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Centrum launches year-long memoir and essay masterclass with acclaimed author Sayantani Dasgupta

Published 6:00 am Monday, March 23, 2026

by Centrum

Award-winning author Sayantani Dasgupta leads Centrum’s Long Form Memoir and Essay Collection Workshop.

Writers ready to transform personal stories into powerful books are invited to apply for Centrum’s Long Form Memoir and Essay Collection Workshop, a 12-month immersive experience led by award-winning author Sayantani Dasgupta. Applications are due March 31, 2026.

Running from July 2026 through July 2027, this masterclass in creative nonfiction begins with a weeklong residency at the renowned Port Townsend Writers Conference.

There, participants will explore the foundational elements of memoir and essay collections, including setting, structure, character, voice, tone and theme, while engaging deeply with published works that illuminate the essential questions behind every meaningful narrative: What is this story truly about? Why tell it now? How does the writer remain open to discovery along the way?

Following the summer residency, writers will continue their journey through twice-monthly online workshops and monthly manuscript submissions. This sustained structure offers rigorous peer critique, close mentorship, and the accountability needed to develop and complete a book-length project.

The program also features virtual guest sessions with celebrated authors Kim Barnes, Melody Moezzi, David Gessner and Rajiv Mohabir, alongside conversations with publishing professionals who will demystify the path from manuscript to book.

Dasgupta, known for blending close reading with fearless experimentation, emphasizes daily creative discipline and intellectual curiosity. She encourages writers to cultivate both confidence and humility, to trust their voices while remaining open to surprise.

The workshop culminates in July 2027 with a final weeklong retreat at the Port Townsend Writers Conference, where participants refine drafts and explore next steps toward publication.

Designed as both a creative crucible and a supportive community, this program offers writers the structure, inspiration and mentorship to bring their most meaningful stories to life.

Learn more at centrum.org