The Hermitage Residency 2023 to bring Anjali Singh, Julia Philips to Srimangal
Organised by Bangladesh-born fiction writer Arif Anwar, the week-long residency will be held between 14 and 20 November
People in Bangladesh may not be much familiar with writing residency, even though it's already a very popular concept for writers in the Western countries looking for secluded working retreats. Some writing residencies not only offer a place for writers to stay and create but also provide full board accommodation and mentorship.
One such writing residency, the brainchild of the prominent Bangladeshi-born fiction writer Arif Anwar, has been taking place in Bangladesh as well.
After a successful outing the first time back in November 2022, the acclaimed novelist's The Hermitage Residency is all set to return this coming November.
The week-long residency will be held between November 14 and 20, and the registration is already open for the interested participants. It will cost Tk1,25,000 or CAD$1,750 or $1300.
The one week residency will include room and board including all meals, roundtrip flight from Dhaka to Srimangal, individual conferences with one's mentor, daily open mics, agent talk and live pitch, virtual lectures, daily and evening events, local excursions, and opening and closing events.
The Business Standard recently caught up with Arif Anwar, internationally acclaimed for his 2018 novel 'The Storm', to know further about this innovative initiative.
Following is an excerpt of the exclusive interview.
How did the idea of organising such a writing residency emerge?
The impetus for The Hermitage Residency was simple. To my knowledge, there was no writing residency in Bangladesh focused on writing fiction in English. The idea came to me in late 2021 while I was visiting my mother in Srimangal, Sylhet; in those days when the end of the Covid-19 pandemic seemed always frustratingly around the corner.
It was September in Srimangal and the days were lazy and warm; I had a lot of time to write, reflect and realise that I was at a confluence of two great privileges in my life.
The first was that in 2010, my mother Sultana Nahar, through entirely through her own effort, had established one of the first guesthouses in Srimangal, a place of serene, bucolic beauty which I selfishly enjoyed for years.
And the second was that through the publication of my debut novel, 'The Storm', I had met a number of talented, kind and well-established novelists from around the world.
The Hermitage Residency was born because I wanted to bring the two together.
Could you please share your vision for the residency?
Every year, we will take in a small, highly selective cohort of students from around the world and Bangladesh, who are working on fiction manuscripts.
Our fiction mentors – renowned writers, editors and literary agents from around the world – will use examples from their own works and literature to lecture on the craft of fiction. Participants will work closely with their mentors over the course of the week on their manuscripts and works-in-progress.
You already organised one residency week last year. How did it go?
We had our first ever residency last November, and it went wonderfully well. We were extremely fortunate to have Joan Silber (author of Secrets of Happiness; Pen-Faulkner and National Book Critics Circle Award Winner), Julia Phillips (author of Disappearing Earth; National Book Award Finalist)), and Omar El Akkad (author of What Strange Paradise; Giller Prize Winner) as mentors. We had six workshop participants: three from Bangladesh, and three from Canada.
What's your plan for this year's residency?
In 2023, we will have literary agent Anjali Singh (Ayesha Pande Literary, New York), Julia Phillips, and myself as mentors. We hope to have an expanded cohort of participants as well, and expect attendance from Bangladesh, Canada, and Australia, among other countries.
How will this residency help Bangladesh?
High-quality craft classes in fiction and nonfiction are rare in Bangladesh. This residency offers students the opportunity to learn the craft of writing from the best writers in the world.
The arrival of such a cohort of international talent and international students to Srimangal drew positive attention toward the region in 2022, and we hope the same will happen in 2023.
Ultimately, The Hermitage Residency is a window into Bangladesh's vibrant literature and culture for an international audience and vice versa. It is also an opportunity to dismantle notions of cultural hegemony that assumes such a gathering of minds and talents can only happen in a western metropolis.
Hermitage brings international exposure to a country that has been quietly making strides on the world stage, and to a region legendary for its tranquil beauty.