Winter Writing School 2025
Stift Seitenstetten, February 24-28, 2025
Stift Seitenstetten, February 24-28, 2025
Are you currently grappling with the challenges of writing a doctoral thesis or a journal article? Do you find yourself constantly prioritizing other tasks over your own writing project? We understand that this situation can be isolating and overwhelming. To support and guide you in your writing endeavor, the Doctoral School of Historical and Cultural Studies (DSHCS) and the Vienna Doctoral School of Social Sciences (ViDSS) invite you to the Winter Writing School 2024 in Stift Seitenstetten from February 24 to 28, 2025.
Whether you are writing your monograph or a research paper, the five-day Writing School offers a unique opportunity in the active writing phase of your academic journey. In one of the most beautiful monasteries of Lower Austria, you will work for five days in a focused environment with professional guidance necessary to make significant progress. The primary objective is to help you advance your writing project by providing a conducive space for concentrated writing, along with personalized coaching and support.
You will work with our writing coach Melanie Sindelar who provides structure and is available for any questions and problems related to writing. The Writing School incorporates one-on-one sessions with the coach, as well as peer-to-peer exchange, and self-assessment rounds. In the one-on-one sessions, the writing coach will meet with each participant for one hour to discuss the challenges they are currently facing. Each participant will send her an example of their writing beforehand, which the coach will read. Participants can choose whether they would like to discuss their writing or any other issues and problems during the session. Participants also have the opportunity to raise any other issues they would like to have covered in a group or workshop setting.
It is important to note that the Writing School will be conducted in English. However, we warmly welcome doctoral candidates irrespective of the language in which they are writing their texts. Our aim is to create an inclusive and diverse community where participants can learn from one another and exchange ideas freely.
Target Group
The Writing School is exclusively open to members of the DSHCS and the ViDSS. To participate, applicants must have successfully passed the public presentation at the Faculty (FÖP) and submitted the doctoral thesis agreement. This program is specifically designed for doctoral candidates who are actively engaged in the writing phase of their research projects. Please note that the Writing School is not intended for candidates in the final phase who have already completed their dissertations.
About the Coach
Melanie Sindelar is a career coach for early-career academics and an editor and translator of academic and non-fiction work. She holds a PhD in anthropology from the University of Vienna and an MSc in anthropology from the University of Oxford. She has held positions at institutions such as the Central European University, Ruhr University Bochum, Charles University, and the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Melanie is running an online writing group called Emerge Co-Writing Community, where academics co-write over Zoom, do workshops together, and participate in writing sprints and retreats.
Costs and Practicalities
The DSHCS, the ViDSS and the respective Faculties cover the costs of accommodation, breakfast, coffee breaks, dinner, and the writing coach. Participants are responsible for their own travel expenses. Additionally, there is a nominal cost contribution of € 50, which must be paid in advance. Please be aware that PCs or laptops cannot be provided and participants are expected to bring their own devices. It is also recommended to bring any necessary materials to ensure a comfortable writing experience.
How to apply
Please send the completed form together with a writing sample of the text you plan to work on as ONE PDF file until December 16, 2024, to dshcs.hkw@univie.ac.at