It might seem like tempting fate to plan a Disastrous Writing Retreat, but the event was anything but a disaster. The two-day writing retreat was aimed at anyone who writes about disasters, natural or otherwise, and their aftereffects, and attendees described the session as some of the most productive days they’ve had in years.
So not a disaster, but plenty of writing!
Hosted by UCRH, the event was led by Dr Jo Longman, Senior Research Fellow; Rebecca McNaught, Rural and Remote Health Research Fellow and Sheriden Keegan, Griffith University doctoral candidate.
With attendees from UCRH, the University of Sydney, the University of Technology Sydney, The Living Lab, Griffith University and Southern Cross University, the two days provided a chance for those who attended to carve out focused writing time in a collaborative and supportive environment.
Sessions included dedicated writing time as well as opportunities to network with, and to learn from, others who work in this area or share common research interests.
Dr Longman noted that sharing time and space with others made for a deeply encouraging space in which to work.
“There’s something about the environment of sitting with others who are also writing,” she said.
Others who joined the sessions echoed that sentiment, with UCRH’s Emma Pittaway summing things up with the brilliant observation she was “deep down in my data and wiggling my toes in the mud!”
