The University of Witwatersrand generously hosted a successful Early Career Academics Writing Retreat that preceded the 2026 GALA Conference, The Liberal Arts in Action: Catalysts for Change, at CUEA in Nairobi, Kenya. Developed and led by Associate Professor Nicole De Wet-Billings, the retreat focus was to build scholarly community, productive writing habits, mentorship, publication pathways and sustainable academic writing practices.

DAY 1
Orientation & Goal Setting
Arrival & Registration
Welcome & Opening Address
Retreat Overview
Goal Setting & Project Mapping
Writing Block 1
Reflection & Check-In

DAY 2
Writing Techniques
Responding to Reviewers
Conference Presentations &
Scholarly Visibility
Writing Block 2
Reflection Session

DAY 3
Writing & Mentorship
Deep Writing Session
Mentorship Panel
One-on-One Consultations
Peer Feedback Workshops

DAY 4
Consolidation & Next Steps
Final Writing Session
Mentor & Mentee Reflections
Writing Sustainability Discussion
Closing Remarks