Vagamon Writers Residency

Exploratory Residency

Residency brief

The Vagamon Writers Residency is run by DC Books, one of the top ten literary publishers of India, who has played a crucial role in inculcating reading and providing opportunities to budding writers through the DC Kizhakemuri Foundation (DCKF). The residency starts with the resident’s participation in the Kerala Literature Festival, a four-day festival that gathers 600,000 visitors on the beaches of Kozhikode and welcomes writers from all over the world. The resident is then taken to Vagamon, a hill station situated about 250km south.

The residency is situated within the DCSMAT Campus, a liberal arts college run by DCKF. It is a perfect environment for a writer willing to pursue their writing in solitude in a quiet and picture-perfect setting. During his stay, the selected resident will participate in the Mathrubhumi Festival of Letters in the state capital of Trivandrum and interact with the students of the Alliance française Kochi and Trivandrum. Interactions on the campus will be organized by the faculty in the form of talks, writing workshops or free discussions supervised by the librarian. The Vagamon Writers Residency is a solitary retreat, set in a rural setting, with nature as the main source of entertainment.

  • Thematic focus Literature
  • LocationVagamon (Kerala)
  • Dates 22nd January - March 2026
  • Length of stay 4 to 6 weeks

Our Space

Kerala, a slice of tropical paradise has attracted trade, religion, and cultures from all over the world. Its prolific coastlines, languid backwaters, exuberant tea gardens, and the smell of fresh-grown spices wafting in the air create a sense of belongingness for all those who seek. Vagamon is a hill station neatly tucked in between three hills called Thangal, Murugan, and Kurisumala. It served as a major educational hub as well as an early source of dairy farms started by Scottish missionaries.

Nestled among beautiful rolling hills and the verdant countryside of Vagamon, the residency will provide a perfect environment for writers to pursue their writing in solitude, and sometimes engage in stimulating ideas and discussion with like-minded residents. It is a two-storey house which can be shared with one or two other residents. It is equipped with a functional kitchen, separate bathroom for each of the three rooms and a balcony overlooking the hills. The road up leads to a tea estate and down to the campus. The resident is welcomed to use all the facilities on campus such as gym, library, common spaces … The DC Books team is based in Kottayam - about 2 hours drive from Vagamon - and visits the campus weekly. On a daily basis, the resident is looked after by Mr Roy, the caretaker of the house and the faculty staff.

Residency conditions

  • The resident will be provided with on-site accommodation, which includes a separate lockable room with an attached washroom and access to a balcony overlooking the hills.
  • The resident will be provided by the residency with three meals to be taken at the on-campus food mess. Meals can be delivered to the residency upon request. There is a fully equipped kitchen but grocery shopping is a little far away and requires a car.
  • The resident will be provided with a working desk in the room.
  • The residents’ travel costs to and from his/her home address will be covered by the French Institute in India, as well as the travel costs and accommodation to participate in the literary festivals.
  • The resident will have to cover for his transportation costs inside and outside the campus.
  • The resident will receive a fixed stipend of INR. 30,000 per month to cover his/her 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 lectures, workshops and other cultural activities organized by the residency.

Eligibility criteria

  • Proficiency in English is required for the applicant.
  • The resident must have one book (minimum) published by a French publishing house.

Past Laureates

First Edition (2023 - 2024)
Corinne Morel Darleux