Writing and Society Research Centre

2013 Program

The postgraduate program includes postgraduate seminar papers, craft-focused workshops, a writing group and writing retreats. It provides opportunities for analysis, discussion and collegiality, information on practical aspects of your research and guidance beyond the scope of your supervisor. We regard the program as an essential part of your candidacy. Most importantly, the meetings will allow you to communicate with other postgraduate students who are in a similar position to yourself. Studying for a postgraduate qualification can be a very isolating experience. Participation in the Writing & Society seminar program will not detract from your research activity: on the contrary, it should have the opposite effect, motivating you to continue when your motivation is low, connecting you with other students who can act as a support network, and extending your research interests in unexpected and fruitful ways.

Postgraduate seminar papers

HDR candidates are invited to present papers once every two months at the Writing & Society Postgraduate Research Seminars. The dates of these seminars are: 22 March, 24 May, 26 July, 27 September and 22 Nov. Please contact Melinda Jewell if you would like to present your research on one of these dates.

Writing Group

Postgraduate candidates are encouraged to attend our writing group for peer-to-peer discussion and feedback on your work in progress. This Writing Group will be held on Friday afternoon once a month (the same day as our research seminar and practical workshop days).

Writing Retreats

Two writing retreats are planned for 2013. The first, “Creative Ecologies: A Postgraduate Retreat in Creative Arts Scholarship”, will be held at the Old Leura Dairy from 22 – 26 September. The second will be held at Varuna – The Writer’s House from 18 – 25 November. The focus of this latter writing retreat will be announced later in the year.

Craft-focused workshops

This year the Centre will be holding four workshop days dedicated to examining practical issues involved in completing a doctorate. These will consist of panels, seminars and workshops, and details of each day are provided below:

Practice-led Research, Research-led Practice and Publishing Fiction- Friday 26 April, Hazel Smith/Matt McGuire and Alice Grundy.

Conferences (preparation, presentation and publication) and Rhetorical Moves in a Journal Article Introduction- Friday 28 June, Mridula Chakraborty and Claire Aitchison.

How to Make a Text Perform for You and The Use of Theory in Literary Criticism- Friday 23 August, Ivor Indyk/Ben Etherington and Gail Jones.

What to do when the response from editors and reviewers is not what you hoped for and Career Outcomes and Professional Development- Friday 25 October, Nick Hopwood (UTS) and Anthony Uhlmann/ Chris Andrews Symposiums.

Symposium on the Theory and Practice of Poetry- November, (dates to be advised), Gavin Smith.