The HWR Khozem Merchant Non-Fiction Fellowship 2026
The fellowship gives writers for long form non fiction support and mentoring. Penguin Random House India and HWR will make the selection. The selected fellows will attend a course, a residency and get financial support by way of this fellowship.
With this fellowship they would like to ‘institutionalise courage’ and encourage writers to tell stories that move our society forward. They encourage first person accounts and lived experience narratives, and those that offer solutions to our many challenges as a nation.
Selected Fellows will:
- Attend a writing Masterclass with Jerry Pinto (6-10 May, 2026).
- Attend a 21-day writing residency in the Himalayas (July 9-30, 2026).
- Receive financial support: ₹50,000 + ₹20,000 travel fund.
- Receive year-long support and guidance from a seasoned editor, Himanjali Sankar.
- Submit their finished manuscripts to Penguin Random House India by 30th April, 2027.
Penguin will help select the fellows and may offer the finished manuscripts a publishing deal.
Non-fiction Writers in the following categories can apply:
Personal Narratives | True Accounts | Lived Experiences | Biographies | Memoirs | History | Narrative Non-Fiction | Investigative Journalism
Open to Indian citizens and residents aged 25 and above, writing in English.
Application Deadline: 10th February, 2026.
Enquiries about submissions should be directed to the Himalayan Writing Retreat. Please always refer to their website for complete details and information.
Please note, this call is run by the Himalayan Writing Retreat, not the Commonwealth Foundation.
