One of the DISCO Network’s most successful initiatives has been its collaborative writing retreats, also known as “Book Jams.” These bring together interdisciplinary, multigenerational groups of scholars to collectively write a book manuscript. Book Jams provide the unique opportunity for collaborators to have dedicated time for collective idea development, writing, and scholarship.

Using our Book Jam held in May 2026 as a case study, the report offers insight into how a collaborative writing retreat operates in practice. We share this model with the hope that it may continue to inform and inspire similar collaborative approaches in the humanities.