The Editing Masterclass with Alexandra Pringle
September 1 – September 6
This Masterclass is meant for professional editors looking to elevate their skills. Alexandra Pringle is a legendary editor with a worldwide reputation.
Alexandra will be at the Himalayan Writing Retreat leading a masterclass in Editing which will drill deep into the heart of what makes an editor a true partner to an author.
Aparna Piramal Raje is supporting this program, and her vision has led to this becoming a reality.
We will explore the commissioning of books. We will understand how an editor can help an author develop their narrative, characters and their authorial voice. And how an editor continues working with an author even beyond publishing. If you are a serious writer wanting to dive deep into the art and science of editing, this course may help you too.
Each participant will get 1:1 time with Alexandra, and there will be exercises for participants to build skills. You can see a more detailed program here.
We will look at examples, case studies, and dig deep into Alexandra’s decades of experience working with the likes of Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Gilbert, Khaled Hosseini, Jhumpa Lahiri, Colum McCann, Ann Patchett, George Saunders, Kamila Shamsie, and Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah.
- Each participant will get 1:1 time with Alexandra.
- There will be exercises for participants to build skills.
Who is this suited for?
Editors at publishing houses or literary agencies, independent editors and the like. The tenure / years of work experience doesn’t matter.
To find out if you are eligible to join the exclusive few who will learn from Alexandra, please apply here.
When: September 1 to 6, 2026
Who: The workshop is led by Alexandra Pringle. (Click here for her profile.)
Where: The Himalayan Writing Retreat, Satkhol Village. Uttarakhand – 263138 (India).
How much:
Early Bird Price: INR 1,00,000 + GST (for a twin-shared room + all meals). Single rooms maybe available offsite (at a walkable distance) for a Price of 1.4 Lakhs + GST.
Early Bird ends: 22nd August, 2026
Regular Price: INR 1,20,000 + GST
Only ten (10) participants accepted on a first-come first-served basis. To apply, click the button below.
Event Summary
Early Bird ends:
22nd August, 2026
Regular Price
INR 1,20,000 + GSTThe Genesis of this Masterclass
Aparna Piramal Raje works closely with the Himalayan Writing Retreat as the Lead Patron for the HWR Khozem Merchant Non-fiction Writing Fellowship. A bestselling author herself, she is deeply passionate about writing and publishing. She felt that there was scope to develop editing skills in India, and that learning from a legend like Alexandra Pringle would help build the editing and publishing Ecosystem. It was her vision, guidance and support which has resulted in this Masterclass becoming a reality.
Course Details
Pre-Work:
Some initial readings will be shared in advance of the course and these will be used during the sessions. Some might also be case studies of book projects.
During the editing masterclass we will dive into:
- The commissioning of books, the various ways to find authors and develop them over a period of years.
- We will discuss structural editing, how an editor can help an author develop their narrative, characters and their authorial voice in both fiction and non-fiction.
- We will discuss line editing, how to help the author achieve their potential with their prose.
- Talk of how an editor’s work doesn’t end with editing but continues throughout the publishing process, from the cover copy to the book cover, from the bound proofs to publicity and marketing.
- Have a one-on-one session with each participant, possibly on the last day
Alexandra will share her deep experiences and share relevant stories from it.
About Your Mentor
Alexandra Pringle
Alexandra Pringle is a distinguished British editor whose career spans over four decades shaping literary fiction.
She launched her career at Art Monthly, then joined Virago Press as its fourth employee, editing the acclaimed Modern Classics series and rising to Editorial Director, championing feminist voices. In 1990, she became Editorial Director at Hamish Hamilton, honing skills in literary acquisitions, and did a spell at a literary agency.
Pringle joined Bloomsbury in 1999 and served as Editor-in-Chief until 2022, overseeing adult trade and editing a stellar roster including Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Gilbert, Khaled Hosseini, Jhumpa Lahiri, Colum McCann, Ann Patchett, George Saunders, Kamila Shamsie, and Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah. Her tenure emphasized bold storytelling across genres, blending editorial precision with author partnerships.
Honored with FRSL fellowship and honorary doctorates, Pringle now directs Silk Road Slippers while mentoring via residencies. Her work revived classics and launched bestsellers, influencing global literature profoundly.
Travel and Stay
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: Parking at the retreat is on the road, and we do not have any private parking. We’re a small property and cannot provide driver accommodation.
Overnight Volvo buses ply between Haldwani and Delhi, the more reliable of which are government operated. You can 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. 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.
There are direct flights from Mumbai and Bangalore to Bareilly 3-4 days a week. Satkhol is a 5hr cab ride from Bareilly. Cabs are often shared by participants.
The Himalayan Writing Retreat
Village Satkhol, Dist. Nainital,
Uttarakhand 263138
INDIA
+91 73035 16665
FAQs
- 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.
- A Decade’s Experience:The Himalayan Writing Retreat was founded in 2016. we’ve been doing teaching programs for writers for ten years. we;ve hosted over 1000 people, and have yet to have an unhappy participant. It shows up in everything we do.
- Feedback scores: Across courses, we are rated 4.9/5, or higher. You can read our reviews HERE.
- Do I get a certificate of participation?
Yes, certificates are available on request.
- Any discounts for students / other categories?
At the Himalayan Writing Retreat, we follow a strict No-Discount policy.
- Is the workshop fee refundable?
Our cancellation policy is as follows:
Online Writing Workshop:
* 95% refund if cancellation 2 weeks before the event start date
* 50% refund if cancellation one week before the start date
* No refund if cancellation less than one week before the start date.
Workshops in the Himalayas (INR Denominated) :
* 95% refund if cancellation 4 weeks before the event start date
* 50% refund if cancellation two weeks before the start date
* 0% refund if cancellation less than two weeks before the start date.
- Is the Himalayan Writing Retreat a business or an NGO?
The Himalayan Writing Retreat is a social enterprise. It works closely and actively to support the unique and precious Chirag School. On average, HWR raises INR 8 Lakhs every year 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)
Cancellation Policy for Physical Courses
- 95% refund if cancellation 4 weeks before event start date.
- 50% refund if cancellation 2 weeks before the start date.
- 0% refund if cancellation is less than 2 weeks before start date.
