Workshop “Writing Academic Book Reviews in English”

📍 Tallinn University, room M-324

This workshop will be conducted in English.

Target group

The seminar is intended for doctoral researchers in the Humanities and Arts branch of the Estonian Doctoral School.

Credits: 1 ECTS

General information
This workshop provides structured, hands-on training in academic publishing through the genre of the scholarly book review. The workshop demonstrates how structured periods of analytical reading and note-taking can be integrated into regular academic routines and long-term research workflows.

Through the practical work conducted during the workshop, participants are expected to make substantial progress in reading, analysing, and organising material for a scholarly review.

Learning outcomes
Participants who complete the workshop will be able to:

• identify appropriate journals and position a book review within a relevant scholarly context;
• critically evaluate a scholarly book using analytical reading strategies;
• produce a structured draft of an academic book review in English;
• apply genre conventions, including argumentation, tone, and scholarly positioning;
• provide structured peer feedback in line with academic review standards;
• revise written work effectively in response to peer and instructor feedback;
• prepare a submission-ready book review;
• communicate effectively with journal editors.

Additional information
Before the workshop, participants should select a book to review, published within the last 12 months, preferably within the past six months. While the workshop is held in English, the books participants select to review can be in any language.

Facilitator
James Baxenfield, doctoral candidate in History, Tallinn University; Editorial Assistant at the Journal of Baltic Studies.

Registration
➤  Register HERE. The registration is open until October 14, 2026 , at 12:00.
The maximum number of participants is 12. Participants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. When registering, please note that participants are expected to attend the full programme.

Contact
In case of questions, please turn to Eva Kruuse,eva.kruuse@tlu.ee.

Estonian Doctoral School for Humanities and Arts.