Chloe Fox-Robertson, Geography & Environment, University of Manchester (2022 Cohort)

Just over a week ago, I had the pleasure of organising an NWSSDTP and Liverpool John Moores University Writing Retreat at the University of Manchester, hosted in the historic and atmospheric Whitworth Hall. The retreat ran throughout the day, bringing together doctoral researchers from across the DTP for a focused and productive day.

The day began with a welcome over teas and coffees, providing an excellent opportunity for attendees to connect, discuss their research, and ease into the day. We followed a structured agenda, combining short, intense focus sessions with longer writing blocks and regular breaks. A one-hour lunch break, which was provided, gave everyone the chance to continue conversations, check in on progress towards their goals set earlier in the day, and reset before tackling the afternoon writing blocks. This structured approach helped everyone to stay motivated and maintain productivity while avoiding burnout.

The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive:

Attending the Manchester University writing retreat was such an amazing experience for me. I found it so helpful to get out of the same four walls I see every day! What made it better was that we were in the prestigious Whitworth Hall so it felt very atmospheric! We were provided with lunch, tea and opportunities to network! Would highly recommend it. – Paige

It was lovely to catch up with fellow DTP students at the writing retreat, and I was far more productive than I would be on a normal Friday. My only feedback is that it would be great to have more writing retreats based over here! – Natalie

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the recent NWSSDTP Writing Retreat. Chloe was a fantastic host, and it was great to meet other DTP students from outside my home university. I found setting realistic goals at the start of the day really helpful in staying productive, and writing in focused time blocks kept me motivated (especially knowing a break was just around the corner!). Writing can sometimes feel like an isolating process, but it was lovely to share the experience with others, whether working on a paper, a chapter, marking, or anything else. – Niamh

Overall, the retreat was a great success, and I am already looking forward to organising the next one. Writing retreats provide an invaluable space for productivity, collaboration, and motivation, and it was wonderful to see the NWSSDTP community benefiting from them. Stay tuned for details on upcoming retreats!