Theme: Understanding Poetry Through Bollywood and Contemporary Lyricism
(Making poetry accessible through familiar Bollywood songs and modern expressions.)

* Sahir, Shailendra, Majrooh, Anand Bakshi to Irshad Kamil and Amitabh Bhattacharya*

Theme: The Complexity of Emotion in Modern Poetry
(Moving towards deeper, more layered poetic expressions.)

* Structure of Ghazals and Nazms. Diving into proper urdu poetry with Ahmad Faraz, Bashir Badr, Kaifi Azmi, Majaz, Parveen Shakir*

Theme: Exploring the Giants: Faiz, Ghalib, Mir, and Beyond
(The finest craftsmen of poetry – their philosophy, their language, their impact.)

RJ Sayema Rehman

RJ Sayema is an acclaimed radio presenter, digital content creator, and storyteller with a rich career spanning over two decades. She holds an M.Phil. in Social Work from Delhi University and has cleared the NET and JRF. After a brief tenure as a lecturer at Delhi University, she chose to follow her passion for broadcasting, embarking on a journey that has made her a household name in Indian radio.

Her radio career began in 1997 with All India Radio as an English presenter and National News Reader. In 2003, she joined Radio Mirchi, where she became synonymous with the iconic Hindi retro night show, Purani Jeans. The show held the No.1 position in Delhi for 14 years before concluding in 2017, but continues to entertain audiences across cities in India and the USA.

Currently, she hosts Suno Sayema in Delhi, a show that embodies the essence of authentic radio—deeply engaging, thoughtful, and interactive. Sayema is known for her ability to connect with her listeners on a personal level, making her show a platform where Delhiites share their stories, challenges, and joys.

An award-winning radio jockey, Sayema has successfully bridged the generational gap, bringing diverse audiences together through her signature style of storytelling and engagement. She has also played a pivotal role in reviving the legacy of Urdu literature on private radio with Ek Purani Kahani, a series dedicated to the timeless works of Saadat Hasan Manto. Her recitations of Urdu poetry, featuring legendary poets like Ghalib, Faiz, and Kaifi Azmi, have further cemented her reputation as a preserver of literary heritage.

Beyond radio, Sayema is a prominent digital creator with a strong social media presence. Her series P for Pronunciation, Urdu Poetry, and Urdu Ki Paathshala have garnered widespread appreciation. With over 2 million followers on Facebook, 1 million on X (formerly Twitter), and 620K on Instagram, she continues to influence and inspire a vast audience across platforms.

RJ Sayema’s ability to weave narratives, spark meaningful conversations, and engage with diverse audiences makes her a powerful voice in both traditional and digital media.

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.

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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 do not take more than 15 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 cannot 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.
• Cost per hour: Our courses are long and intense. As an example, the Creative Writing course is 18000 for 24 contact hours (3 days, 8 hours each day). The cost per hour = 750 / hour. That is comparable to many of the “cheaper” courses.
• 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. In 2020, HWR raised INR 6.1 Lakhs 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).