Abstract

Afterwards is an anthology of graphic narratives of disaster impacts and the process of recovery that follows. These stories were drawn from the testimonies of disaster-affected individuals, households, and communities documented from the Indian states of Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. The book has been translated into the regional languages of these states – Odia, Tamil, and Malayalam. They communicate challenges related to housing resettlement, loss of livelihoods, and gender-based exclusion among others. At the heart of this anthology lies the idea of ‘representation’: how are disaster-affected people portrayed by the media, state actors, and official documents; how are their needs represented and how do these portrayals impact the lives of those at risk and shape their recovery?

Graphically illustrating these themes provides a platform to relay personal experiences of disaster risk and recovery. Through a creative mode of representation, this box set, aims to take such important narratives to a wider audience, beyond academia.