Building bridges: How Indian literary agent Mita Kapur is transforming writers through intensive retreats

A veteran literary agent's innovative approach to nurturing talent offers lessons for Sri Lankan authors seeking to expand their reach beyond local markets

- By Tyron Devotta

IN a literary landscape where many Sri Lankan authors are content with selling a thousand copies of their book locally, Indian literary agent Mita Kapur is demonstrating a more expansive and immersive path to creative development.

Through her company Siyahi, Kapur has been conducting intensive writers' retreats that are creating ripple effects far beyond their eight-day duration.

With two decades of experience as a literary agent and having served as literary director for the prestigious JCB Prize for five years (an Indian literary award that recognises distinguished works of fiction), Kapur brings a unique perspective to the challenges facing contemporary writers in South Asia. Her appointment as curator for the Ceylon Literary Festival, both for this year and next, positions her as a bridge between the Indian and Sri Lankan literary landscapes.

Small numbers, maximum impact

Kapur's writers' retreats deliberately limit participants to small groups. 15 for the first retreat focused on romance writing, and 20 for the second covered general creative writing and editing. This intimate setting allows for what she describes as “micromanaged” attention from mentors, ensuring each participant receives personalised guidance on their specific challenges, whether in character building, plot development, or research methodology.

“We didn't want it to be a large group simply because people think the larger the number, the more successful it is,” Kapur explains. “We designed the retreats so that a small number of people would get the maximum impact, with each participant able to get time with each of the mentors on a one-on-one basis.”

The results have exceeded expectations. Participants have formed lasting connections, continuing to collaborate and support each other long after the retreats end.