The urge to write has never really left you.
It waits beneath the noise and rush of daily life, asking for time, for quiet, for a place where your thoughts can settle.

Maybe you’re beginning again.
Maybe you’re searching for direction.
Maybe you simply want to hear your own voice without interruption.
Give yourself the space—and the setting—to follow the thread of what wants to be written.

2026 / 31 May – 4 June

You're invited to Join us at Himalayan Orchard for a retreat, led by Vrinda Condillac, a New York–based writing teacher and freelance editor. Drawing on twenty-five years of experience guiding students and shaping manuscripts for publication, she creates a supportive environment for writers at any stage of their project. The retreat offers a flexible structure designed to build confidence, strengthen craft, and help participants move their work forward.

Retreat Format

Each day includes three optional activities:
  • Group writing sessions to cultivate focus and explore specific skills.
  • Individual consultations with Vrinda to discuss projects, clarify ideas, and address challenges.
  • Dedicated writing time—either independently or alongside others.

Session Overview
  • One-on-one guidance: Daily 20-minute meetings tailored to each writer’s goals, offering feedback, strategies, and a framework for continuing their work
  • Group exercises: Free writing, reflective prompts, and practical craft workshops covering structure, transitions, compression, character, dialogue, and descriptive writing.
  • Focused writing hours: Quiet time each afternoon to apply insights from the morning sessions.
What to Expect

  • A simple, distraction-free setting centered on writing
  • A respectful, collaborative, and inclusive atmosphere
  • Thoughtful feedback that clarifies intent, strengthens skills, and helps resolve creative roadblocks
  • Supportive peers committed to the writing process

What Not to Expect
  • Instruction on publishing or securing an agent
  • Manuscript editing or evaluation
  • Lectures on literary traditions
  • Any requirement to arrive with prior training—writers of all levels are welcome
Retreat Schedule
  • Arrival Day: Settling in; reflection on goals.
  • Daily (post-breakfast): Check-ins, free writing, and a craft workshop.
  • Daily (post-lunch): One-on-one sessions and independent/group writing.
  • Final Evening: Forward-planning and optional readings.
Beyond structured sessions, participants can walk in the surrounding hills, use the yoga studio, relax around the orchard, or simply enjoy the farm’s rhythms.

Logistics
  • Group size: 8–10 participants
  • Fee: ₹20,000 (inclusive of accommodation, meals, and all writing activities)
  • Dates: Arrive 31 May; depart 4th June
  • To apply: Send us an email; tell us a bit about yourself.
  • Travel & payment: Contact Himalayan Orchard
  • Bring: Laptop, pen, and notebook

About the Facilitator

Vrinda Condillac teaches writing at Barnard College and previously at Columbia University, where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing. She has worked in book publishing at Alfred A. Knopf and has been a long-time freelance editor, during which she supported numerous award-winning and bestselling books, including works by Suketu Mehta, Anand Giridharadas, Suleika Jaouad, Nawaaz Ahmed, Deepa Narayan, and Anand Gopal. She has guided writers across genres—novels, memoirs, essays, creative nonfiction, and academic work. Born and raised in Shimla and Kotgarh, she returns home each summer, and this retreat reflects her wish to share her craft in the landscape that shaped her.