‘What about me?’ The cross-disciplinary group facilitating writing the self and autoethnography

Chris Westoby, Ros Masamha and Tim Buescher write:

‘What about me?’ was established earlier this year as a space for colleagues interested in writing the self – academically, artistically, therapeutically – to meet, share work and discuss which directions they wish to take their ideas.

Throughout summer we have ran monthly sessions, and it has proven to be a comfortable, inspiring and supportive space to share ideas and reflections concerning writing the self. We saw an attendance from every corner of the university, working in entirely different disciplines, approaching writing the self in different ways, and for different purposes.

Now, we’re excited to continue this momentum and invite any and all academics and post-graduate researchers from every department – whether writing the self/autoethnography is an element of your research, or if it exists outside of it in a separate pursuit or purely personal practice.

Each session will invite a speaker to present their angle on writing, perhaps sharing their unique research methodologies, their personal investment, or the work of an author who inspires their practice. We will have time for group discussions, and most importantly time to write in a safe space. In the first session, Ros Masamha is presenting on Scholarly Personal Narratives: challenging methodologies in academia and academic writing.

With marking rolling in in January, it’s a busy time; taking two hours to focus purely on one’s self is more vital than ever, before needing to focus elsewhere!

Come along on 8th January, 13:00-15:00. The venue is Nidd Boardroom, complete with a selection of biscuits.