Call for Writing Support Programme

The NEXTGATE is launching the second round of a mentorship programme aiming specifically
at supporting emerging scholars in environmental history and humanities in their writing process.

We all, as scholars, have experienced the challenges that outlining a paper and strengthening its
argument imply. Making a paper publishable is even a more complicated process.
At the same time, we all have experienced the benefits of involving others in our writing process
by sharing our work in progress. After the successful first round of the programme in 2021, we are
planning to continue and reach more early-career scholars who are looking
for a supportive environment in which to develop their work.

The ESEH NEXTGATe calls for scholars interested to form and join a Writers’ Group.
In particular, the team is looking for:
– Early Career Researchers (ECRs) willing to share their paper or chapters drafts;
– senior scholars, willing to act as discussants and facilitators.

ECRs – including graduate, post-graduate and PhD students and non-tenured researchers – are
welcome to share their draft articles and chapters (max length of 10000 words and at least one week in
advance) prior to submission and are invited to read and comment on other participants’ texts.
(Participants should be present in most sessions and be prepared to offer feedback.
These sessions are intended to workshop draft book chapters or articles to be submitted
for publication, rather than thesis chapters.)
Facilitated by a senior member of the ESEH, sessions are organised virtually on a monthly basis
from January to June. Each session discusses two papers and lasts 1.5 hours (45 minutes per paper).

This mentorship programme aims to provide ECRs with a supportive setting for obtaining focused,
hands-on peer feedback on their work. The peer feedback and group discussion push the
writing process forward, boost output and, finally yet importantly, strengthen the community
of European environmental historians.

To express your interest in sharing your work send an email to
Andrea Gaynor at andrea.gaynor@uwa.edu.au including the following information:
– name and affiliation;
– type of publication (Article or chapter; the publication venue);
– working title
– abstract or brief description of the planned text (max. 200 words);
– time zone;
– month you would like to present.

Expressions of interest are welcomed from 15 December to 17 January.

The Mentorship Programme is coordinated by:
Andrea Gaynor; Roberta Biasillo, Simone Schleper, Noémi Ujházy,
Sevgi Mutulu Sirakova, Tanja Riekkinen, Goran Đurđević and Monica Vasile.

Feel free to contact Andrea Gaynor (andrea.gaynor@uwa.edu.au) for further information.