Caferati is a forum for writers in English. Most of what we do is online, but we also have an active real world presence.

Caferati began on the business networking site, Ryze in mid-2004. Since then, it has grown to a network of over 3,500 members in that forum, to a popular blog, to real world meets and buzzing local groups in over a dozen cities, to a fledgling independent publishing house, to.. well, who knows? But we’re enjoying the ride.

Our online activity is still centred around our Ryze network, a 24/7 workshop / hang out / support group / salon for people of the writerly persuasion. Our members spend hours online each day, helping each other refine our craft.

But we also gather in person every month at Read-Meets in over a dozen cities in India and abroad, with several new groups in the making as you read this.

What do we do?

Online or off, the method is peer review: writers helping other writers with tips, suggestions, encouragement, through critique, workshops and exercises.

What do we write? There’s poetry, in classical forms, free verse, forms adapted from those native to Indian languages, even forms we’ve invented; fiction, short, long, micro and flash; essays, rants, crusades, opinions; reviews and reports; plays and scripts and other writing not meant to be read off a page; interactive work and new media; performance poetry and spoken word. Everything we can think of, really. And we’re open to suggestions for more.

What are our members like?

Most of us are Indian or of Indian origin (but that’s just circumstance, not a condition for membership).

All of us write in English. Many of us are multilingual, though, and there’s a thriving body of translated and transcreated work.

Some of our members are published, professional writers, others are still in the closet, many fit the writing into hours stolen from their day jobs. All that we ask is that they take their writing seriously.

Age? There are young students, older members enjoying their retirements, and everything in between.

Geographically, we’re spread across India and other parts of South and East Asia, the Middle-East, North America, Europe and Africa. As far as we know, that is.

Got questions?

Not enough information? Wander around this site. Check out our Frequently Answered Questions page. Come snoop on our Forum. Read the blog. Just come on in. Bring coffee.

(Oh yes. What does Caferati mean? Well, writers, the literati, have traditionally hung out at coffee houses, salons, addas, Cafés..)