The Ranjit Hoskote 3-Day Nature and Writing Masterclass
Mukteshwar, India
Dates & Duration
18 Nov - 22 Nov 2026
5 Days / 4 Nights
Retreat Type
Writing
Level
intermediate
About This Retreat
We’re small, mortal, ephemeral. Even more so when confronted with the scale and majesty of the Himalayas. They overwhelm us and when we burst at the seam, what comes out are words.
In this unique 3-day Masterclass, award-winning poet, translator and visual-arts curator Ranjit Hoskote takes us on a journey into our senses, our lived lives and the nature we all come from. We’ll look at the craft through these unique lenses, one on each day.
The sessions will focus on synaesthesia or accessing forgotten sensorial archives; on anamnesia or retrieving personal or collective histories that have been lost to sight; and on ecopoetics or a sensitivity to the perspectives of vulnerable species and habitats.
Ranjit’s approach is based on ‘creative reading’ and ‘cross-training’, so this Masterclass would benefit writers across genres. The sources Ranjit will bring into play will also be drawn from across the gamut of writing practices: poetry, fiction, non-fiction and so forth.
The masterclass will pivot around writing and discussion sessions, as well as on exercises based on the direct experience of the Himalayan landscape within which the writing retreat is situated.
Participants will be given a set of readings in advance, and will be expected to have engaged with these texts or other material, in preparation for the workshop.
Retreat Highlights
Learn with award-winning poet Ranjit Hoskote
Small group of maximum 10 participants
Personal attention and feedback
Writing exercises in the Himalayan landscape
Cross-genre creative writing approach
Combination of learning, writing and nature
4-night stay at a Himalayan writing retreat
Retreat Program
Day 1 - Arrival, Check-in & Settle In
Arrive at the Himalayan Writing Retreat in the Uttarakhand Himalayas and settle into your accommodation. Take time to experience the natural surroundings and the retreat's writing spaces. The retreat is built for writing and learning, with rooms designed to let nature in and inspire you.
Day 2 - Synaesthesia / Coming to Our Senses
We will begin with our motivations for writing. Why do we express ourselves in
words, and how do we share what with others what we have made with words? How
can we speak for our predicaments connecting with the vulnerability of others? Texts
across genres – poetry, nature writing, fiction, memoir – will be shared and
discussed. Participants will be encouraged to go out into ambient nature and
experiment with stepping out of their sensory comfort zone. Can we write without
relying on the visual and the verbal, which are our dominant modes? What can
listening to a many-voiced silence teach us?
Day 3 - Anamnesia / Retrieving Histories
All of us, as writers, hold on to objects, events and people to whom we attach a
special importance – as sources of magic, inspiration, fascination or fear. Such focal
points belong both to memory and to the lived present. We may treat them as
recurrent motifs, or mask them in allusions. How do we bear witness to the role they
play in our imaginative lives? As a thought experiment, participants will choose a
particular object – childhood talisman, travel souvenir, inheritance, gift or chance
discovery – and to craft a text around it, exploring both its materiality and the
resonances it carries.
Day 4 - Ecopoetics / New Interrelationships with Nature
We know that a traditional kind of nature-writing – whether in poetry or in prose – is
no longer tenable. Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, forests are receding,
and the monsoon can be sullen and unpredictable. Living through this climate crisis,
how do we re-engage creatively, meaningfully with the natural world. How do we
dismantle our reflexes of species sovereignty? What responsibilities must we accept
towards other species, our fellow tenants of this planet? How do we articulate these
shifts of consciousness, sensibility and commitment through our writing? The last
day of the masterclass will explore a renewal of horizons.
Day 5 - Relax & Check-out
Enjoy the Himalayan surroundings before checking out and departing from the retreat.
Stay Info
Venue: Himalayan Writing Retreat
Address: Village Satkhol, District Nainital, Uttarakhand
Town: Satkhol • City: Mukteshwar, India
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 a single room has been confirmed. All essentials like food, hot water, towels etc. are provided. No hidden costs.
The rooms are built to let nature in and inspire you. The retreat also has dedicated writing spaces, including the Book Lounge.
It can snow in winter and the weather can vary. A pair of sturdy walking shoes, some rain protection and an extra layer or two are always a good idea.
Food Info
breakfast • lunch • dinner • snacks
All meals are served buffet style with fixed timings. If you have specific dietary needs, please inform us before you book. Non-veg is served once a day. All meals are freshly prepared, home-style, mostly Indian dishes.
Breakfast: 8:30–9:30 AM
Lunch: 1:00–2:00 PM
Tea: 5:00 PM
Soup: 7:45 PM
Dinner: 8:00–9:00 PM
A kettle and tea/coffee sachets are provided in all rooms. We do not offer room service.
Tea and snacks are served at 5:00 PM every day and are not available on order. The Kapil General Store, located about 300 yards from the retreat, is well stocked with packaged food and snacks.
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.
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 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.
Know Before You Book
- English
- Hindi
- Guests cancelling 30 or more days before the retreat starts will receive a 95% refund.
- Guests cancelling between 15 and 29 days before the retreat starts will receive a 50% refund.
- No refund will be issued for cancellations made less than 15 days before the retreat starts.
Starting from ₹48,000 per Person