The Personal Mentorship Program in Creative Writing — In Person, Bangalore
Write In Person. With Anita.
Season 14 Commencement : 1 November 2026
20 writers. Four Saturdays. One mentor who reads every page you bring her. This is the closest you’ll get to writing under Anita Nair’s own eye.
Selective, by design
20 writers a season, personally chosen by Anita Nair from submitted work.
Real one-on-one feedback
Not peer review. Anita reads your writing and tells you what’s actually working.
Structured, not stretched
Four intensive Saturdays, 5 hours each — enough to go deep, not so long you lose momentum.
A track record that speaks for itself
12 seasons, 140+ writers, alumni published and represented by agents.
Inside the Program
- Commencement : 1 November 2026
- Submissions close by: 30 September 2026
- Eligibility: 18 years and above
- 4 Saturdays, 5 hours each, in Bangalore
- 20 writers per season, selected on the strength of submitted work
- Focused craft sessions across genres — novels, poetry, essays, short stories, screenplays, children’s fiction, travel writing, audio books
- Guest talks from publishing industry experts and Attic alumni
- Manuscript feedback and periodic evaluation throughout
- A showcase at the end of the season
Fee: ₹40,000
There’s no single “type” of writer Anita looks for — past cohorts have ranged from complete beginners to writers with a manuscript already underway. What matters is the strength of what you send in, and a genuine reason to write it.
Where the Attic Has Taken Writers
Over twelve seasons, more than 140 writers have gone through the Attic’s In Person mentorship — here’s where a few of them landed.
Krupa Ge
Burns Boy, published by Context
“Anita is a great mentor, whose excitement about your writing will leave you surprised.”
Dinesh Devarajan
Shortlisted for The Commonwealth Prize
“Anita gave my writing roots and wings. She was insightful, warm and encouraging”
Vestin Varghese
The Shadow of the Steam Engine by DC Books
“Anita’s magic touch transformed my clumsy first draft into a novel well worth publishing”
Your Mentor
You’re not learning from a course. You’re learning from someone who’s actually done the thing you’re trying to do. Anita Nair is the bestselling author of nine novels, a UNHCR High Profile Supporter, and the recipient of the Central Sahitya Akademi Award — and for over a decade, she’s mentored the next generation of Indian writers, personally.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s a selective, in-person creative writing mentorship in Bangalore, led personally by bestselling author Anita Nair. Each season runs for four Saturdays and is limited to 20 writers.
Submit a writing sample through the Apply page. Anita Nair personally reviews all submissions and selects participants on merit.
The In Person mentorship is priced at ₹40,000 for the four-week program, including craft sessions, manuscript feedback, guest talks from publishing professionals, and a closing showcase.
No — past cohorts have included both first-time writers and those with work already in progress. Selection is based on the strength of the submitted sample, not prior credentials.
The In Person program is a selective, application-based mentorship with direct one-on-one feedback from Anita Nair, held in Bangalore over four weeks. The In Your Pace program is a self-paced online course, open to anyone.