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Creative Writing:
Led by a dynamic team of publishing authors, this program presents
an extraordinary opportunity for aspiring writers to improve their
skill as they experience the cultural and
 sensory magnificence of
modern India. Ancient shrines, luxurious palaces, colorful markets,
natural reserves where tigers and elephants roam, the tensions of
class and caste, and India’s character-filled street life all
provide unparalleled opportunities for the writer. Dynamic field
workshops allow participants to focus on their own writing interests
– fiction, nonfiction, or poetry – under the supervision of highly
qualified leaders.
The Program:
The group is based in Mysore, in the southern Indian state of
Karnataka, home to nearly one hundred royal palaces as well as the
Devarajah Market, one of India’s most colorful bazaars. Resting as
it does on the slope of a high plateau, Mysore’s summer climate is
considerably cooler than most of the lower subcontinent. It is an
ideal base for exploring the surrounding region, including bird
sanctuaries, thirteenth century Hindu temples set among orchards
and cane fields, a Tibetan monastery containing a sixty-foot golden
Buddha, the summer palace of an eighteenth century Muslim hero, and
a Hindu pilgrimage site where monkeys play on ornate stone carvings
and fragrant garlands are offered up to the gods.
Active exercises and sustained attention to the development of each
participant’s writing talent are combined with immersion in India’s
diverse cultural life. Spend time in a busy market, using your five
senses to bring a sense of place to your writing. Eavesdrop on an
interesting conversation for an exercise on dialogue, or create a
fictional scene set in an ancient temple. Interview street children
for an essay on the contradictions inherent in modern Indian life.
Participate in seminars on meditation, Indian cooking, or ayurvedic
medicine. Students begin each day with the ancient devotional
practice of yoga, led by a distinguished local master. Daily
feedback enables participants to refine their writing in the company
of others passionate about the craft. Readings, craft talks, and
discussions of India’s rich literature alternate with opportunities
to sample India’s delicious cuisine and vibrant street life.
Excursions:
Overnight excursions take participants to the ruins of one of the
great Hindu empires amid an eerie boulder-strewn landscape; ancient
cave-temples dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu carved into red sandstone
cliffs; and the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, where elephants and
tigers live on in their native habitat. The program culminates with
an open reading of participants’ work.
In addition to daily writing sessions and cultural exploration,
participants collaborate with local organizations dedicated to
helping poor and homeless children. Significant community service
hours will not be accumulated, but a portion of the tuition goes to
helping these organizations.
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