Write up an event for the Hub

Have you been to an inspiring event (a conference, meeting, panel session, symposium or a talk)? Why not tell the Hub readership about it. We regularly publish event write ups on our blog.

Here is our step-by-step guide on how to write up and submit an event blog post for the Global Souths Hub.

1. First make sure that the event fits the scope of the Hub.
   • The Hub broadly covers the field of Global South Studies (International Relations, International Political Economy, Development Studies, Political Science and Area Studies).  You can check out our full topics list on our who we are page.
   • Do you think the event furthers debate, discussion and dissemination of ideas and issues with relevance at a global, national, and regional level?

2. If you think the event is relevant to our readership, please do get in touch with us befroe the event at [email protected] to dicusss your idea. Do plan ahead by looking at the agenda for topics that interest you and could appeal to others beyond your field of research. 

3. At the event, remember to tune into all social channels (eg. speakers, delegates and the organisers) so you do not miss out on anything. You may be able to arrange an interview with one of the speakers at the event. 
4. Write a first draft either during or immediately after the event while it is fresh in your mind. You should include some of the following information in your draft post:
   • Name of event, where and when it took place, who was organising it. 
   • What was it about briefly, and why did you want to attend? How does the event fit in with your research?
   • What was the atmosphere like? How many people were attending? Who attended?
   • Were there any speakers or topics of particular interest? Were there any memorable quotes from speakers? Try to find a theme if you are covering a number of speakers.
   • What were the key takeaways for you? What would the reader be keen to find out?
   • How will you use what you’ve learned and how will this benefit you/your community? 
   • Storytelling, personal anecdotes and key quotes can help bring an event blog to life.

5. Be succinct and edit your event blog post down to between 800 and 1,000 words. Write in conversational English (rather than specialised academic prose) and try to avoid jargon.  Make sure the post is in a logical order, but it does not necessarily need to be in chronological order. To make it easy to read, please use sub-headings, bullets and short paragraphs.

6. Fact-check any direct quotes and facts. Only include paraphrased quotes unless you have personal consent from the speakers to include their direct quote. In your submission, please include this consent.
7. Read aloud and edit your blog post. If you think any of your points need reference material for additional context, you can add hyperlinks. Please do not include footnotes. Check out our editorial guidance (Section 4 on How to Contribute to the Hub).
8. Give your blog a memorable opening sentence and title that sparks curiosity.
9. Make it visual:  Please include at least one or two relevant photos (ensuring you have the correct permissions). Only include figures if it is
10. Submit your post with a short bio and high-resolution photo of yourself (s) to our web curator email address ([email protected]). Unfortunately we cannot guarantee that all submissions will be accepted for publication, but if your submission is successful we will endeavour to reply to you within 5-6 working days with any edits. 
11. Ready for the most important step? Remember to promote your event blog post by sharing on your social channels and letting the organisers of the event know about the piece. We will share your event write-up via our Social Media channels (LinkedIn, and X feed).