Writing Retreat for academics/support staff

This 5-day face-to-face Writing Retreat is designed for NWU academics and support staff who want to transform their research into publishable outputs, including journal articles, book chapters, or scholarly books. The retreat provides a focused, distraction-free environment, emphasizing pre-submitted manuscripts and one-on-one expert feedback to accelerate the development of publication-ready work.

Background:

Participants are expected to commit fully to the retreat, ensuring they are prepared and supported by their line managers. Each attendee should submit a well-considered draft research study in the form of a journal article to the facilitator, Solani Solani Ngobeni (solani@csps.co.za), prior to the retreat. The goal is to complete a draft article ready for submission to a chosen journal, with guidance and constructive feedback provided throughout the retreat.

Deliverables:

• Full commitment to attending the entire Writing Retreat 
• Submission of a well-prepared draft article before the retreat 
• Completion of a draft article suitable for journal submission by the end of the retreat 

This retreat fosters a rigorous, publication-focused writing environment, offering participants the structure, expert input, and dedicated time needed to advance their scholarly outputs effectively.

Facilitator

Mr Solani Ngobeni is Publishing Director at the Centre for Scholarly Publishing Services (Pty) Ltd. He has extensive experience in academic and scholarly publishing. He has previously worked at Juta Academic Publishers/UCT Press, the Africa Institute of South Africa and the Human Sciences Research Council as a Publications Director, managing an IBSS accredited journal, Africa Insight and publishing scholarly books.

Mr Ngobeni's contribution to the publishing industry has been recognised with an award for International Young Publisher of the Year in 2007. With his experience and passion for excellence, he is an ideal facilitator for any publishing- related event or workshop.

Important dates 2026

Interested applicants should forward their application forms to Mrs Amanda Koto as soon as possible to secure a space.

5-day Supervisor Programme

Application for Workshop

How to Convert Your PhD into a Book

This workshop is designed for postgraduate researchers, academics, and support staff who wish to transform their PhD theses into scholarly or trade books. It provides practical guidance on reframing academic research for a broader readership, structuring a thesis into a book manuscript, navigating the publishing process, and positioning a book for both academic and public impact.

Programme Highlights:

• Reframing academic theses for a broader readership
• Structuring a PhD into a book manuscript
• Understanding the scholarly book publishing process
• Positioning a book for academic and public impact

Day 1 Activities:

Why the Book?

• Rationalising the decision to convert a PhD into a book in line with the DHET Research Outputs Policy 2015. 
• Overview of the policy and its relevance to scholarly books. 

What Type of Book?

• Situating the PhD within the South African publishing marketplace. 
• Exploring options: academic, trade, or scholarly book. 
• Advantages and disadvantages of each book type.

Writing a Winning Book Proposal

• Key elements publishers look for in a book proposal. 
• Positioning the book within a publishing list. 
• Identifying comparable books and defining the unique value of your work.

Choosing the Right Publisher

• Selecting an academic or trade publisher based on reputation, marketing capability, turnaround times, and visibility.

Day 2 Activities:

• Developing a structured plan for writing book chapters from the thesis. 
• Creating a six-month writing schedule to systematically convert thesis content into a coherent book manuscript. 

This workshop equips participants with the knowledge, strategies, and planning tools to successfully convert a PhD thesis into a publication-ready book with academic and public relevance.

How to Convert Your PhD into a Book – Fill out form

For enquiries contact Mrs Amanda Koto at Research Support and Postgraduate Support.