Sangam House

Exploratory Residency

Residency brief

Sangam House is the oldest writer’s residency in India. Sangam means confluence in many Indian languages and also points back to the great gatherings of Tamil poets and writers between 100 BCE and 300 CE. Sangam House is where multiple traditions meet and new streams are born out of these encounters.

Founded by American DW Gibson and Indian Arshia Sattar, it was conceived as a place for writers to work in a serene environment, while meeting other fellows and to create a solid network of personal and professional relationships. All the dinners are taken together with the other residents, in order to foster exchanges and create a sense of community. Reading sessions are also organized among the residents, in order to give each other feedback.

The resident should be willing to engage with the cultural and literary milieu of Bangalore, even if his project is not necessarily set in its context. There should be a curiosity for discovering new literary forms and traditions and experimenting with them.

  • Thematic focus Literature
  • Location Bangalore, (Karnataka)
  • Dates 2 December to 30 December 2024
  • Length of stay 28 days
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Our Space

Bangalore is a city which has a lot to offer. Praised for its all-year-long pleasant weather and its vibrant art scene, Bangalore is home to the maximum number of independent bookstores. It has many cultural facilities and museums, such as the newly-opened Science Gallery Museum, the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) and many smaller yet happening cultural venues.

Housed at The Jamun, a spacious bungalow complex co-designed by French interior designer Dominic Dube. Sangam House offers a calm and quiet environment with easy access to the city centre. It is located in a green lane facing a park, with giant jamun trees in the front garden. The rooms are inundated with sun and offer access to pleasant balconies and outdoor terraces.

Six writers live together at the Jamun at one time, offering the resident a chance to interact with writers from India and other parts of the world.

Residency conditions

  • The resident will be given a large room or a studio. Each room has an en-suite bathroom and WiFi access. The resident will have access to the common spaces including a living area, dining room, well-equipped kitchen, breakfast nook, a library with a workstation and a terrace on the upper floor. There is also a garden and a covered patio.
  • The resident will be provided with three meals a day at Sangam House, with 24-hour access to tea and coffee-making facilities.
  • 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 his/her residency time to participate in social gatherings, readings, workshops or conferences organized by Sangam House or the Alliance Française Bangalore. The resident is also expected to participate in the Bangalore Literature Festival.
  • This is an exploratory residence, which means that there is no 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.
  • The French Institute in India expects the selected resident to send them a short text (1000 - 2000 words) testifying of their experience within 3 months of completion of the residency.

Eligibility criteria

  • Proficiency in English is required for the applicant.
  • The resident can write in any genre except newspaper articles and academic papers/books.
  • The resident must have one book (minimum) published by a French publishing house