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Write Through November: AcWriMo Writing Retreats | The PhD People

Academic Writing Month 2026

Write Through November

Five free Monday writing retreats for PhD researchers as part of #AcWriMo. Four hours of focused work, every Monday in November, alongside 20 to 30 other PhD students who know exactly what you're up against.

Sign up once and you're in for the whole month.

Save your November seats

Your university has shared this page with its doctoral researchers.

When

Every Monday
in November

Time

9am–1pm
UK time

Where

Online,
on Zoom

Cost

Free

November is for writing. The hard part is doing it alone.

Academic Writing Month asks one thing of you: write, and keep writing, for thirty days.

You already know what you need to work on. The chapter. The lit review. The paper your supervisor asked about in September. But on your own, a free morning turns into email, then admin, then a vague sense that you'll start properly tomorrow.

A room full of people who are also writing changes that. You say what you're working on, you close the other tabs, and you get on with it, because everyone else is.

Do that every Monday in November and you'll finish the month with twenty hours of real work behind you.

Structure does what willpower can't. And it works.

Here's how it works

9:00

Check in

Say hello and name what you want to get done by 1pm. Saying it out loud to a group is half the battle.

Four blocks

Write

Four 60-minute work blocks. Camera on or off, microphone muted. Just you and the work.

Three breaks

Rest

Ten minutes between each block. Stretch, make a coffee, chat if you want to.

Before 1pm

Wrap up

A quick look back at what you got done, and what you'll pick up next time.

Your November retreats

2 Monday 2 November
9am–1pm UK time
9 Monday 9 November
9am–1pm UK time
16 Monday 16 November
9am–1pm UK time
23 Monday 23 November
9am–1pm UK time
30 Monday 30 November
9am–1pm UK time

One sign-up covers all five. Come to as many as you can.

Save your November seats

Questions you might have

Is it really free?
Yes. Our Monday retreats are free for any PhD researcher, and all five November sessions are included. No card details, no trial that turns into a subscription.
Do I have to come every week?
No. Come to all five if you can, because the habit is where the progress comes from. But if you can only make two, come to two.
Do I need my camera on?
Up to you. Plenty of people keep their camera on for the accountability, and plenty keep it off. Microphones stay muted during the work blocks.
Is it for my stage or subject?
Yes. First-years, people writing up, and everyone in between. Every discipline is welcome. Bring whatever you're working on: thesis chapters, papers, reading, analysis, or the email you've been avoiding.
What if I'm in a different time zone?
The retreats run 9am–1pm UK time, and researchers join from across Europe and beyond. You're welcome to join for the blocks that fit your day.
Why has my university shared this?
November is Academic Writing Month, and your university wanted its doctoral researchers to have somewhere to write with others. We're The PhD People: we've run writing sessions and retreats for PhD students since 2017.

Want to keep going after November?

The PhD Common Room has daily writing sessions, workshops, and a community of 150+ PhD students, so the habit doesn't stop on 30 November.

From £30/month.

Explore membership →