Sayantani Dasgupta

Born in Calcutta and raised in New Delhi, Sayantani Dasgupta is the author of BROWN WOMEN HAVE EVERYTHING: ESSAYS ON (DIS)COMFORT & DELIGHT, winner of the 2024 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards. Her previous books include the short story collection WOMEN WHO MISBEHAVE and FIRE GIRL: ESSAYS ON INDIA, AMERICA, & THE IN-BETWEEN and also the chapbook THE HOUSE OF NAILS: MEMORIES OF A NEW DELHI CHILDHOOD. She is an Associate Professor of Creative Writing at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Her research spans Creative Nonfiction, Literary Fiction, South Asian History and Literature, Indian Cinema, World Religions, Fairy Tales, Folklore, and Mythology. She holds advanced degrees in History and Creative Writing and has taught diverse classes globally, including in India, Italy, Colombia, and Mexico. Since founding it in the spring of 2021, Sayantani has also been running the hugely successful, global writing initiative called Write Wilmington, wherein writers from all over the world gather to write in community.  

LINK TO FULL BIO

I am a big believer in developing (and maintaining) daily creative habits. To that end, I journal and draw daily. While these might not (directly) feed into whatever book project(s) I am working on in the moment, they remind me of the virtue of daily discipline and that nothing makes me happier than devoting time and space to art and creativity. From time to time, I also fill my creative toolbox with unusual experiences—unfamiliar foods, conversations with people outside of my bubble, classes on, say, embroidery and weaving, and visiting places that aren’t featured on any must-see list. I believe all these approaches seep into my writing and add unexpected layers and textures.  

None of these are substitutes, however, for the thing that must happen every day for a book to exist and that is the daily practice of showing up and writing. (I also count “reading towards a current book project,” “research,” and “revising” as writing.) I set up weekly writing goals, I attempt practice exercises, I read and reread craft books, and I constantly tinker with my “plan” to see if whatever worked well last month can be improved in the next.  

Perhaps some of this is because I studied in both India and the US, and therefore my teaching (and learning) philosophy is an amalgam of two very distinct styles. From my Indian professors, I learned the value of close reading, and to note that each piece of writing/thought was in conversation with many others. They also taught me humility because there can never be an end to learning. From my American professors, I learned to trust my own voice and vision, to be unafraid to experiment, and to always be receptive to learning from sources both inside and outside the classroom, whether that be through films, interviews, and field trips. And so, I encourage my students to have confidence in themselves as writers and readers but to also have the humility, flexibility, and courage to try what’s unfamiliar.  

It is this very approach I will bring to our classroom. I will hold you to the same high standard that I hold myself to as you work towards finishing your creative nonfiction book project. We will read, write, and workshop, all the while providing a strong, supportive network for each student in the classroom. Most importantly, I will remind you to find the reason you came to your creative nonfiction project in the first place, and why you must keep returning to it because not only is this work important but also valuable and deeply fulfilling. 

The workshop begins in person in July of 2026 at the Port Townsend Writers Conference. 

Following that weeklong session, the workshop will continue with twice-monthly online meetings and monthly packet submissions, allowing for ongoing peer critique and guidance as you refine your essay/chapter and work toward completing a full manuscript. 

After a year of working together, our workshop will culminate in another weeklong retreat in July of 2026 at the Port Townsend Writers Conference, where we will finalize discussions of our drafts and talk about what happens to them upon completion. 

The workshop culminates in July 2027 with a final weeklong retreat at the Port Townsend Writers Conference. During this closing session, participants will have the opportunity to complete their drafts, refine their projects, and discuss pathways for sharing their work with the world. This experience is designed to immerse writers in a supportive community, providing the structure, feedback, and inspiration to bring their books to completion. 

Please note the following dates, including when to apply for consideration for the workshop: 

1. Applications accepted online, January 2 – March 31, 2026 
2. In person at Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA July 12 – 19, 2026 
3. In person at Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, WA July 11 – 18, 2027 

Online workshop meetings twice a month, days and times TBA, August 2026 through July of 2027 - a total of 24 online meetings, including online meetings with guest authors, editors and agents, organized throughout the year (TBA). 

1. 1. $7,750 total, which can be paid in 13 installments or all at once (see below) 
   2. $550 deposit due at time of application, fully refundable if not admitted to the workshop 
   3. 10% discount for paying full tuition before the first in-person workshop meeting at the 2025 Port Townsend Writers Conference, July 12-19, 2026, which amounts to a one-time payment of $6,450 ($7,000 - $550 deposit); or 
   4. 12 monthly installments of $600 in addition to the 1 deposit at the time of application ($7,750 - $550 deposit) from July 2026 – July 2027 

For accepted applicants, tuition includes:

1. 1 year of instruction led by award-winning essayist and fiction writer Sayantani Dasgupta 
2. 2 weeks of in-person workshops at the Port Townsend Writers Conference in July of 2026 and 2027, including morning sessions with Sayantani Dasgupta and access to all afternoon craft lectures, drop-in workshops, evening readings, open mics, and social gatherings along the shores of Salish Sea on the Olympic Peninsula 
3. 2 online sessions a month for 12 months, for a total of 24 online sessions 
4. Dynamic discussions about foundational elements of creative nonfiction (setting, structure, characters, voice, tone, and theme) and developing - and maintaining - daily creative habits as you work toward completing a full draft of a memoir or collection of essays 
5. Support from Sayantani Dasgupta, including emails and discussions as she mentors you and your peers through drafting your story and living a writing life 
6. Consistent writing schedule, submitting monthly packets as you make progress toward the draft of your novel throughout the year 
7. Personalized feedback from your peers and Sayantani Dasgupta on the first 5-7 pages of every packet you submit 
8. Connections with a workshop and community of writers dedicating themselves to learning about and writing your memories and essays 
9. Virtual guest sessions with acclaimed creative nonfiction authors such as Kim Barnes (In the Wilderness), Melody Moezzi (The Rumi Prescription), David Gessner (All the Wild That Remains), and Rajiv Mohabir (Antiman) as well as guest lectures from a publisher and two editors (TBD). 

For accepted applicants, tuition does not include:

1. Food, lodging, or travel to and from Fort Worden State Park for in-person weeklong meetings at the 2026 and 2027 Port Townsend Writers Conference 
2. Postage, printing, internet, or cell phone expenses throughout the 12-month course of the workshop