Writing Co-Lab

Travel and food writing can go beyond the commercial spheres—there are many more stories that are worth discovering. Travel and food writings are foundational ways for us to document our past journeys, our connection with languages, places, and memories; it also brings us a chance to learn how best to write about the things and environments that once nourished us. 

During this 6 week workshop, we’ll do generative writing exercises together, workshop one another’s piece, and read works from international writers such as Sanmao, Bryan Washington, Grace Talusan, Samanta Schweblin, Gabriela Wiener, Sulaiman Addonia, and more. We’ll also be reading together some short travel and food essays from lit mags such as Fare, Off Assignment, etc. It’ll be six sessions with all of us having fun exploring and writing together!

Each week, we’ll focus on reading 2-3 essays about travel or food that intersect with the theme of migration and home. Both emerging and established writers who work from all genres (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, hybrid) are welcomed. We may be reading from a number of nonfiction pieces–-but they're all narrative-based. If you're interested in working on your writing that centers around travel and food–-this is the workshop for you.

The goal for the 6 weeks is for us to generate more writing and to foster a safe writing community down the road. If you’re interested in the business side of writing and pitching, we’ll also include resources in the last session.

Week 1: Introduction & Building a Sense of Place and Writing into the Texture

Week 2: On Living Spaces, Intersections, and Emotional Landmarks

Week 3: On Flavors, Textures, and Memories Beyond the Tongues

Week 4: Exploring the Unfamiliar and Understanding the Unvoiced

Week 5: Writing Through the Historical Past & the Environmental Consciousness

Week 6: On Migration and Belonging—Redefining the Idea of Home