British Academy writing workshop: Amplifying women's voices in Hausa cultural studies

This 4-day British Academy Writing Workshop and 6-months of mentorship sought to amplify the voices of academic women writing about Hausa cultural studies in Northern Nigeria by providing support in revising research in preparation for publication.

Because women in northern Nigeria and other Hausa-speaking regions face academic and publishing barriers, most high profile cultural studies in northern Nigeria have been done by men and non-Africans. The hybrid workshop attached to the Hausa International Book and Arts Festival seeks to amplify the voices of West African female scholars by providing mentorship in the field of Hausa studies and building access to expert advice and training on how to publish. 

The participants interacted with journal editors and established academics in the field of Hausa Studies  to learn about writing articles for publication, identifying appropriate journals, adapting thesis chapters into journal articles, and writing grant applications. Participants were paired with mentors for peer review and one-on-one feedback. Following the physical workshop, participants engaged in mentorship with established academics to revise their articles and ready them for submission to journals. The mentorship is currently ongoing.