Lumbung Stories

Across continents and cultures, a powerful anthology about the ties that unite us. Tequio in Mexico, auzolan in the Basque Country, lumbung in Indonesia, ubuntu in South Africa, mutirão in Brazil. Across the world, different words describe a shared idea: collective work. Bringing together eight publishers and seven writers, each working in a different language, Lumbung Stories is itself an act of collaboration. From speculative essays and experimental pieces to intimate, everyday narratives, each contributor offers a distinct interpretation of what a “lumbung story” can be. These stories move from olive groves in Andalusia to tiger-filled forests in Indonesia; from adolescents finding their way together in the Basque Country to communities forged through ritual in São Paulo; from intergenerational struggle in South Africa to a future society rebuilding after climate and economic collapse. Blurring the boundaries between fiction and non-fiction, past and future, this vibrant collection is both ambitious and deeply human, a celebration of shared labour, and a reminder of the ties that connect us across cultures and time.