Afshan Mariam
Collective Member
I’m an educator and writer drawn to the ways land, food, and learning are deeply intertwined. My work often begins with the question: how can we pay closer attention—to the soil, the stream, the stories we carry—and shape pedagogical processes rooted in respect, reciprocity, and responsibility? This nourishing space has opened up opportunities to work in different formal and non-formal learning spaces, building curriculums and pedagogical processes. Food forests become sites for learning about stewardship, seasonal foraging becomes a way to talk about our bodies and our dependence on the land and a walk through the mangroves can soon turn into an illustrated story to be shared.
My journey as a writer started from a more academic, research oriented stance. But, what began as a quiet habit of collecting cookbooks soon turned into a more intentional practice of writing -- growing food, cooking and commensality was part of growing up and writing about these was like working through a picture puzzle. I now support other writers as an editor at Sky Islands, a platform for and from the Western Ghats while writing and editing for independent magazines and publications.
Bridging my life as an educator and writer evolved into creating workshops and spaces where people of all ages and abilities could come and explore food, land care and community. Through Edible Issues and SAF we have created workshops for people to tell us tales about Tubers, explore memories around food through image making and reading recipes as poetry. When I’m not at my desk with the cats or in the kitchen, I’m mostly walking and looking to learn about the plants that grow by the stream and moving into wild places.