Academic Writing Assistants in the Betty Wu Lee Garden

Wolfson Writing Centre

Welcome to the Wolfson Writing Centre! Our goal is to help Wolfson undergraduates and postgraduates with their writing projects at any point in the writing process. We offer one-to-one and group sessions to help students become more confident and practised writers.

 

Academic Writing Assistants in the Betty Wu Lee Garden

One-to-one support

Writing Consultants 

Writing consultants hold bookable surgeries so that you can get support for the writing process: brainstorming ideas, thinking through the structure of an essay, considering flow and clarity, and other matters related to the mechanics of writing. Please note that the Consultants will not be proofreaders, nor will they address the academic content of your writing; that is for supervision. 

What Can Writing Consultants Do? 

  • They can help students in their pre-writing planning. This includes brainstorming ideas, considering the best way to approach a paper or prompt, and thinking about the organisation of paper. 

  • They can also read a partial draft of the paper and comment on the paper’s organisation, both at a global or paragraph level, the flow of ideas or argumentation, and the use of textual evidence by the writer. 

  • They can make suggestions for how to revise a paper for greater clarity, coherence and persuasiveness. 

  • They can spot mechanical errors in a student’s prose and can help the student identify and correct these errors. 

  • They can signpost students to further academic support available in WolfWorks. 

What Writing Consultants Cannot Do 

  • They do not interpret course readings or content for students. 

  • Do not edit or proofread students' work. 

  • Meet with students outside of the Writing Consultant’s available tutoring hours.

 

Book a Writing Consultation 

To book a 45-minute appointment, please use this booking link: Book a Writing Consultation.

 

Meet the Writing Consultants

Nancy KarremanPhoto of Nancy Karreman

Hi there! My name is Nancy and I'm a second-year PhD student working in public health and politics at the MRC Epidemiology Unit. When I'm not working on my PhD, I am an avid rower, crossword enthusiast, and sci-fi nerd. My favorite part of the writing process is turning an outline into a full draft – it’s so satisfying to see your ideas translated for others to engage with. I look forward to exploring writing with you!

 

Adrián Rodriguez Avila

Hi! My Name is Adrián. I am a second-year PhD student at the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic, researching how religious change was perceived and rewritten by Swedish historians from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries. I received my B.A. and M.A. in Classics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). I am passionate about all things related to literature, and I have some experience in proofreading, linguistics, and translation. I know how challenging writing can be, but I and my colleagues will do our best to support you. I look forward to working with you!

 

 

Marisa TangemanPhoto of Marisa Tangeman

Hello! My name is Marisa and I am a second year PhD student in Sociology, researching  popular culture discourses and bisexual identity. I received my B.A. in Sociology at Mills College in California and my MSc in Media and Communications at LSE. I love to read and write and hope to provide a fun and supportive environment to help you workshop your writing. In my spare time you can find me knitting, attempting to become a runner, and trying every restaurant on Mill Road.

 

Lily Tekseng

Hi, I'm Lily! I'm a final year PhD candidate at the Faculty of English, specializing in the field of Post-colonial and related literatures. I supervise undergraduate dissertations at the Faculty of English, and have previously lectured at the undergraduate level at the University of Delhi, India. I look forward to facilitating you in exploring and demystifying the wondrous and terrifying process of writing this academic year!

 

 

 

Jonathan Harris

Hi, I’m Jonathan. Though I’m now working on a PhD project about abstract experimental filmmaking, I was a budding medievalist as an undergraduate, so obscure niches are clearly my specialty. I also paint, play guitar, and watch an excessive amount of football and cricket. Indecision is often the problem in writing (as in life), and I’ll be glad to help you decide where to dedicate your finite energy and patience when writing starts to feel like a grind. It’s not worth losing your wits over a piece of writing! 

 

 

 

Min-Kyoo Kim

Hi, my name is Min, and I'm a second-year PhD student in Film Studies researching the visual representations of nuclear violence and its entanglement with international networks of imperialism and racism. I previously studied for a BSc in International Relations at LSE, before moving to Cambridge for a MPhil in Film Studies. Having written across different subject areas, I'm particularly sensitive to the demands of interdisciplinarity in producing coursework and dissertations. I look forward to sharing my experiences and exploring the challenges - and rewards! - of writing with you. Beyond Film Studies, you can find me on the rugby pitch, attempting to improve my French, or baking.

 

 

Royal Literary Fund Fellow 

Whether you’re struggling and stumbling or confidently sure-footed, RLF Writing Fellows make your needs their starting point, providing guidance specific to you. Get detailed feedback from a professional writer on timing, planning, structure, argumentation, register, flow, punctuation, referencing and more.

Why not make an appointment and bring along two copies of something you are working on? You won't receive grades, but many students who work with us soon see their grades improve. You can book a 50-minute appointment. Support is free of charge, independent of college and faculty and confidential. Available to all students and researchers, in all subject areas. It is aimed as much at scientists, engineers and mathematicians as at historians, law students or philosophers. To book an appointment please email Vitali Vitaliev at vitali.vitaliev@rlfeducation.org.uk.   

Photo of Vitali Vitaliev- RLF Fellow
Vitali Vitaliev- Royal Literary Fund Fellow

Please note that you must

  • be a current student at Wolfson College 
  • resident in the UK at the time of the appointment

- these are the requirements of the body that funds this service.

Please note that RLF Writing Fellows do not undertake proofreading or EAP tuition.

For further information about booking an appointment with Vitali please see the RLF Writing Fellow's poster

 

Group sessions

Write Here, Write Now at Wolfson

Need some help finding some time to work on your writing in a quiet, distraction-free environment? We offers workshops to provide structured writing time for both undergraduates and graduates. We discuss our aims, write in silence for an hour, have a refreshment break and then do it again! See below how one student has described the experience:

"One might imagine that battling with your own creative or academic wits, while a group of fellow students typed intensely around you, would be an off-putting experience. Not a bit of it. We seemed to encourage each other tacitly to get on and produce. The hours flew by. It was a temple of silent work, leavened by tea and biscuits!"

Upcoming Dates

Write Here, Write Now will take place on Wednesdays from 10:00-12:30 on the dates below. Refreshments will be provided but please bring your own cup for tea or coffee. We look forward to seeing you there!

  • March 13 (Gatsby Room)
  • March 20 (Syndicate Room 2)
  • March 27 (Gatsby Room)
  • April 3 (Gatsby Room)
  • April 10 (Syndicate Room 2)
  • April 17 (Roger Needham Room)

Proofreading

Proofreading Service

The library is pleased to announce that we are offering a proofreading service for postgraduate students planning to submit a Master's dissertation or PhD thesis. Our proofreaders can help with issues related to spelling, grammar, word usage, syntax and formatting.

Students will be matched with appropriate proofreaders based on subject, where possible, and are advised to provide as much time as possible prior to their submission deadline.

Contact Alberto Garcia for more information.

 

Wolfson College Writing Retreat

Need some extra time to work on an extended research project? If so, join us for Wolfson's first writing retreat from Friday, 12 April to Sunday, 14 April! 

Retreat highlights include: 

  • Over 10 hours of structured writing time.
  • Writing related workshops to help make your writing clearer and more concise.
  • Group activities to build community.

To book a place for the retreat please fill out the booking form.

Please note: Due to limited spaces, a £10 deposit will be charged to your student account. The deposit will be reimbursed after you have attended the retreat.