Creative Writing, Collaboration and Maximising Conference Connections: A Reflection on the Collaborative Environment of the Sport Literature Association

Collaboration between creative writing researchers in the academy have drawn increasing scholarly attention. Creative writing, often seen as an isolated endeavour, is also one in which its practitioners actively seek connection and support, share their ideas and gain critical feedback (Batty, 2016). As crucial as collaboration is to network development, community and capacity building, the development and maintenance of collaborative practices can be as complicated as it is productive (see Philp, Jeffrey and McGowan, 2021). This paper examines complexities of collaboration on research outputs related to the intersections of creative writing, literary analysis and sport. We consider ways creative writing practitioner researchers can develop strategies to navigate collaborative practice through an examination of the authors’ developing collaborative projects and collaborative working relationship born out of this very conference. This paper seeks to contribute to notions that collaboration ‘be conceptualised, discussed in scholarship, and approached in ways that are as diverse, paradoxical, and fluid as collaborative endeavours are in practice’ (See Philp et al., 2021), through its consideration of a series of interrelated creative writing and sports research projects, we share our reflections, successes, challenges and celebrate the rich opportunities and connections the Sport Literature Association can offer its members to further their academic and creative careers.