Creating space to write: Reflections on a week-long writing retreat and what we are doing to enhance our own research culture

Last month, I had the privilege of joining a writing retreat organised by colleagues across the University of Southampton, funded by the Faculties of Medicine and Environment & Life Sciences. It was four and a half uninterrupted days dedicated solely to thinking, writing, and reconnecting with why we do research in the first place.

And honestly? It felt indulgent — in all the best ways. A beautiful house. A private chef. Space to breathe. Dedicated time to be active. A brilliant group of early‑ and mid‑career researchers all trying to carve out time for the kinds of writing that matter deeply to our work, but somehow never quite make it into the day‑to‑day. Its often the type of writing that gets done out of hours because that’s when we have the ‘time’.

And it worked.

Thanks to the thoughtful organisation by Professor Mary Barker, Dr Wendy Lawrence, Heather Chamberlain, and Dr Sarah Kehoe, the structure they created — from daily check‑ins to practical workshops on getting words down and keeping momentum — kept us focused and energised. I left with an almost complete paper draft and, just as importantly, new friends and potential collaborators.

The Challenges of Creating Time to Write

We know a huge amount of research never reaches publication, and one of the biggest barriers is time. A large Nature survey (2025) reports increasing pressure on researchers to publish while having less time and fewer resources to do so.

Equally, our own scoping review on enhancing research culture (2024) found similar patterns. Researchers are incentivised, often required, to produce a high volume of grant applications and publications.  But the resulting pressure contributes to the well‑known “publish or perish” culture, where success is pursued at the cost of wellbeing. And early‑career researchers, especially those on fixed‑term contracts, are the most affected.

In this context, being given protected time to think, write, and produce high‑quality outputs can feel like a luxury.

But the retreat made something very clear to me:

Time and support to do our jobs shouldn’t feel like a luxury. They should be a normal, expected part of a healthy research culture — one that supports productivity and wellbeing.

While not every team or project can offer a week‑long retreat, of course. But we can take inspiration from this model and embed more sustainable writing support into our everyday work.

What we’re taking forward in 2026

At Hatch, we’ve started thinking about what we can build into our own practices as a team. A few ideas we’re putting into action:

1. Protected writing time built into project budgets: Not as an afterthought, but as a planned, costed phase. If writing is essential to impact, it should be resourced like any other part of the project lifecycle. Costing time to write together and support our wellbeing will help us move forward with quality outputs faster.
2. Monthly in‑person productivity days: We’re blocking out one day a month in the office to focus on progressing key goals. Being in the same space helps us stay motivated and accountable.
3. Engaging with wider university writing provision: We’re fortunate to be in a university with a growing number of initiatives that support writing and wellbeing, and we plan to take fuller advantage of them. These include:

• Head Space Weeks in the Faculty of Medicine — dedicated time free of meetings to focus, reflect, and make progress.
• The School’s new Shut Up and Write days — structured writing sessions that create community and accountability.
• Power Hour weekly sessions run by the University — regular protected time blocks for anyone needing a push to get words down.
• One‑day Writing Cafés — low‑pressure, communal writing days ideal for shorter bursts of productivity.

Writing as Central, Not Peripheral

Ultimately, this is about creating an environment where writing isn’t squeezed into evenings, weekends, or the scramble before a contract ends. Instead, it’s recognised as central to research and evaluation, or in our case, enterprise, because it is.

My retreat gave me far more than a paper draft. It gave me:

• new perspectives
• new people to connect and collaborate with
• renewed energy for the work ahead

Not everyone will find that retreats work for them. But for those who do, we should be creating more opportunities, not fewer. 

Finally, if we want our research to create impact — real impact — we need to create the time and conditions to write. Retreats, writing days, and protected time aren’t luxuries. They’re tools that help us do our jobs well.

Learn more about Hatch

At Hatch we use our expertise and extensive network of researchers and partners to access the best minds and the latest thinking to drive meaningful change.