The Savoir Faire Company and Lata Gullapalli support the Non- Fiction Fellowship where 5 talented non fiction writers are chosen to work the Khozem Merchant and a team of expert writers as well as editors from Penguin to help shape their work which is then picked up for publication by Penguin Random House.
The Mytho-Fiction Talent Hunt looks for fiction writers with amazing stories and offers a chance to work closely with Devdutt and get expert feedback.
An editor from HarperCollins Publishers India will be there in person, helping participants write. Harper Collins also will publish the work.
The Himalayan Writing Retreat, in collaboration with renowned author and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik, is excited to launch "Jangal Mein Mangal" a Mytho-Fiction Talent Hunt like no other!
What it is: A nationwide search for fresh voices in Indian mytho-fiction - guided by Devdutt Pattanaik himself.
Where: The Himalayan Writing Retreat, Satkhol, Uttarakhand
When: October 10-14, 2025
What do you get:
A chance to work closely with Devdutt and get
expert feedback.
An editor from HarperCollins Publishers India
will be there in person, helping participants write.
How to apply: Submit your writing sample by June 30, 2025. 10 young writers will be selected for the in-person experience.
Meet the HWR Khozem Merchant Non-Fiction Fellows of 2025
- Anasuya Basu
- Anju Narayanan
- Jeff Joseph Paul
- Radheshyam Jadhav
- Shirin Mehrotra
Each of them brings a unique voice and a compelling work-in-progress. Their stories are born out of lived experience, courage, and insight.
Each fellow will:
✍ Attend a Masterclass with Jerry Pinto
✍ Join a 21-day writing residency in the Himalayas in July
✍ Receive ₹50,000 grant + a ₹20,000 travel stipend
✍ Submit their finished manuscripts to Penguin Random House India
✍ be mentored and guided through the year by a professional editor
Khozem Merchant - a mentor to many emerging writers - will also guide them himself.
The patrons of this fellowship are Aparna Piramal Raje, Lata Gullapalli, and Saumya Roy.
This fellowship aims to nurture important stories that need to see the light of the day. Because courage needs an ally.
Congratulations to all the 2025 Fellows 🎉👏
