Astray

08/01/2025

‘Retreat’ can be a loaded and luxurious word in a world where the concept of “care” is commodified and sold back to us as an individualist pursuit only – often against the backdrop of a place where value is extracted and not returned.

This project is not that.

From a charming cottage and a woman-owned coworking space, we’ll gather daily for workshops, excursions and talks.

07/17/2025

We just spent a week deep in conversation about identity, abstraction, recontextualisation and resistance with a team of writers from Singapore, India and the U.S.

What emerged were four incredible zines that push back against something deeply felt – printed on recycled paper using a Risograph machine and soy-based ink at in Tokyo, Japan.

In KACHA SUTA, meaning raw thread in Bengali, NY-based writer explores the breadth of her relationship to the clothing label 'Made in Bangladesh' – looking at conditions for women working in garment factories and the appropriation of Desi fashion into so-called Scandinavia core and Coachella wear.

published KNOW YOUR HINDUTVA to shed light on the rise of Hindu nationalism in India, critically examining key narratives, fabricated histories and the weaponisation of 'jihad' to expose the underlying Islamophobic propaganda fueling the Hindutva ideology (as distinct from Hinduism).

In an act of resistance against capitalism and cultural attitudes to mental health in Singapore, linguist .oee plunges readers into organised chaos with IN MY HEAD – breaking down stigmas, narratives of othering and the realities of being a young person who refuses to conform in a neoliberal surveillance state.

Pulling ideas from centuries-old Japanese gossip, Connie created her own version of Sei Shōnagon’s PILLOW BOOK. Inspired by scathing judgments of the Heian court and charming observations of all the beautiful little things in life, Connie’s zine explores the tension between two opposing narratives on women’s fashion: the status-obsessed utilitarianism of the industry, and the condemnation of fashion as consumerist sin. Like Shōnagon, Connie defends the pursuit of beauty and craftsmanship for its own sake

All print runs are super limited – contact us if you'd like to learn more about the authors and their work.

[CONT. IN COMMENTS]

06/24/2025

I wish I could bake and walk door to door offering brownies 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯! 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦? 𝘔𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦’𝘴 𝘛𝘰𝘺𝘰𝘴𝘪—𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶!

I wish my cat liked me. I wish she lit up and meowed when she heard me call her name. I wish she ran to me in the morning or even just entered a room. I wish she climbed up onto the couch or my desk chair or the dining room table to sit with me, or on me.I wish she purred in my lap, rumbling away co

05/30/2025

Create, design and assemble your own 16-page risograph zine with a team of writers, activists and printmakers in Tokyo this summer.

Attend a series of critical media literacy workshops, then create, print and assemble your own risograph zine in Tokyo, Japan.

05/15/2025

“If you’re hiring someone with a disability, how would you accommodate their needs?”

03/28/2025

“She has, like, the biggest t**s I’ve ever seen. I went up to her and asked to feel them, cause, like, I’m curious, you know? I don’t ever feel t**s — but she told me to f**k off. Like, come on, I’m gay. I’m not doing it the same way a straight guy would. It’s not groping if a gay guy does it.”

How q***r men perpetuate the patriarchy.

03/25/2025

Sensei and writer Megumi on her journey with Astray ~

Through conversations with an international writing workshop, a writer of mixed heritage finds steadier footing and a sense of self.

02/25/2025

"Everyone claims their mother’s is best and I am everyone."

Everyone claims their mother’s is best and I am everyone.My friends were celebrating the Lunar New Year with a potluck and we were asked to bring a dish from our culture. I ummed and ahhed for a while. It’s hard to choose a crowd pleaser, but also – though I love Samoan food and understand the...

02/01/2025

Katsudon in the snow / scrapbooking memories of music for / 35mm / tea / train rides / a pension run by a wildlife activist since she was 23 (she's now 73 and still going) / a boogie to Erykah Badu / conversation / peace, always / Kyoto trip / Fuji-san / bathing in Besho Onsen with chatty locals ~ a glimpse into some tendrils of pleasure from our winter writing workshop! ❄️ Beaut pics mostly by .artifacts + .

One week to go with this collective of kind, activated, kooky and adventurous writers – 😭 which means it's time to read, critique and polish everyone's stories, from creative non-fiction to essays.

We will reconvene in Tokyo on May 31 for our spring session. Link in bio, 2 spaces left. 🖊

01/30/2025

Brains and hearts exploding in Tokyo this cosy winter – what is something that gave you hope lately? What does patriarchy look like in your culture? What forms of English exist? What are the ethics of using AI as writers? What Japanese stereotypes were you wrong about? What story changed your mind recently? What makes an opinion valid? What does displacement look like in your hometown? What was the influence of the military where you grew up? As workers in the freelance gig economy, what is our responsibility? What is the national myth around "way of life" in your country? When is it okay to write for free?

01/20/2025

Digital cameras are back, and so is dressing like a kappa, playing Pokémon cards, handwriting in slivers of sunlight, asking your friends about their grandmothers, reading long articles and sharing all your meals.

Photos of our first winter week in Tokyo by , .que and 🍃❄️

10/30/2024

"Am I too fat to ride on the back of a scooter?"

There are reasons there are whole groups online dedicated to sharing the pitfalls and issues one can face when occupying a larger body. There’s a hesitancy in discussing it, as when we talk about weight and size, there’s not a lot of sympathy from people who don’t have to consider these things...