THE VIDARBHA
COTTON WIDOWS BOOK

RESEARCH
Verena Hanschke
–
INTERVIEWS
Floriana Gavriel
and Verena Hanschke
–
PHOTOGRAPHS
Floriana Gavriel
and Verena Hanschke
–
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Floriana Gavriel
and Verena Hanschke
–
PRODUCTION MANAGER
India Sanjeev Mishra
–
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
India Amrik, Nilesh, Sachin, Yogish
–
LIGHTING Lalu
–
EDITORS
Verena Hanschke
and Richard Wilson
–
BOOK DESIGN
Verena Hanschke
Paper backingford, 190g and Redeem, 90g, 100% recycled
Jacket screen printed on organic cotton
–
FONTS
title font Sardar by
Verena Hanschke and Swift by
Linotype
–
WEBSITE

vidarbha project

–
WEBSITE DESIGN
Floriana Gavriel
and Verena Hanschke
–
PROGRAMMED by
Claudia Glomb

This project would not have been possible without the ongoing creative,
technical and financial support of the Royal College of Art, London
Visiting Professor Nick Bell,
Professor Dan Fern
and Professor Jeff Willis
and the University of the Arts Bremen, Germany
Professor Peter Bialobrzeski
and Matthias Schneege
and perfectprops Berlin

This project started with a two-month trip to the Vidarbha Region in India. It examined the extent of an advertising campaign and the claims made by the worldÕs biggest producer of genetically modified seeds. Through interviews and discussions with more than 15 widows of GM cotton farmers, seed shop owners, the head of the local GM seed company Ankur Seeds and an organic farmer who has been developing a native seed bank that helps farmers to return to native seeds. Presented in a book, video and photographs revealing stories behind the farmers and the possible reasons why they committed suicide are illustrated.