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When we were asked to put together a ‘learning’ book on pastoralism in India, the choice of using a graphic novella format was immediate. In a graphic novel every part of each frame plays a role in interpretation. Readers ‘visualize’ a piece of writing and also make inferences from an image; the subtle nuances of a character’s tilt of a head (or frown) can be more evocative than words strung together in sentences.

Like figures in a landscape painting that offer perspective and points of view, we chose four protagonists who allow an intimate, ‘up close’ view of the hopes and fears, struggles and successes of their communities. The text oscillates between fleeting moments and events in their lives – and a long view analysis of their communities and surroundings. Each story emphasizes one core theme, while together they speak of inter-generational conflict, common property issues and the close linkages between animals, products, land and livelihood. While the characters are mostly imaginary – they could well carry with them shades of the people we ‘met’ in deeply researched papers, films and many conversations. At the core of this book lies the optimism that a more intimate understanding of how ‘other’ communities live will make our worlds a little more tolerant, a little more compassionate, a little less critical, a little less insular.

The characters – the pastoralists – seem to have an almost inherent need to seek out the unknown; migration is core to their way of life. ‘A World Without a Roof’ took us to many landscapes previously unknown: the desolate mangroves of Kuchchh, the craggy terrains of Ladakh, the verdant greens of Bharmour and the arid grasslands of Medak – with Gagan, Pemba, Rabrakhiya and Yellamma.

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