WRITER’S YATRA™
A sensorial writing experience
with
Nirmala Govindarajan
(Author/Journalist/Social Sector Documentarian)
Refresh…
See. Touch. Smell. Listen. Taste.
Journey Outwards and Inwards.
Align with your senses.
WRITE…
A FREEWHEELING JOURNEY
Nirmala Govindarajan has designed Writer’s Yatra to kindle your sensory perceptions – sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste to enable you to respond to the world with a free spirit, and write. Write what you like – a blog, a travelogue, a short story, a novel, a social-media message, a script, a poem, a song, a dreamy love letter, a quirky resignation letter…almost anything you feel like expressing on paper. Write in any language you like.
Writer’s Yatra is a freeway into sensory journeys interspersed with fun activities to enable you to align with the rhythm of your being, and write. It isn’t a workshop in the conventional sense, but a journey that enables you to break free from self-imposed and external inhibitions, and meet the writer within.
Writer’s Yatra is an experience, it triggers you to be able to translate your emotions, thoughts, perceptions and experiences into words via journeys to locations that trigger your sensory perceptions, group discussions, brainstorming sessions and interesting works of literature.
IN NATURE’S ARMS
What better place for your sensory perceptions to dialogue with the elements, and transpose your creativity into words? By the banks of an ancient Himalayan river, or by the shores of a balmy ocean… In a chosen place away from the bustle of the city, Nirmala’s Writer’s Yatra sessions are held at offbeat locations that bring your senses alive to creation and all its forms. As an aspiring writer and participant of Writer’s Yatra, you will take back a renewed you who probes the syntax of sensory experiences to pen stories, poetry et al, waiting to be written, and read.
Via Writer’s Yatra, you will begin your journey as an inwardly aligned writer who has so much more to pen, than what meets the eye. Importantly, post the Yatra, you are welcome to stay in touch with Nirmala as and when you write, and she will be happy to engage with your writing at no additional fee.
NOTES FROM PARTICIPANTS OF WRITER’S YATRA, RISHIKESH – JANUARY 28-30, 2019:
India, a journey within a soul reaching journey via its colours, smells, tastes, sounds, sights and textures. India, a muse. And within it, Rishikesh. Laid back and active at once. Indian and international at once. Blessed by nature and spirituality at once. Each waking moment in its environs is a sight to behold, a taste to relish, an aroma to awaken your sixth sense, a rhythm to ring melodies of life beyond life, a warm tight hug to unleash all that binds you to tried and tested methods of creative thinking. Rishikesh is among the finest experiences that travellers from the world over take back to their homes.
The debut session of Writer’s Yatra between January 18 and 20 at Rishikesh, India, had participants from England, India and the United States. These participants share their thoughts on Writer’s Yatra…
Rebecca Aveson (Plymouth, England): Thanks so SO much for a fantastic weekend in Rishikesh at the Writer’s Yatra. It was a great experience where I was able to unlock my writing skills and focus them on something I’m proud and keen to develop. I was also grateful to have been able to share the experience with Garth and Chirag and yourself, Nimi (Nirmala Govindarajan), to see how we all grew our individual pieces. Not only this, it was fun exploring the local area and sharing truly magical experiences with you.
Chirag Arora (New Delhi, India): Saw a post on Zostel’s Instagram about an immersive 2.5 day writing workshop with Nirmala Govindarajan. Read up about her, got thinking on what presentable work or talkable topics I had, sort of intimidated out of my own not-so-well-read-ness. Took a solo trip and a leap of faith.
Over the 2.5 days I learnt to let go of that very inhibition/filter and author Nirmala became Nimi, as her affectionate hosting (and a lot of pumpkin spinach soup and a generous dose of her emergency gud (jaggery) in all day chai). She got me to write without constant editing, write without the burden/worry of impressing the reader with a detail-heavy tight economy of words poem – my internalised formula. She got me to write freely…
Garth Jacob (Colorado, USA): Writers Yatra, the weekend creative writing workshop has helped me unlock my own creative potential, through a focus on writing using sensory perception. Different exercises and activities throughout the weekend were used to highlight and stimulate each of the 5 senses. Conscious group discussions throughout the day with other participants was a positive environment to share and expand ideas. Each participant brought their own fresh perspective and creativity.
BRIEFLY:
- Writer’s Yatra is an Experience, and not a conventional workshop. This Yatra is about the warmth of growing as a writer among strangers who, before you know it, are friends and co-curators of your journey as a writer…
- The debut Writer’s Yatra was held at Rishikesh, and there will be several more in this all-encompassing location. In future, Writer’s Yatra will be held at other offbeat locales.
- While the sessions are designed to inspire the writer in you to work on your piece, and the discussions packed with ideas and reading material to stimulate you senses, Writer’s Yatrais all about the joy of writing, and involves a lot of fun, albeit intellectual.
- We will have morning sessions, the sensory trip, and close of day interactions. You are free to spend the rest of the day according to your plans. Or, hang out together and breathe renewed life into your writing.
- Writer’s Yatra is as three day and five day experiences. The three day sessions are priced at Rs 3,000 and the five day sessions are priced at Rs 5,000. This fee does not include your travel, stay, fee for activities and food. Watch out for future events on our Facebook page.
- Fees for your Writer’s Yatra sessions need to be paid in advance.
- Nirmala usually stays at backpacker locations and 60’s Green Hills during the course of the workshops. We recommend you do the same for a more pocket-friendly and freewheeling experience. But, you are free to choose where you stay.
- Once you’ve confirmed your participation, you will receive a mail with details of the fee payment.
- Importantly, Writer’s Yatra does not end after your weekend or weeklong sessions – Nirmala will be happy to engage with you via email and calls as and when you write at no additional feeJ
Writer’s Yatra is only the beginning of your journey as a person who feels free to put words on paper, and, in time, share your writing with the world…