Rachna Books Writers Residency

Exploratory residency

Residency brief

Rachna Books Writers’ Residency aims to provide an engaging, stimulating and peaceful place for writers to live, write and interact. We nurture new and emerging writing – non-fiction, fiction, graphic novels and comics, and children’s books fiction from the Eastern Himalayan states in India, and connect with writers from the rest of the world.

In 2023, Raman Shresta and Mary Therese Kurkalang, friends for close to two decades, came together to plot and plan this residency. Raman is the proprietor and publisher of Rachna Books – a bookshop & publishing house, for over two decades. Mary is a literary and cultural curator, researcher, and arts manager. She is currently directing several Literary Festivals in the region; is the senior consultant for The Himalayan Fellowship; among other projects in the intersections of the Arts, Culture and Societies across India, and internationally. She has worked in publishing, culture, arts, and the social sector for the last three decades.

  • Thematic focus Non-Fiction, Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Children’s Books
  • Location Gangtok, Sikkim
  • Dates July 2026 - August 2026
  • Length of stay 30-40 days

Our Space

The residency is located at Rachna Books and Publications, a bookstore and publishing house in Gangtok, the capital of the Himalayan State of Sikkim in Northeast India. Established in 1979, the bookshop later expanded to include a Café and B&B on multiple floors. The space hosts year-round events and programmes which include readings, author interactions, poetry, translations, film, music, photography and more… Through the decades, we have engaged the local populace and helped shape the culture of the city, as well as connecting a growing community of readers, thinkers and cultural practitioners across state, region, country and internationally.

Surrounded by books, with a view of the mountains, living in close quarters above a bookshop and a café, witnessing the daily lives of people on the streets. We hope that this place and time away and together will provide the writer with the needed pause, space and time to reflect and write.

Residency conditions

  • The resident will be provided with on-site accommodation, which includes an ensuite bathroom, toilet and a private balcony, a workstation with a writing table and stable internet. The resident will be provided with a collective working place at the bookshop and at the café in the same building.
  • The resident will be provided with a kitchenette, shared with other residents (not more than 3-4 people)- breakfast & lunch will be provided. Monday to Saturday at the café (same premises). Dinners & Sunday meals will need to be directly organized (with the other residents, or independently). Having said that, we are very hospitable and will facilitate & ensure, you don't go hungry at any point.
  • The city’s roads are narrow and steep and some areas are accessible only by steps. Like most mountain towns, it is not disability friendly. To get to the city from the nearest Airport takes about 5-6 hours by road transport. For the above reasons we would recommend that the resident be reasonably physically fit and comfortable with road transport. The city and state are safe for all genders.
  • The residents’ travel costs to and from his/her home address will be covered by the French Institute in India.
  • The resident will receive a fixed stipend of INR. 30,000 per month to cover his/her food and living expenses.
  • The resident will receive a fixed residency grant of INR. 50,000 per month.
  • The resident should be willing to give up to 20% of their residency time to participate in lectures, workshops, and conferences organized by Rachna Books or the French Institute in India. The residency will culminate with a public event at the bookstore.
  • The French Institute in India expects the selected resident to send them a short text (1000 - 2000 words) or strip testifying of their experience within 3 months of completion of the residency.
  • This is an exploratory residence, which means that there is no other obligation of results at the end of the residency. However, the residency program needs to be acknowledged in any artistic production resulting from the residency.

Eligibility criteria

  • Proficiency in English is required for the applicant.
  • The Residency itself is on the second floor of a building and can only be navigated with stairs.
  • The resident must have one book or album (minimum) published by a French publishing house.

Past Laureates

Second Edition (2024 - 2025)
Thibault Marthouret Poet
First Edition (2023 - 2024)
Simon Lamouret