Ethnographic Writing Workshop and Retreat

September 1-3, 2026

Prof. Clara Devlieger, UNIL

Gladys Robert, UNIL

Mathilde Krähenbühl, UNIL

Prof. Paul Stoller, West Chester University (Pennsylvania) 

Returning from fieldwork to face the task of producing a coherent text out of fieldwork material can be a bewildering experience. How do you bring your fieldsite to life? 

This ethnograpic writing workshop and retreat is aimed at post-fieldwork PhD students who are looking for tips, tricks and time to focus on writing away from the daily pressures of teaching, administrative tasks, and/or care responsibilities. 

The first component of the workshop is aimed at providing tools and techniques for crafting your ethnography. This will include a discussion of common challenges, advice for thick description, exercises on writing about place, people and voice, and a session on getting published.

The second component of the workshop is aimed at providing time to apply some of the advice following writing-group techniques. Participants will be invited to submit a short piece of writing before the workshop, and should come with a PhD chapter draft or other piece of writing-in-progress. Writing sessions will be 50 minutes followed by 10 minute breaks. At the start of a writing session, participants will be invited to briefly set a realistic goal, either in conversation with a fellow writer or as a written note to self. 

Target audience:

The workshop is aimed at post-fieldwork students preparing PhDs in anthropology, who will be given priority. Places will be given next to students in other disciplines who use ethnographic methods in their research. In your application, please specify where you are in the writing process and indicate how you hope to benefit from the workshop.

Invited expert:

Paul Stoller is a professor of anthropology at West Chester University (Pennsylvania). His award-winning work has made major contributions to the fields of sensory anthropology and anthropology of migration. One of his most recent books brings insights from his career together in a reflection on ethnographic writing, Wisdom from the Edge: Writing Ethnography in Turbulent Times.  

Tentative program, subject to change:

Before the workshop, 26 June 2026: 

· Online meeting with introductions, aims and goals for the workshop. Organisers give a prompt or task to prepare before the workshop 

· Participants send in a short piece of writing following the initial meeting (3000 words). Paul Stoller & organisers read all pieces in advance.

Day 1

9:00-11:00 Arrivals, introductions and coffee

11:00-12:30 Session 1: Common challenges to ethnographic writing & concrete tools (writing software, bibliographic software, advantages and drawbacks of AI) (Discussions led by Paul Stoller and organisers)

12:30-13:30 Lunch 

13:30-15:30 Writing session 1 (2x 50 min)

15:30-16:00 Coffee break

16:00-18:00 Session 2: Tips and tricks for writing about place, people and voice (Paul Stoller)

18:00-20:00 Dinner & free time

20:00-21:00 Optional evening writing session for evening writers (50 min)

Day 2

7:00 Optional early-bird writing session for morning persons (50 min)

8:00-9:00 Breakfast 

9:00-10:30 Session 3: short individual or small-group meetings with feedback on submitted writing (Organisers + Paul Stoller)

10:30-12:30 Writing session 2 (2x 50 min)

12:30-13:30 Lunch

13:30-15:30 Writing session 3 (2x 50 min)

15:30-16:00 Coffee & free time

16:00-18:00 Session 4: experimental writing (flash ethnography, fiction, auto-ethnography, and/or other possibilities) (Paul Stoller)

18:00-20:00 Dinner & free time

20:00-21:00 Optional evening writing session for evening persons (50 min)

Day 3

7:00 Optional early-bird writing session for morning persons (50 min)

8:00-9:00 Breakfast 

9:00-11:00 Session 5: Getting published in anthropology (Paul Stoller & Clara Devlieger)

11:00-13:00 Writing session 4 (2x 50 min)

13:00-14:00 Lunch

14:00-16:00 Writing session 5 (2x 50 min)

16:00-17:00 Goodbyes and departures 

Post-workshop, c. 1 month later (date set during the workshop): group online meeting to check-in and catch up on mutual progress. 

Crêt-Bérard, Puidoux

Participation fee: CHF 60 

For students of the CUSO universities (Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchâtel and Fribourg) and from the universities of Bern, Zürich, Luzern, Basel and St. Gallen, accommodation and meals are organised and covered by the CUSO doctoral program in anthropology. 

Travel expenses will be reimbursed via MyCUSO based on half-fare train ticket (2nd class) from the student's university to the place of the activity.

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