an/other pastoral 2022
Wide-ranging and polyvocal, an/other pastoral questions what we imagine to be the boundaries between humans and nature.
History, belonging and race converge with climate crisis, ecosystems and care in these startling and vibrant poems by Tjawangwa Dema. With illustrations by Tebogo Cranwell and a foreword by Chris Abani, an/other pastoral is a compelling collection that refuses easy representations of where nature can be found, and what it means to be human now.
‘Vivid, engaging and highly inventive, [...] an extraordinarily assured and deeply moving new collection that will stand as one of the very finest new books of poetry for years to come.‘ —John Burnside
‘This collection is a powerful expression of a diasporic African ecopoetics. With an intense vision and unique voice, Tjawangwa Dema poignantly addresses themes of racial, environmental, food, animal, and climate justice.’ —Craig Santos Perez
‘Precise and unforgettable.’ —Jessica J Lee
The an/other pastoral book forms part of the wider Another Pastoral project, a collaboration between Tjawangwa Dema and No Bindings. The project also encompasses an audio work and archive.
The audio work Another Pastoral was first broadcast on BBC Introducing Arts with Gemma Cairney on BBC Radio 6 Music on 7th December 2020. Another Pastoral is presented by Lily Green, and features interviews with Harriet Green, Michael Malay and Maxwell Ayamba and a reading of ‘Hypothesis’ by Tjawangwa Dema. Another Pastoral was created by Lily Green, edited by Eloise Stevens and produced by Calling The Shots for BBC Arts, supported by Arts Council England.
The Another Pastoral Archive is a digital archive of reflections and documentations of nature by three archivists, Harriet Green, Michael Malay and Maxwell Ayamba. It will be made available via Grapevine with the release of an/other pastoral.
Another Pastoral artists and writers
Photo: Petra Rolinec
Tjawangwa Dema
Tjawangwa Dema is a poet, educator and arts administrator. In 2018 she was awarded the Sillerman First Book Prize for The Careless Seamstress. Her chapbook Mandible was published as part of the African Poetry Book Fund’s New Generation Poets boxset series. Tjawangwa is an alumna of the Harper Collins Author Academy, an Honorary Fellow of the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program and sits on multiple poetry festival/institute boards. She holds an MA in Creative Writing and has given readings and facilitated workshops in over twenty countries. Tjawangwa has worked collaboratively with poets, musicians, scholars, dancers, as well as theatre and film-makers. Her poetry and essays have been featured or are forthcoming in various journals and anthologies, most recently New Daughters of Africa, Botswana Women Write, and the Modern Language Association (MLA) Options for Teaching volume. She is an Honorary Senior Research Associate at the University of Bristol and co-produces the Africa Writes – Bristol festival. Her current book project, an/other pastoral , is forthcoming from No Bindings in 2022.
Photo: Mikael Techane
Lily Green
Lily Green is a creative entrepreneur and multimedia artist. Lily uses printmaking, book craft and audio in her work. With these skills, Lily developed the indie press-come-publishing studio, No Bindings. Lily is also co-founder of digital startup, Grapevine.
To date Lily has led No Bindings teams to deliver commissions and funded productions for charities (Age UK), arts organisations (Knowle West Media Centre) and collectives (Art in Motion). Lily has project managed and creatively directed collaborations with international partners (‘Radiobook Rwanda’ funded by British Council East Africa Arts), curated international events (Center for Fiction, Brooklyn) and managed local and international R&D projects for both No Bindings and Grapevine (University of Bristol Brigstow Institute Seedcorn Funding (2020), Smart Tourism funding (2019) and Network for Creative Enterprise R&D Bursary (2018).
Photo: Image Lounge
Tebogo Cranwell
Tebogo Cranwell is a Motswana artist, based in Botswana, whose work explores beauty, femininity, sensuality and intimacy. She uses light and dark to bring a subtle, modern, minimalist aesthetic to portraiture.
Another Pastoral contributors
Maxwell Ayamba
Interviewee
Dr Michael Malay
Interviewee
Harriet Green
Interviewee
Another Pastoral partners
New Creatives
New Creatives is a talent development scheme supported by Arts Council England and BBC Arts, delivered in the South West by Calling The Shots.