Literature Academic Writing And Mentorship Workshop

The School of Humanities and Social Sciences, through the Department of Linguistics and Languages at Machakos University, successfully organized a three-day Academic Writing and Mentorship Workshop for Postgraduate Students pursuing PhD in African Literature and Master of Arts in Literature. The workshop took place from March 26^th to 28^th, 2025, at the University’s DVC ASA Boardroom and was convened by Dr. Charles Kebaya, a Senior Lecturer in Literature at Machakos University, and was facilitated by Prof. Nicklas Hallen, an Associate Professor of African Literature at Karlstad University, Sweden.

A total of fourteen (14) Postgraduate students participated in the intensive training and mentorship program, which emphasized practice-led interactive discussions, design thinking, and collaborative learning. The workshop covered key aspects of Academic Writing and Publishing, which includes;

• Research Positionality and Socio-cultural Contexts of Publishing
• Academic Writing Paradigms- originality, significance, and rigor
• Publishing Exegeses and Creative Artefacts
• Writing Strategies, Voice, and Style in Academic scholarship

Additionally, the mentees received training and mentorship on research conceptualization, including;

• Planning and structuring a research project
• Selecting and accessing relevant research materials
• Steps of executing a research project

As part of the practice-led research and writing component, the mentees were guided through the process of preparing an article for publication. To further enhance their qualitative research and interviewing skills, the team visited renowned Author David Mailu at his Mathemboni home near Kola Market, Makueni County. The students engaged with the legendary author best known for his popular novel “After 4:30,” which provided a valuable opportunity for experiential learning.

The workshop aligned with Machakos University’s vision of co-creating sustainable futures, underscoring the department’s commitment to fostering an enabling environment for academic growth, promoting sound scholarship, and equipping postgraduate students with the skills necessary to complete their studies successfully.