The word sangam in Sanskrit literally means “going together.” In most Indian languages, sangam has come to mean such confluences as the “flowing together of rivers” and “coincidence.” The intention of Sangam House is to bring together writers from around the world to live and work in a safe, peaceful setting, a space made necessary on many levels by the world we now live in.
Our residency programs are designed for writers who have published to some acclaim but not yet enjoyed substantial commercial success. Sangam House seeks to give writers a chance to build a solid and influential network of personal and professional relationships that can deepen their own work, in effect, expanding and diversifying literature. We believe that literature can and must remain a thriving force of illumination for our times.
“Sangam” also harks back to the great gatherings of poets and writers in the southern Indian cities such as Madurai during the period of classical Tamil literature. These assemblies produced some of the subcontinent’s most exquisite poetry and provided a space for writers of all kinds to talk to each other, over generations and genres. Assembling writers from various cultural backgrounds broadens the scope of each individual’s work. Exposure to regional and national trends in literature, to multiple political and economic obstacles and varied social and cultural milieus enhances each writer’s understanding of their work, as well as their own notions of identity and home.
We recognize the dearth of such opportunities in South Asia and strive to encourage the work of those writing in all languages, regional and dominant. Such a unique environment enriches the work of its participants and the textures of international literature. Our program also facilitates interaction between the visiting writers and local communities. Cultivating such an intersection infuses local communities with inspirations and new ideas, while allowing each participating writer to deepen their understanding of the diverse emotional and social climates in which literature is conceived and received.
Sangam House provided a surreal peace and solitude, and the inspiration that comes from simply being in an artistic space.
As a writer, I tell stories, create characters and devise incidents. I try to do this with as much sincerity as I can possible muster. However, Sangam House taught me how to do the above with passion…
It is places like Sangam House that make a better world – and better words…
The space provided us with the energy, time and latitude to work on this book.
Let it be known that Sangam House is big, big magick.
I couldn’t have asked for a better place than Sangam to discover and scrutinize my writing process, and to meet the people I did. My writing and I are richer for it.
Thank you for the Sangam experience.
Sangam House: a dream-like place!
…a bunch of open-minded people gathered to exchange thoughts and ideas on a high contemporary and international level.
At Sangam House, I found my way back to writing and started to work on a new project, and it would never have happened without the conversations and new friendships that took place in the sunny corners of the Jamun.
It was a pleasure and a privilege to experience the hospitality of Sangam House: Dhan’yavāda!
A place to rediscover and resurrect the writer in you.
The days just seem to be longer there… And time is what you need to write. Or at least a feeling of having all the time in the world, and I think you get that feeling there.
It’s a place that frees the imagination, where distraction comes in the form of birdsong and the antics of tiny palm squirrels scurrying up the trees. It’s a state of mind you return to, even after you’ve gone.
Sangam House is no longer a mere physical space for me. It is a call, a guide, an invitation, an essential practice of preserving my soul. I carry Sangam House within me now.
Sangam House teases creative instincts with a fun-mix of inspiring venue, lazy afternoons and friendly people. Perfect hideout for writers.
The peace, the creative energy of Nrityagram, the camaraderie with dancers, musicians and fellow writers and above all the unfettered freedom to simply explore one’s works at one’s pace… it’s the kind of tonic that a city-jaded creative soul like me needed.
I loved everything about my stay, but most of all the people: the fellow residents and SH ‘officials’, Lynn, the dancers, the architects (and of course: Lakama, Lakama, Lakama). The new building was beautiful, my room felt like home.
The day I arrived, I saw a Blue-faced Malkoha. He wore eyes kohled by white. I stayed in a room called Prarambha. The poems I wrote there were loud with the moaning of Karma. They had the ruined edges of seedpods and were as brief as the flutter of Orioles.
Although I came to be there for just about three weeks, I returned three times richer in literary capital.
I am fortunate to have worked and stayed with multilingual international writers at the Sangam House Residency program.
Sangam House… a time when writing was the only thing, when it was life itself, it seemed. What a gift.
Once you feel welcome somewhere for sure you can begin to act. Sangam House to me means such a welcoming place, where awareness and communication can not just happen by accident but are treated as necessities.
I am going through a bit of Sangam House withdrawl.
I have had the privilege to attend several residencies but Sangam House is a very special place. The focus on Indian and international writers combined with the simple, yet beautiful surroundings created a supportive and relaxed environment for writing.
An oasis of solitude, with just the right dose of banter with some brilliant minds.
Time moved slower at Sangam House. Though I was there only a month, each week might have its been own season… When I finally had to leave, I felt I had been there for a year, and my book had come so far that it seemed true enough for me.
Sangam House catalysed a fantastic discovery of my self.
My running shoes are permanently red-tinted with Sangam earth and I’m marked, too, by the generous hospitality, the peace, and the moonlit nights.
Imagine a magical village where crows provide wakeup service, gardeners wear saris, goddesses dance in an amphitheater, and writers share literature (and whiskey) in the moonlight. That’s Sangam House.
It is the best thing that can happen to a writer struggling with their first book, providing the time and the space, and eliminating the distractions, to get on with the writing.
Sangam House is more than a house… It is a home for international writers, time and space for thinking and writing; for brotherhood, translation, laughter, cultural diversity, a night gathered as one group to collectively gaze into the heavens three feet from our reach to count India’s stars.
I lived with famous, notorious, crazy writers from around the world. For ten weeks. Ate with them, argued with them, loved them – I met my tribe. And I learnt that it’s not just for fun – it’s for life, and you know how important that is. Thank you, Sangam.
New poems, amazing writers, a lifetime’s worth of imagery — and above all, the time and space to appreciate them. This is Sangam House.
The idyllic rural setting, the brilliant fellow artists, the long, quiet days of work – Sangam House provides an ideal environment to write, edit and create.
It is an ideal place for reading and reflection, both of which are so necessary for writers and translators. For me, it was also a luxury as well as a discipline, to have long, undisturbed stretches of time to translate, and ‘think it out’ without the clutter of dictionaries, thesaurus, references books, etc.
Sangam House was a superdope experience for me. It’s everything a residency should be, a nurturing, stimulating environment, that not only allowed me to write, but to exchange ideas with other artists too. My only complaint – wish I could have stayed on a little bit longer!
…the combination of peaceful beautiful surroundings and a shock to the system (because India is that if you’ve never been there before) made me rethink my novel
The organisers obviously mix something into the water: I’ve rarely felt as consistently peaceful and focused as I did working on my novel at Sangam House. Whenever I find my mind wandering now I close my eyes for a second and imagine the view and soundscape that surrounded me there. I’d go back in a heartbeat.
My ten weeks as a Sangam House resident were some of the happiest weeks of my life. I loved the peace and calm, running at dawn, playing with the dogs… I fell in love with my fellows and enjoyed the time we spent together. I would go back in a heartbeat.
I left Sangam House deeply grateful and feeling privileged for being in the company of remarkably intelligent and thoughtful people. It made the lonely process of writing a little less lonely.
Writing is usually a lonely business but with the others at the residency, there was a real sense of community and belonging… a tremendous sense of security as well as encouragement.
I’m certain that I’ll remember those weeks of serenity, inspiration, focused work and companionship as a watershed in my creative life.
It’s a confluence of nature and thoughts. The scent of frangipani permeates desks, gulmohar seed pods direct pathways, morning breeze brings weather updates to writers, and once the night has settled into Kula, barley ferments words into readings.
I can only say it was one of the best I’ve had.
Sangam was for me a beautiful productivity generator… It is a unique place that I often visit in my memory.
This retreat and its laughing geckos awakened my writing senses in a friendly and refreshing way.
Three months, trees, wind, sounds, birds, friends, people, yoga, dance, sound again, colours, three months in India are very short. They just happen like a dream, which wants to tell you urgently something you should not forget forever, and if I could, I just would have changed my ticket and stayed much longer.
Sangam House gave me time for contemplation and reading and writing. I also found new friends and collaborations. Leisurely conversations into peoples’ lives, their projects, the worlds they come from formed a very enriching part of my stay. The memories will endure…
Sangam House was possibly the most productive month of my writing life. It was definitely the most productive month of my badminton life.
Sangam House is a refuge for writers who are looking for space and time to focus on their work. But for me it was much more: a place to meet people from all over the world, to learn from them and find many friends among them. Immediately I felt at home in this small community.
There are places that come to inhabit you. Sangam House is one such space, that is now enmeshed in my work and memory.
Sangam was about repair and renewed ambition.
Idyllic, blissful… how can you really describe a place where you finally found your inner place, and were able to delve deep into your soul… oh please bury me there at Kula, when I am finally done with.
There’s a joyfulness in the landscape and the house itself that feels inclusive, peaceful, powerful.
It was in many ways new territory… The landscape is spare and the surrounds are rural. A three week stay has you dealing with silence.
Sangam House is Narnia without the evil witch. I felt safe, inspired and like I had all the time in the world.
A wonderland with heavenly dance, health-boosting food, energetic dogs and wandering cats.
Sangam House is a place almost too beautiful… A very special and precious time.
J’ai aimé découvrir des bribes de vies d’écrivains de pays que je ne connaissais que peu. Le cadre était idéal pour un travail au calme avec la chance de pouvoir marcher dans une nature magnifique.
My winter at Sangam House. Idyllic. And useful.
A lovely and beautiful place of peace and tranquility for contemplation and cozy relationships with other writers…
Those day in Sangam were special.
Sangam is still very much floating around in my dreams… that red dust… just the mention of it makes my heart ache.
I am immensely grateful for the space, time and above all else the understanding that was Sangam House.
I found much needed quiet, the perfect view of trees and a stone bench from my window, sunlight and birds to wake to, and evening storms to accompany unbridled conversation with fellow residents. In the luxury of time and silence, I found words.
An incredibly quiet space where you can’t help but write and read and write and, when you are not reading and writing, you talk about reading and writing in the company of some amazing writers. I will always miss and cherish this special kind of solitude facilitated by Sangam House.
I am immensely grateful for the space, time and above all else the understanding that was Sangam House.
A quiet and fine atmosphere to work.
I went hoping for space and peace to work on my projects, and found so much more.
To me, Sangam House feels like a threshold: it marked the entrance into a new and nuanced space, and made the act of entering special. I cannot explain how grateful I am for that.
The experience, the variety of the people, and the work I accomplished were amazing… I dream of going back.
A time and place conjured up just to inspire the best in us.
An enchanted time for me in terms of my creativity, meeting and socializing with amazing writers from around the world. What a gift of time and space it was!
Sangam House afforded me the luxury of quiet comfort and the company of four other writers – with excellent food and wine thrown in. What better way to spend a month indulging myself with writing. A wonderful gift.
It was a privilege to be with my fellow residents, who are now my dear friends. If it wasn’t for Sangam House, I would not have met such unique people. I find that we are mirrors for each other; that we are a community of bridges and ladders and windows.
Sangam Residency … a sanctuary for writers to build new bridges. I felt like a honeybee gathering nectar as I turned my imagination into words.
It is a precious place for those who love and are committed to writing and reading.
My 1’st residency at Nrityagram was so enchanting that I found the 5 year limit to be able to re-apply to be a long wait. The new residency location, The Jamun, is also a writer’s dream, and the hosts and co-writers’ are wonderful people.
My initiation into the miracles of India!
While I was there Sangam flowed with creative energy – it was inspiring to be amidst other writers and artists and this energy spilled into everything and everywhere.
The palace for the writers, to the writers, by the writers.
And there was a house, And occasionally a few cows, And there was the evening star, And there was the Hessaraghatta Bar
I managed to do so much work and had such a wonderful time with my fellow residents that my month long stay at Sangam House sped in a flash!
Sangam House was the perfect balance of quiet and conversation, solitude and community, room to grow as a writer and room to relax into new friendships.
Besides enabling writers from across the world to come together, it also enables a writer to find her inner self and inner voice.
The surrounding beauty and serenity invited reflection and made the experience all the more perfect. Apart from a finished translation, I bring with me fond friendships and unforgettable memories of times well spent.
Sangam house has been the most refreshing and creatively stimulating experience of my life… It’s given me strength to take my writing seriously and I will never forget all the wonderful people I met there and their warmth.
Sangam is something every city-dwelling writer needs: a chance to to escape from urbanity and into themselves.
I think of Sangam House as a warm hug for writers.
The time I spent at Sangam House were possibly the best three weeks of my life. Peaceful, beautiful, calming and exhilarating in approximately equal measure. I came away feeling like Sangam was less a place than a state of mind: one which I’d like to be in for… well, forever.
My month at Sangam House gave me much more than I could possibly have expected or hoped for. Beyond the dedicated time to write seriously and the always excellent food, the companionship of the other fine writers made the experience one I’ll never forget.
At the core of Sangam House is a creative energy you can’t put a finger to or name.
I was able to do a fair bit of work here…
After a very long time I felt very nostalgic and depressed on leaving friends. It is because of you all. Thank you all for the memorable fortnight.
I have moved, I think, eight times in the last couple of years, but leaving Nrityagram was the only time I felt like I was leaving home.
It is quite fantastic…the buildings, the forest, the people… And most conducive to work.
My four weeks at Sangam House were bliss: uninterrupted time to think, read, reflect, day-dream, and of course write!
Getting to meet so many interesting people from so many interesting places doesn’t happen that often in my quiet writer’s life
My stay at the residence allowed me to have a calm and peaceful time, to write freely and to think without any pressure. I feel that this experience will become a valuable asset to my poetry.
Not a single sentence to start with, just a vague idea; but suddenly, something new and fresh. All those pages, yes, it’s a beginning, the very beginning of a new novel.
December 2022 at Sangam House is memorable to me on many accounts. Apart from the dedicated time for writing, I was well nourished, not only with great food but also with many stories, laughs, and insights about writing and life! Thanks to everyone who made this possible.
… it was a great experience and great fun, too. Three Cheers to Sangam House.
I miss my mornings with a walk and yoga in the theatre. Reading on the lawn. Somebody crying Mangala. My early evenings with a drink and the moon coming up, the stars turning on, one by one. The warm wind on a rickshaw-trip to Hessaraghata. Walking to lunch passing the cannonball-tree. Watching the dancers rehearse. My fellow Sangamians!
Sangam House is a world outside the world – a truly inspiring place that will have any writer soul-searching for his best work.
By far the most tranquil weeks of my life…
An oasis of stillness in which to write, reflect and grow.
I needed a place to settle my mind and think about my craft. I am usually on my own when this needs to get done. But for the first time in a while, the opportunity to think, talk, debate, walk, and eat with artists from disparate spaces/disciplines, helped negotiate the chaos.
A space of my own, a dog curled up at my feet, the fragrant red mitti, and being enveloped by stunning vistas and warm people, is how Sangam House fostered my writing.
here, I learned the sound a house makes when it is writing. and how to read together, and alone. and how to pay respect to an abandoned book, if i found it lost, legs parted. for all writing in the house is sacred.
Sangam: Where I got in touch with my soul.
The best thing about Sangam for me, that was the peace of mind which I felt… I really enjoyed the listlessness which gave room for a kind of intensity of calmness and for sudden sights of green parakeets in the sky.
The calm campus space and the salubrious surroundings provided a very conducive environment… The company of fellow sangamites – poets, novelists, playwrights – was a constant source of inspiration.
A magical time and place. I didn’t realise how full of noise my head was until I got to Sangam; it gave me the space to think, to listen and to learn.
I felt blockages in the mind breaking which were preventing me from writing since last four years!
It’s been half a year, but my slippers still remember those red soils around Sangam house… Some things just can’t disappear from our life, and this is one of those things.
… time – not just to write, but also time shared with wonderful, insightful, funny writers from around the world.
Staying at Sangam House is a risky business: the place’s inspiring warmth and beauty are so overwhelming that returning to one’s regular life is a challenge.
