Manav Kaul is an award-winning Indian theatre director, playwright, author, actor, and filmmaker.

He was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film Tumhari Sulu (2017). He went onto win a national award for this very role. 

Amongst his notable plays are Ilhaam, Park, and Shakkar Ke Paanch Daane, which was his first outing as playwright and director in 2004. His influences include Charles Bukowski, Vinod Kumar Shukla, Franz Kafka, and Nirmal Verma, to whom he paid homage in his 2010 play Red Sparrow.

Manav Kaul is also a writer with more than 7 books to his credit which includes both fiction and poetry.

Some of his works include titles like Theek Tumhare Peeche, Tumhare Baare Mein, Bahut Door Kitna Door Hota Hai, Chalta Phirta Pret, and  Prem Kabootar which was further translated into English as A Night in the Hills (Westland, 2019).

Chetan Mahajan has spent two decades working in on-line learning, both in the US and India. He has taught on-line as far back as 2006 as a faculty member at the University of Phoenix online.

Chetan is a Penguin-published author and an award-winning blogger. Chetan and his wife Dr. Vandita Dubey (also a published author) moved to the Himalayas five years ago. There they founded the Himalayan Writing Retreat. Chetan is now a full-time author and works as a writing coach independently as well as with the London based the writing coach. He also writes for The Mint, Outlook Magazine, HT Brunch, Reader’s Digest and Hindu Business Line.

Workshop Preparation :

• Read three short stories
• Write out the basics of the project you will work on. 
• Also, keep your favourite book (Fiction / Narrative Non-fiction) handy. 

Day 0 : Arrive and chill.

Enjoy the winter sun, and also while you’re here, walk in the wilderness, Bask in the fire, gaze at the stars. Your eyes feast on the magnificent Himalayan dusks and dawns, your ears on the live birdsong concert, your lungs on clean crisp mountain air, and your taste buds on the delectable, homely fare.

Day 1 : Aspects of good writing. Plot, Character and Point of view.

We dig into the aspects of a good book, and spend time on Plot and Character in depth.

In Plot, we go over various frameworks of plot, and how they apply to some contemporary writings, such as Harry Potter. How a good plot leads to a strong narrative. In Character, we explore what characters are, their different types, how they are built, and so on.

Point of view is a big decision – will you write in first-person? Third ? Or will you write from Multiple points of view? We will do voice-writing exercises in pairs to help the writer get into someone else’s shoes and write.

That evening the Himalayan Participants will head out for a walk to enjoy some Pahadi samosas and chai.

Day 2 : Description & Setting, Pace, Language & Editing.

We understand exactly what Description & Setting is. We learn about the pace of a story. We practice writing  both activities to make our story better.

We examine our own writing for some of the bad writing habits we pick up, and ways to unlearn them. We learn to omit needless words and write clean.

Editing cannot be over-emphasized. Good writers do it over and over again. We understand why, and explore some tools which can help.

Next, we dig into the project of writing: how to plan a book and write it. We learn new ways to do away with distractions and create focus. We close by looking at tools – both offline and tech – specific to writing.

We review the book writing plans of those keen on sharing. We tweak the plans where required and understand the committed milestones and dates.

After class, we introduce the Himalayan participants to our home brewed citrus punch which is had with hot water. Those who drink are welcome to try it with the alcohol they bring.

Day 3 : Writers block, Publishing options, Marketing your book, your writing plan.

We discuss strategies based on research on creativity from the field of psychology. We write more. From figuring out how to “think outside the box” to ways of dealing with the famous writer’s block, we put science to good use. We build on the authors’ toolkit.

We spend the last day doing a reality check. Publishing and marketing a book requires a very different set of skills from writing a book. We explore those. We understand the options for publishing available to a first-time author. For analyze the economics of traditional and self publishing, their pros and cons. We learn what a literary agent does, and if you should sign up with one.

We discuss what it takes to market a book. Does Social Media have a role? What are good – and bad – ways to get reviews?

The Himalaya participants stargaze / sing songs by the fire / share their talents with the group.

Day 4- Leave after a sumptuous breakfast.

We close with all participants sharing feedback on the experience at the Creative Writing Course.

The Himalayan Writing Retreat is built for writing and learning. We are rated 5-star on google and facebook.

Once here, you will be sharing a room with a fellow participant (unless we’ve confirmed a single). All essentials like food, hot water, towels etc. are provided. No hidden costs.

It can snow in winter. Weather can vary and the weather chart of Mukteshwar (12 km from the retreat) is here. A pair of sturdy walking shoes, some rain protection and an extra layer or two are always a good idea.

Our rooms are built to let nature in and inspire you. To see pictures of the rooms click here . To see pictures of the writing spaces click here

Depending upon where you travel in from, you can reach us by road, train or air. Even if flying or taking a train, the final stretch is a drive, and the last 150 metres is a walk.

By Road

The retreat is a 370 km/9 hours drive from Delhi. If driving, we recommend you leave early. Note that parking at the retreat is on the road – we do not have any private parking. We have limited driver accommodation, so please check in advance.

Overnight Volvo buses ply between Haldwani and Delhi, the more reliable of which are government operated. You con book those here. Private Volvos and Sleeper buses also ply between Delhi and Haldwani, which you can book on redbus. Make sure you pick a bus with a high (4+) rating.

By Train

There are three trains a day from Delhi to Kathgodam, the nearest train station. Some others also come in from Kolkata, Lucknow and Dehradun. From Delhi, Ranikhet Express is a convenient overnight train both ways, but finding tickets can be difficult. 

Most people prefer to take the Kathgodam Shatabdi (Delhi dep: 6.20 AM, Kathgodam Arr: 11.40 AM). A cab from Kathgodam to Satkhol takes about 2.5 hrs / Rs. 2200 (more for a big car). Cabs are often shared by participants. 

By Air

There are daily flights from Delhi to Pantnagar. A cab from Pantnagar to Satkhol takes about 3.5 hr / Approx INR 4K.

There are direct flights from Mumbai and Bangalore to Bareilly 3-4 days a week. Satkhol is a 5hr / INR 5.5k cab ride from Bareilly. (More for a big car). Cabs are often shared by participants.

1. Why should I choose HWR Workshops?   

• Personal Attention: We don’t take more than 10 students in a class. You get a lot of personal attention and feedback. No classrooms of 20-30 people or one-way pre-recorded videos here.
• Class Quality: For most courses, we filter our participants. You can’t just pay and sign up. We need to see a writing sample (in our application form) to ensure the class is of a uniform standard.
• Quality of faculty: No lightweights here. Many of our faculty are award-winners. All are experts and great teachers. We don’t settle for average.
• Feedback scores: Across courses, we are rated 4.5/5, or higher. You can read our reviews HERE.

2. Do I get a certificate of participation?

Yes, certificates are available on request.

3. Any discounts for students / other categories?

At the Himalayan Writing Retreat, we follow a strict no-discount policy.

4. Is the workshop fee refundable?

Our cancellation policy is as follows:

• Online Writing Workshop: 100% refund if cancellation 2 weeks before the event start date, 50% if cancellation one week before the start date, 0% if less than one week before the start date.
• Creative Writing Workshop at the Himalayas: 100% refund if cancellation 4 weeks before the event start date, 50% if cancellation two weeks before the start date, 0% if less than two weeks before the start date.

5. Is the Himalayan Writing Retreat a business or an NGO?

The Himalayan Writing Retreat is a social enterprise. It works closely and actively with two local NGOs in its community work initiatives: Chirag and Alaap. Since 2020, HWR has raised over 15 Lakh rupees to support the Chirag School.

Have more questions? Feel free to write to us at info@himalayanwritingretreat.com or connect with us at +91 73035 16665 (Call/ WA/Signal).