Literary retreats and residencies, the write place to be

Seema Sachdeva

For much of the year, Mumbai-based Tony Xavier works as a chief learning officer with an edtech company but to pursue his passion for writing, he prefers going to a quiet writing retreat in the middle of an apple orchard near Kasol in Himachal Pradesh. “It takes a 30-minute trek up from Alekhya to reach the nearest roadhead. The closest major town is an hour-and-a-half away. The retreat offers home-cooked food and there is no scope for distractions like Swiggy or Zomato to tempt you even to scroll. And suddenly, there’s ample time at your disposal. From the writing perspective, being at the retreat helps me focus on my projects better. I was able to finish one-third of my last book within a month of my extended stay there following a writing workshop,” he says. Besides writing books related to his field, Tony likes to dabble in poetry, has translated a short story from Malayalam and recently completed his first novel.

Helmed by authors and publishers, the workshops (of three to five days’ duration) at the retreat give an insight into the mechanics of publishing, says Tony, adding that these are particularly helpful to first-time writers.

Goa-based educator and writer Michelle Bambawale, who enrolled herself in three-day creative writing classes hosted by the Himalayan Writing Retreat at Satkhol, Nainital, shares her experience. Her first book, a memoir, ‘Becoming Goan’, was recently published by Penguin Random House. “I had been blogging and writing as a journalist but working on a book was a different experience. The workshop gave me a better understanding of concepts like the narrative arc, looking for visuals, besides an insight into the basics of publishing such as writing the pitch, finding a literary agent, etc. Ideally, you should be working on some project when you enrol yourself so that your time there is spent usefully,” she says.

The art of writing is generally thought of as an exercise in solitude but that is hard to find in the fast-paced world we live in. Catering to the demand for this clientele are a number of literary retreats and residencies, offering writers an opportunity to cut themselves from their surroundings and focus on their passion for writing in a stimulating environment. Besides taking care of basics like home-cooked food and accommodation, many of these retreats offer workshops in developing skills like writing, editing, building characters and plot, as well as a glance at the publishing industry.

Author and investigative journalist Ushinor Majumdar, who is returning to Alekhya Writing Retreat for the second year as mentor, says, “Everyone has a story to tell. But most people are not aware of how the writing and publishing industries work. The two are different things. As far as writing is concerned, there’s the dynamics of building the story, plotting the characters, bringing out enough emotion for readers to experience. The writing workshops help writers connect to a certain form that is easier for the reader to understand.”

Ushinor adds that many first-time writers are keen on writing short stories which require a lot of hard work, “but these don’t work well in India. Editors at publishing houses get hundreds of manuscripts every year but the number of published books has gone down since the pandemic. Thus, it is essential for a writer to understand the kind of books that are likely to be accepted for publishing”.

His co-mentor at the retreat, Saloni Mittal, managing editor at Penguin Random House, takes the participants through the editing and publishing process. “Through presentations, I give them tips on improving their editing skills. For instance, I give them a sentence and ask them to write it in five different ways. Then, there are tips on referencing non-fiction books, etc. The sessions are aimed at making writers aware of the styles and practices that the publishers are looking for. Apart from the two-hour sessions, there is a lot of interaction, like going for long walks, eating meals together, community building, etc.”

Says Chetan Mahajan, who, along with his wife Vandita Dubey, hosts the Himalayan Writing Retreat, “Writers need inspiration and good instruction; both are hard to find. The idea was to give writers a combination of the two — a retreat in the mountains, which is an inspiring place, and making available top-notch faculty that can guide writers in pursuing their passion.” The participants have published 62 books, he adds.

The cost for most of the three-to-five- day courses being hosted by various retreats starts from Rs 25,000. According to Mahima Sood, who hosts the Alekhya Writing Retreat, “The all-inclusive five-day course costs around Rs 50,000. Unstructured interactive sessions with a published author and publisher help to give the writers much more clarity about their work. We also offer scholarships for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

“Bulk of our courses is paid. A five-day course by author Jerry Pinto, which we organised recently, was fully sold out at Rs 45,000. Our three-week residency programme is free of cost but involves a rigorous selection process. For this year’s residency course, we have received 214 applications. Of these, 10 will be selected for enrolment,” says Chetan, who is among the hosts for the Villa Swagatam initiative of the Embassy of France.

Villa Swagatam’s network of residencies in India recently gave a call for applications to all French and Indian citizens and to any candidate residing in France or India for more than five years. The selection process for the programme is carried out by the institute in collaboration with its residency partners across the country, like Sangam House, Alice Boner Institute and the Himalayan Writing Retreat.

According to Emmanuel Lebrun-Damiens, Counsellor for Education, Science, and Culture, Embassy of France in India, “Two distinguishing features of Villa Swagatam are its commitment to reciprocity, welcoming Indian laureates in France under similar terms starting in 2024. Secondly, the reliance of the project on a network of local partner residencies for selection and support of residents which ensures greater visibility through broader mobilisation of the programme.”

Retreats in mountains remain the top choice for writers, but it is only those wanting to experience regional flavour who come to stay in residencies in Punjab, says Poonam Singh of Preet Nagar Residency in Amritsar. Poonam has been hosting art and literary residencies off and on. “There is not much of a culture among Punjabis to come and stay in residencies. For those staying with us, we organise activities like village walks to understand the area,” she says.

Generally, it is writers from across the country and abroad who are working on projects on Punjab who come and stay here, says Preeti Gill, host of Majha House in Amritsar. Well-known writers like Booker-award winner Geetanjali Shree, Pratyaksha Sinha and Madan Gopal Singh have stayed at Majha House and held sessions on their writing. “We don’t advertise for residencies and most of our guests come through references. We also don’t hold any writing workshops since it is mostly senior writers who come to stay here and interact with the local community,” says Preeti, whose residency is presently under renovation.

On whether residencies and retreats help writers, Saloni concludes, “Writing is purely a personal journey. There are some writers who like to work in their own space while there are others who enjoy discussing their story ideas. It is a matter of individual choice.”

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