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Finding your Academic Voice

Abstract: Do you find it hard to work out how to find the write tone when writing academically? Students often say they don’t like how their academic writing sounds. They’ll say things like – I want my writing to sound academic but I also want it to sound like me – or – Everything I need to say is here but it’s really dry.

'How can I find my academic voice?' is a question many researchers also ask. Some also wonder how it's possible to have a voice when one can’t always use 'I'. This workshop explores the concept of 'voice' in academic writing and how confidence and courage are important to self-expression and the creation of one’s own style that is, nevertheless, still academic in tone. Through activities and examples, we’ll identify the writerly techniques that create a ‘voice’ and consider the relationship between the writer’s voice and the reader’s experience, whilst learning how to create ‘flow’ in one’s work.

By the end of this workshop, you should be able to:
  • write a piece of academic writing using your voice, one that is unique to you, yet fits within the style of writing required.
  • understand what good writing ‘style’ is and how to achieve it.
  • find flow in your work.


  • Speaker: Dr Sanjida O’Connell, Royal Literary Fund Consultant Fellow, UK

    Organiser: Centre for Learning Enhancement And Research

    Date & Time: 13 April 2023 (Thursday) 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm (HKT)

    Venue: Online via Zoom

    Bio of the speaker: Dr Sanjida O’Connell is an award-winning writer and broadcaster. She studied zoology at the University of Bristol before completing a PhD at University College London. She’s written scientific papers, numerous feature articles for national newspapers and magazines, scripts for TV documentaries, contributed to encyclopaedias and had columns in The Times, The Independent and BBC Wildlife magazine. Sanjida’s had twelve books published, including four works of non-fiction, four works of literary fiction and four thrillers. Sanjida has been shortlisted for the BBC Asia Awards, the Betty Trask Award for Romantic Fiction, the Daily Telegraph Science Writer's Award, Asian Woman of the Year, highly commended for BBC Wildlife Magazine's Award for Nature Writing, long listed for the CWA Steel Dagger Award and had her first thriller nominated as one of the best crime and thriller books of 2016 by the Guardian and the Sunday Express. Sanjida was a wildlife presenter for the BBC and now writes full time, as well as running writing workshops for universities and teaching and mentoring creative writing. .

    Registration: https://webapp.itsc.cuhk.edu.hk/ras/restricted/event?id=74032

    Note: This is a practical and interactive workshop with limited seats available. Seats will be offered on a first-come-first-served basis.

    Please click here for the event poster.


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