIn - send us your tips!

We’ll be sharing tips and talking about writing across the month over on GuildHE Research's LinkedIn channel, so please follow us to check that out! 

We would love these tips to come from you, so that we can share with our vibrant community the brilliant ways postgraduate researchers at GHER and DTA institutions capture and communicate their research. It will be a really great way to engage with other PGRs and researchers in our community, learn more about how to approach your writing, and get motivated. 

Submit your writing tips and challenges by completing this short form. 

Academic Writing Workshop with Dr Diana Damian Martin 

Monday 30 November 2026 (10:00AM-13:00PM)

Back by popular demand! Last year's session with Dr Diana Damian Martin was a great success, with participants giving us fantastic feedback on her unique lens and engaging approach to creative academic writing. 

This year, the workshop will start by guiding participants through creative approaches to demystifying academic writing. In the second half of the session, participants will be facilitated to apply any of these strategies in a period of facilitated power writing. 

Diana works as a researcher and organiser. She is Senior Lecturer in Performance Studies and Research Lead in the Department of Practice at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. 

To register, please complete this form by Friday 20 November. The workshop will be held on Microsoft Teams and we have 25 spaces to offer to our PGR students, so please do register as soon as possible!

GuildHE Research PGR Peer Support Community: an introduction to Obsidian 

Tuesday 24 November 2026 (11:00AM-12:00PM)

Researchers spend countless hours reading, which often generates a long list of further questions and a reading list that just keeps getting bigger. Building a connected system to capture and link your thoughts can help keep you feeling organised and on top of work. In this informal, practical session, learn how to use Obsidian, a free note-taking tool, to organise your reading and connect your ideas across papers, books and topics. 

This session will demo how to use Obsidian and its features. If you want to follow along during the session, you will need to download Obsidian beforehand. Instructions on how to do this can be found on Obsidian’s website. 

To participate in this session, please email [email protected].

Writing workshops and sessions with Doctoral Training Alliance

Doctoral Training Alliance (DTA) will be running five workshops as well as regular ‘Power Hour of Writing Sessions’ which will be open to PGR students at GuildHE Research institutions during the month of November.

If you would like to join any of these sessions, please email [email protected] to receive joining instructions. 

Power Hour of Writing Sessions

Every Friday throughout November 2026 - 6th, 13th, 20th & 27th November (10:00AM-11:00AM)

DTA have kindly opened these regular sessions to GuildHE Research members during the month of November. This hour is all about focus, discipline and being free from distractions. This is to supplement the work you are already doing and to create an online space where you can all write individually yet together. Please email [email protected] to receive joining instructions. 

How to Write an Academic Paragraph: the Basic Building Block of your PhD thesis

Monday 2 November 2026 (14:00PM-15:00PM)

Writing a clear, coherent paragraph is a fundamental academic skill, yet many researchers and students receive little formal guidance on how to do it effectively. This interactive session explores the building blocks of a strong paragraph, from generating ideas quickly and overcoming perfectionism to structuring and refining your writing. Through practical activities and examples, participants will learn how to develop a single clear argument within a paragraph, distinguish between productive and unhelpful editing, and use simple techniques to evaluate and improve their academic writing.

Ideal for PGRs looking to strengthen their writing confidence and communicate their ideas more effectively. Please email [email protected] to receive joining instructions. 

From Thesis to Book

Tuesday 3 November 2026 (10:30AM-12:00PM)

This session is designed to support PhD students in navigating the transition from doctoral thesis to book, exploring how to rethink, reshape and reposition research into a compelling book project. Participants will be introduced to the key differences between a thesis and a monograph, with particular attention to language, structure, narrative, and audience. 

We will examine how academic writing needs to shift when moving from a document written for examiners to one aimed at readers, including how to rethink structure and identify selling points for the book proposal. A central focus of the session is helping participants clarify their core argument, identify their target audience, and position their work within the field. Please email [email protected] to receive joining instructions. 

Thesis Bootcamp

Held over two days: Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November 2026 (10:00AM-16:30PM each day)

Are you going through a PhD slump and struggling to find the motivation to write? If so, this two-day DTA Online Thesis Bootcamp is for you.

As part of Academic Writing Month 2026, our Online Thesis Bootcamp offers a supportive, flexible, and intensive writing experience for postgraduate researchers (PGRs) at various stages of their doctoral journey.

The Bootcamp is designed to create a collaborative and focused writing environment that supports substantial progress on your thesis. Whether you need dedicated time to write your literature review, analyse data, draft a discussion chapter, edit and polish your thesis, or complete post-viva corrections, this event will help you make meaningful progress in a supportive community of fellow researchers.

You are eligible to attend if you:

• Are willing to complete the preparatory activities (including a thesis map) prior to the event and commit fully to the Bootcamp experience. These materials will be provided upon registration.
• Are at a stage in your doctorate where you would benefit from dedicated, distraction-free writing time.

In addition to focused writing sessions, participants will have the opportunity to meet, network, and share experiences with fellow PGRs from across the DTA. Please email [email protected] to receive joining instructions. 

Using creative writing techniques to communicate research beyond the thesis through blogs

Tuesday 17 November 2026 (15:00PM-16:30PM)

Research communication extends beyond the thesis. Whether you are writing for academic, professional, or public audiences, the ability to communicate your ideas clearly and engagingly is a valuable skill. This interactive workshop combines creative writing techniques with practical guidance on writing blogs during your PhD. 

Participants will explore how storytelling, writing craft, and finding their voice can strengthen their research communication, while also learning how blogs can enhance research visibility, impact, professional networking, and career development.

Through examples and guided activities, attendees will develop ideas for blogs and other forms of research communication, helping them share their research with wider audiences in accessible and compelling ways. Please email [email protected] to receive joining instructions. 

Literature Review: From Reading to Critical Synthesis

Option 1: Monday 23 November 2026 (11:00AM-12:00PM)

Option 2: Thursday 26 November 2026 (18:00PM-19:00PM)

A well-developed literature review is the foundation of a strong doctoral thesis, yet many researchers find it challenging to move beyond summarising individual papers. This interactive session explores the purpose and process of the literature review, providing practical guidance on how to find, evaluate, organise, and synthesise academic literature. 

Participants will learn how to critically engage with research, identify gaps and key debates in their field, and develop a coherent review structure. This session is particularly suitable for first-year PGRs who wish to build a strong foundation for their literature review and develop their academic writing skills. Please email [email protected] to receive joining instructions. 

In partnership with the Doctoral Training Alliance