Pastevecký Almanach

Published September 23, 2026

The Shepherd’s Almanac, or Pastevecký Almanach in Czech, is an extraordinairly unique publication. Produced in a limited edition (the first edition had 77 copies), the book was prepared over four years by a small group of dedicated shepherds, writers, academics, and artists. It is the second volume published by the International Confederation of Shepherds, which was founded in 2011 on the pastures of South Moravia in the Czech Republic.

The confederation’s manifesto proclaims their members’ interests in literature, research, philosophy, sociology, and art related to pastoralism, even venturing into the mystical and surrealistic realms. The confederation subscribes to and promotes the idea of open pastoralism, without barbed wires and electrical fences, for the animals and shepherds to roam freely through the landscape. Taking this idealism further, they also advocate for intellectual freedom based on DIY principles and the Czech Underground.

For the Shepherd’s Almanac, the Confederation and Karel Prokeš found the right fit in Maiola (with Maiola Cyrillic). Inspired by early Czech type design, Veronika Burian’s Maiola is a contemporary typeface that is mindful of its heritage. Maiola is intended for high-quality printed text, and thus handles its expressive tendencies with care to equalise the important issues of legibility and personality. Maiola Cyrillic was designed to harmonise well with its Latin counterpart, as can be seen in the Almanac. The sans used for headings and on the cover is Tomáš Brousil’s Gloriola Display Black.

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