Pencil In is a writers’ group created to provide a supportive environment for writers to write alone, together! We at 421 love the idea of body-doubling (working near or around someone to help stay focused and engaged) when we are working, writing, and creating.

In these communal writing sessions, we invite you to polish your writing skills while receiving valuable feedback from experienced peer reviewers in English and/or Arabic, having active conversations with other like-minded writers, and enjoying a safe space to share personal texts and works. Take part to enhance your skills as a writer, or just to write alone with little to no interruptions or judgments. Pencil In will be mentored by an artist or writer from the community.

These sessions are designed for writers to practice their craft without the pressures of producing a final outcome. Drop-ins are welcome.

Each session includes a free cup of coffee from Auro cafe for participating writers.

Open to ages 18 and above.

No prior experience is required, just a love for the written word!

About your peer reviewers

About Ritvik Rashid:

Ritvik Rashid (born 1995) is a nerd for language, literature, and all things storytelling. He graduated from Christ University, Bengaluru with a Master of Arts in English with Cultural Studies. As a cultural studies buff, he loves to dive into fascinating reads and tasting them with the many flavors of theories. He loves beauty, getting philosophical with good company, and playing the bard in Dungeons & Dragons. Follow him on instagram at @ritvik.rashid

Specializations:
Essays, free verse poems and short stories

About Sarah Afaneh:

Sarah Afaneh is a researcher and writer interested in decolonizing knowledge production. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Creative Writing from NYU Abu Dhabi, with a double major in Social Research and Public Policy and a minor in Political Science. Sarah's recent work has been dedicated to understanding the body as storage; a space where emotion, memory, and knowledge are hosted consciously or subconsciously.

Genres & Specializations

Academic/essay writing, class material, journalistic feature writing, creative writing