Tucked away in the peaceful Himalayas, there’s a place where writers come to tell their stories. Imagine clouds drifting through the room, the meowli bird singing from oak trees, and the mighty Nanda Devi mountain in the distance.

You sip adrak chai and lose yourself in books. Sounds magical, right? This is ‘Himalayan Writing Retreat’ (HWR) located in Satkhol, Nainital district, Uttarakhand, and run by Vandita Dubey and Chetan Mahajan.

“HWR is a true artists’ commune; it takes you literally to another world, ” says Poornima Rajamani, a recipient of the first Emerging Writers Residency Programme in 2024. As she describes it, “The journey starts with a short, scenic walk to the retreat leading to the elegant rooms that overlook the Himalayan peaks. With a cliffside overhang — ingeniously called an island amidst the towering mountains — every element immerses you in the writerly life from the very first step.

Birth of Himalayan Writing Retreat

In 2014, the couple, Vandita and Chetan, faced unexpected challenges. Their young son had respiratory issues due to Gurgaon’s polluted air. Both of them were looking for a simpler lifestyle, so they searched for a place to stay and raise their young kids. They zeroed in on Chirag, a child-centric school, and rented a little place in Satkhol village near Mukteshwar.

It was a slow-paced life. The need to earn a living persisted. After many attempts at earning, Chetan, a Penguin-published author, thought of doing something in the writing world. He felt an unmet need, as most of the people they met wanted to write their stories but did not know where to start.

Thus, the writing workshops began at a friend’s house, which they rented. To their surprise, seven people turned up. People wanted to share their stories and write them well. Thus, in October 2016, Himalayan Writing Retreat was born.

“Generally, people tend to put organisations in boxes about profit; it could be more than that; they can care, love, and do much for their communities. Himalayan Writing Retreat has two main communities: our village, Chirag school and the ecology around us. The other community comprises creators, writers, storytellers, and artists. We want both communities to thrive, and our programmes are geared to serve them differently, Chetan tells The Better India, reminiscing about the........

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