Agenda
Book workshop (Leiden, 4 June 2026) – deadline applications 1 May 2026
On 4 June 2026, the N.W. Posthumus Institute, organises a book workshop, to be led by initiator Viola Müller, postdoc researcher and lecturer within the Economic and Environmental History Group at Wageningen UR.
Aim of the workshop
This workshop aims to bring together a community of researchers struggling with similar issues, e.g. writing for a broader audience, developing your own ‘style of writing’, and how to compose a convincing book proposal. The programme is intentionally informal in nature and mainly strives to create opportunities for conversations and exchange of experiences.
Invited speakers
The following speakers have confirmed to share their experiences regarding the writing process, dealing with editors and publishers, and developing a book proposal.
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Janna Coomans is Assistant Professor with the Department of Medieval History at Utrecht University. Janna’s research mainly focuses on social history, urban history, and public health in premodern cities. In 2021, she was awarded a NWO Veni-grant for her research project ‘Inflammable cities: how fire risks transformed the Low Countries, 1250-1600’. In 2026, her book Dievenland: Overleven in de middeleeuwen (De Bezige Bij, 2025) was awarded the Libris Literatuurprijs. |
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Maarten Prak is emeritus Professor (although, in his own words, “still very active”) of Economic and Social History at Utrecht University. Maarten is regarded as a key expert on the subject of the Dutch ‘Golden Age’ and as such has been involved as expert in several Dutch public broadcast series like De Gouden Eeuw (2012) and 80 Jaar Oorlog (2018). In addition to his extensive publications record, in 2026 he was the general editor of the 3-volume publication The Cambridge Urban History of Europe (CUP, 2026). |
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Wendy Wauters is doctor of Art History (KU Leuven) and has received several awards for the publication of her dissertation on the perception of late-medieval visitors of churches. Her research resulted in the publication De geuren van de kathedraal (Lannoo, 2023), aimed at the general public, and several scientific publications. After a career as art director in advertisement she moved to a position where she was responsible for the collection of non-fiction literature for the Antwerp public libraries. Wendy is a renowned speaker at many events and is keen to shed more light on the ‘small stories’ of sixteenth-century people. |
(Preliminary) programme
| 10:00-10:15 | Welcome |
| 10:15-10:45 | Janna Coomans |
| 10-45-11:15 | Maarten Prak |
| 11:15-12:30 | Conversation with Janna and Maarten |
| 12:30-13:45 | Lunch |
| 13:45-14:15 | Online Q&A with Wendy Wauters |
| 14:15-15:00 | Working in small groups (e.g., on writing process, on organising your writing, etc.) |
| 15:00-15:30 | Plenary session by Maarten Prak on differences between publishing your first book and your next book(s) |
| 15:30-16:30 | Hands-on session on how to compose a sound and convincing book proposal |
| 16:30 | Closing words |
How to apply?
Participation is free of charge, prior application however is required because of limited capacity and catering. You can apply via the button below. A maximum of 30 participants will apply; in case of exceeding this number, Posthumus PhDs will have priority placement, other applications will be dealt with on a ‘first come, first served’-basis. Application deadline is 1 May 2026; you will be informed about the result of your application in the first week of May.
