The Hummingbird Global Writers' Circle
The Hummingbird Global Writers’ Circle was started by Dr. Debotri Dhar in 2017. This traveling literary initiative brings writers and communities together, in different parts of the world, to foster a love of books and ideas, and to promote cultural exchange and global understanding. The name was inspired by that smallest of birds, the hummingbird. As Debotri wrote in a newspaper column, “tiny wings are better than none at all.” The writer as a hummingbird flies in search of home, building nests with just a few drops of nectar, a root here, a leaf there, and a little bit of sky. (Read 'A Hummingbird-Inspired Writers' Circle,' Hindustan Times, New Delhi https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/a-hummingbird-inspired-writers-circle/story-tBmsV8gRMQbpvolTZ0L68L.html)
Debotri floated the idea during her book reading on a winter evening in Manhattan, and it was greeted with enthusiasm by friends and fellow-writers who had gathered around a cozy fireplace, in a beautifully book-bound Tribeca home. Later, the logo was contributed by California-based designer David Alcorn (who also designed the iconic North Face logo, among others). Literary meets of the Hummingbird circle have since been held in New York, Michigan, California, Wisconsin, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, and Georgia. The diverse venues have included heritage homes, colleges and universities such as the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan, and the Vermont College of Fine Arts; indie bookstores such as Portland’s Broadway Books, Corte Madera’s Book Passage, and Atlanta's A Capella Books; literary and educational non-profits such as Write on in Door County, Wisconsin; five-star hotels such as the Dallas Fairmont; and even outdoors, against a natural backdrop of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains. (Also read 'Writer as Hummingbird: Write On Hosts Hummingbird Global Writers' Circle' by Celeste Benzschawel , Peninsula Pulse https://doorcountypulse.com/writer-as-hummingbird/
The Circle’s events are free, the travelling format aiming to bridge the university-community and local-global divides. Each literary meet is themed (e.g. ‘Writing Gender,’ ‘Work,’ ‘Myth,’ 'Love'), with established and emerging writers from local audiences in different places reading from their work and discussing interpretations of the theme and its relationship with society, polity, and the writing life. But it's not only about serious discussions - there is food, fun, and the building of friendships across borders and boundaries.
For photos of past events, please see gallery below. To learn more details about the circle’s past and future activities, or to participate in our free community events, please follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/The-Hummingbird-Global-Writers-Circle-291948757937161/?fref=mentions&pnref=story
