Successful Writing & Mentoring Workshop in Nairobi
The Leeds University Centre for African Studies was involved in organising and facilitating a recent writing and mentoring workshop that took place at the University of Nairobi in Kenya (28-30 July, 2025).
Funded by the British Academy under its International Writing Workshop scheme, the general intention of the workshop was to cultivate professional networks and mentorship and provide access for early career researchers in Africa,and to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to publish in international journals.
Specifically focusing on the theme of "Gender, Spirituality and Agency in Africa", this workshop was co-organised with the African Association for the Study of Religions, aiming to nurture a young generation of scholars developing interdisciplinary and innovative approaches to the study of religion and gender in African contexts.
The workshop brought together fourteen early-career academics from various parts of the continent, including Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe, and from various academic discipines, such as history, literary and cultural studies, media and performance studies, religious studies, and theology. During the workshop, participants presented their papers, reviewed and discussed each others' papers, and received feedback from the facilitators on the further improvement of their papers as well as on more general academic skills, such as academic writing, peer reviewing, interdisciplinarity, and grant applications.
The workshop was facilitated by Drs Abel Ugba and Adriaan van Klinken (University of Leeds), Damaris Parsitau (Calvin University) and Telesia Musili (University of Nairobi). The writing and mentoring programme continues, as participants will revise their papers and will be supported in the process of publishing them.
Going from the feedback provided by participants afterwards, the format and delivery of the worskhop created a highly conducive and supportive space and a constructive learning environment:
The workshop was more than a space for developing and mentoring emerging African writers. For me, it was a moment of vital affirmation. ... The thoughtful engagements, particularly with my presentation, reassured me that I had something meaningful to contribute. What struck me most was the spirit of generosity that shaped our exchanges, and the sincere encouragement created a rare and nurturing environment. This experience has restored my confidence. -- Kwame Boafo (Library Of Africa and The African Diaspora, Accra, Ghana)
Group photo writing workshop 2025
I will carry the lessons I have learnt throughout my career. Firstly, as a peer, I have learnt the skill of being critical and kind. As a supervisor, I have learnt the skill of being patient and giving all tools necessary to my students, so that they are better equipped. Thirdly, as an emerging academic, I have realized that collaboration is possible, even across different disciplines, times, spaces, and experiences. Finally, the workshop has taught me that academia can be a productive and mentally safe space where young black female academics like me can flourish. -- Nonki Motahane (University of the Free State, South Africa)
After-workshop dinner and dance
The program’s architecture fostered both rigor and care. The peer review process and thematic discussions cultivated a rhythm of thoughtful exchange: ideas offered, challenged, and deepened in a space that prized insight over ego. Feedback was attentive, not transactional; critique was grounded in respect. I found myself stretched and sharpened not only by the range of perspectives, but by the spirit in which they were shared. It was scholarship with soul. -- Josephine Kanyiva (St Paul's University, Kenya)