The people

The idea for Sangam House as a writers’ residency located in India was born on a sweet, summer evening in up-state New York at another writers’ residency, Ledig House. Literatures in many languages flourish in the sub-continent and literary cultures are strong but it’s almost impossible for writers to access quiet and supportive spaces in which they can do their work. Particularly if they are working in languages other than English. These writers often lack practical support, as well as opportunity to interact with contemporaries from other languages and perspectives. Hence, the idea that since many could not make it to residencies across the world, we’d bring the idea of a residency for writers to India.

Sangam House day to day business is taken care of by its founders, DW Gibson and Arshia Sattar. They raise funds, receive and sort applications, set up a committee of readers who select writers from among the diverse applications that come in and administer the residency season in terms of taking care of resident writers as well as organising outreach programs such as public readings and other interactions with local literary communities.

Directors:

Arshia Sattar - South Asia Contact

Arshia Sattar has a Ph.D. in classical Indian literatures from the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. Her translations from Sanskrit, Tales from the Kathasaritsagara and the The Ramayana of Valmiki have been published by Penguin Books. She has also written two books for children, Kishkindha Tails and Pampa Sutra, both published by the Kishkindha Trust. Arshia has been a story consultant for Usborne Publishing in the UK and writes widely on books and literature for various Indian and international publications. She also teaches narrative techniques and classical Indian literatures at various acadmic institutions in India and abroad.

She can be reached at: arshia.sangam@gmail.com

DW Gibson – U.S Contact

DW Gibson currently serves as Executive Director of the Ledig House International Writer’s Colony in Hudson, New York, which is part of the Omi International Arts Center. His work has appeared in several publications including The New York Observer, BOMB, Oxford Magazine, Tin House, and Orion. He worked in production and writing on documentaries for the A&E Television Network and MSNBC. His credits include “The Hate Network” and “Inside Alcoholics Anonymous.” He earned a MS from the Columbia School of Journalism. DW is a founding member of Mischief + Mayhem.

He can be reached at: dwmgibson@yahoo.com

Sangam House depends on the support of our Board of Trustees as well as our advisors and selectors, our host institutions and a cheerful team of volunteer staff.

Board of Trustees:


Todd Lester runs the freeDimensional Network of artistes and activists .	Nayana Currimbhoy has been a writer for many years and is about to publish her first novel .	Beena Kamlani is a writer and an editor at Penguin Books. She has worked with such writers as Saul Bellow and Garrison Keillor	Samir Gandhi is a Partner with the law firm Sidley Austin LLP, in New York City .

Advisors:


Ravi Singh is Commissioning Editor at Penguin Books, India. .	Urvashi Butalia runs Zubaan Books, India. .	Giriraj Kiradoo edits the bi-lingual journal Pratilipi. .	Rahul da Cunha writes and directs plays in Bombay. .	Kannan Sundaram runs the Tamil publishing house Kalachuvadu.

Namita Gokhale has written several novels and is one of the Founders and Directors of the Jaipur Literary Festival.	Lidia Bravo writes poetry and fiction and works in arts administration in London. .

Sangam House’s administrative and volunteer staff include:

Mythri Surendra who teaches English and Drama

Bharavi who works in theatre

Sujata Goel who is a contemporary dancer

Carol Shatananda who is a freelance editor

Vinod Ravindran who is an actor

Arjun Shankar who is a performer and a freelance designer

Janhavi Borawake who is a freelance corporate communications trainer