Faraway Poetry Retreat

About the Program

A two night-three day retreat planned to instil greater love for poetry and mentor the hidden poet in all of us. This programme will provide the time and space to write poems in scenic Kumaon hills and the opportunity to enhance creativity and imagination leading to satisfying poetic outputs. The workshop planned will encompass poetry appreciation, understanding and writing, coupled with prompts and tips to polish the word-artist in you. The sessions will be inclusive of instruction and exclusive time to write.

At the end of the programme, you may expect to take back a lot of ideas, writing tips and techniques, many good friends and pleasant memories. This programme only has 12 seats.

The Structure

1. Session 1
   Understanding Poetry – The introductory session where we set the pace for the two days.Participants can bring along their earlier poems, as well as their notions on poetry – which wewill together demystify. The session will broadly cover definitions on poetry, what separates it from prose, the intuitive element of poetry and a few prompts to begin warming up to the idea of poetry.
   Day 1, evening.
2. Session 2
   Absorbing Poetry – We will together be reading two poems – one in English and another in Hindustani to understand the poet’s creative process. We will discuss the conditions which help bring out the poet in you. The objective here is immersion.
   Day 1, night.
3. Session 3
   On a Trail of Metaphors – We will take a walk through the wilderness, understanding and observing natural elements. Through this trail, we’ll pick up ideas to convert into symbols, images, metaphors, memories and eventually, poetry! The objective of this session would be understand how simple thoughts can attain layers of imagination, and to decide a theme which the poets will write upon in the following session.
   Day 2, morning
4. Session 4
   Streaming Consciousness – A quick tips and tricks session to overcome hesitance to write. The poets will be encouraged to write on the theme they picked up in the previous session. The objective of this session would be to help poets develop their themes into poetic narratives.
   Day 2, afternoon
5. Session 5
   Your Quill, Your Imagination – Time for the poets to think, write, get frustrated, get inspired, write, and write again. The instructor will set pace for the writing work to find voice and form.
   Day 2, evening.
   
   SPECIAL – A little celebration in the evening with music of poetry, art, imagination, nature and of 2 years of Poets’ Collective (the partnering entity for this programme.)
    
6. Session 6
   Pour out your Heart – Let’s listen to each other’s poem (or poems) from what we have managed to scribble on our sojourn at Faraway Renz.
   Day 2, morning.
   
    

Before leaving, the participants can spend exclusive time with the instructor, or utilise the same time to write some more, imagine some more, before they return to the familiar fumes of the plains. 

About the Instructor - Saumya Kulshrestha 

A writer by passion and profession, Saumya has made a name for herself as a Poet, Blogger, Editor and Translator. English, Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit literature are her active sites of engagement. She believes that a study of languages, words and alphabets is the only pursuit worth undertaking. Someday she would like to establish 'etymology' and 'linguistics' as independent religions.

She runs a poetry club in the city called Poets'Collective, which has become popular as an informal platform to share heartfelt words. Started in September 2014, PC is the Sunday solace for many like her, who crave for a non-judgemental and warm atmosphere to let their most intimate expressions out. She is also the Co-Creator of PC's blog, called The Other Quill. 

Saumya has founded Delhi’s only mythology club, called MahaVarta. The name is obviously a bad pun on the Mahabharata, but delves into almost all kinds of mythological, historical and philosophical concepts and texts from yore. Under the aegis of MV, Saumya also conducts multiple workshops and lectures.

Her own blog - Nascent Emissions - has attracted more than 4 million hits. This has been her zone for fearlessly and fervently expressing everything that manages to catch her heart. (Saumya also tried doing some food blogging by creating a platform calledNapkin Chatter, but failed miserably.)

She is a guest teacher at IIIT Delhi, where she teaches English Poetry and Indian Mythology. Saumya conducts poetry and creative writing workshops and lectures in NGOs, schools and colleges. Her areas of interest include Classical Sanskrit Poetry and Drama, British Romantic Movement, Confessional Poetry, Post-Colonial Literature, Urdu Poetry and the Chhayavaad School of Poetry in Hindi. Indian English Poetry is the field she is spending most time understanding now. 

She has co-authored an academic text on Indian Heritage and Culture, which is a favourite with students studying for competitive examinations. In this domain, she also serves on the Advisory Board of Youth for Heritage Foundation. 

Her day job comprises of putting together the best content and communication strategies to impact school education positively. She teaches the nuances of communication to students of Shiv Nadar School, while working as their Associate Manager - Marketing and Branding. 

She loves singing and is also a Voice Over Artist; you’ll occasionally find her lending her voice to some radio jingles too. She has also lent her voice, both as a narrator and singer, to stage performances. Lore of Love and Nayika are two productions which she scripted and narrated, in conjunction with Guru Rashmi Khanna, the acclaimed Bharatnatyam danseuse.  

Saumya is a social media enthusiast and has consulted for individuals, organizations and government projects in the past, to help them create effective digital strategies and presence. She has worked Senior Content Strategist / Stylist for a year in Drizzlin Media, where she fine-tuned her skills in the digital space. 

She is a voracious reader, and loves to keep a count of the books she has read. She was among the winners of the hugely popularBrunch Book Challenge in 2015, when she managed to read 58 books in a year!

She has done her schooling from Laxman Public School, Bachelors in Economics (honors) from Jesus and Mary College (Delhi University, and Masters in English from JamiaMilliaIslamia. In Jamia, she organised the first (and only) literary festival for the Department of English, in appreciation for which, she was given a special honour by the Head, Prof. M. Asaduddin, with hopes and wishes for a bright, literary future. 

About the Location

Almost nested inside the woods beyond Corbett National Park, FARAWAY Renz is right off the Ramnagar-Ranikhet Highway, near a small village, Ghatti.  Built of stone, the property has a bungalow and six cottages that overlook a beautiful expanse of the Himalayan greens. The snow-clad expanse stands tall in front of the resort providing a mesmerizing view of the silvery-white peaks. A perfect getaway from busy city life, Faraway brings you beautiful nature walks to refresh your mind, an ambience that is conducive to reading, writing, painting, lazing about and even playing the guitar to rejuvenate your soul. It also offers you good local Kumauni, North Indian cuisine to delight your senses. What’s more, you can spend endless hours stargazing or enjoying the moon rise over the hills beyond the resort! The property is well connected to Corbett National Park, Ranikhet, Almora, Binsar, Nainital and Mukhteswar.

For more information, visit http://www.farawayventures.com/

About the Charges

The fee for the programme is Rs. 8500/-

This fee includes food, boarding, workshop fee and taxes.

This fee DOES NOT include to and fro travel from the location. However, if two authors or more want to travel together, we shall help to arrange for the same.

About Registration & Payments

Drop in an email to dipankar.mukherjee@readomania.com

You will get the details for payment.

We hope to see you at Faraway Renz on September 16, 2016