Writers Workshop is an Indian publishing company that publishes English-language Indian books. It was established in Calcutta in 1958 as a small publishing house run by Purushottama Lal. Lal, a literary scholar and translator, would go on to be an important force in Indian publishing. He encouraged new writers, and published over 3500 books, hand-printed and bound in wrappings made from sari cloth. Some of the writers whose early works were published by Writers Workshop include Vikram Seth and Anita Desai. Lal also encouraged writers with a weekly workshopping event, hence the name 'Writers Workshop.'