For the last two years, Glen has been housebound, living in a cramped basement flat with his mother Christine. A series of traumatic events in quick succession shattered both of their worlds and Glen’s mental health declined, exacerbated by his autism and the isolation of the pandemic. He became depressed and put on weight to … Continue reading Christine and Glen
FARSANG interviews: James Hopkirk
I recently had a very enjoyable, wide-ranging chat with Jean Franco of Farsang Journal, looking back at seven years of South London Stories. Along with publishing it as an interview, Farsang also produced this watercolour portrait which has generously de-aged me by about 15 years...
New South London Story: It’s What I Know
Today we’ve published It’s What I Know, the thirteenth South London Story, by a Londoner and James Hopkirk. It’s a complex piece and it presented some particular ethical and practical challenges, so we wanted to write something about how and why, over the course of four years, we made it.
South London Stories at Photojournalism Nights
I’m very grateful to have been asked to give a talk about South London Stories at Photojournalism Nights on 21 September.
The Blood of a Woman: Scenario blog
Last year I was very kindly asked by Jess McDermott, creator of the excellent photography podcast Scenario, to write something for the podcast’s blog about The Blood of a Woman. The Scenario blog gives photographers the opportunity to talk about how they produced an individual story. The story I picked was one I worked on … Continue reading The Blood of a Woman: Scenario blog
New South London Story: Mark
In October, to coincide with World Homeless Day, Mark and I published his story on the South London Stories website. It recounts Mark's time sleeping rough in Clapham as he struggled with addiction and his mental health. We worked together on it for two years. Now, thankfully, Mark is in a much better place, but … Continue reading New South London Story: Mark
South London Stories at Photojournalism Nights (and an update)
Next week, I've been asked to talk alongside three other photographers at Photojournalism Hub's first Photojournalism Nights event at Elephant West gallery in White City. I'll be talking about South London Stories (and this blog, where the project started in 2015) - the background to it, some of the ethical challenges it entails, looking at … Continue reading South London Stories at Photojournalism Nights (and an update)
Introducing South London Stories
Today I’ve launched a new website – South London Stories. Regular readers of this blog will recognise many of the stories it contains. This blog will continue, but South London Stories will house the more in-depth work that I do as I continue to explore the effects of austerity in the part of London where … Continue reading Introducing South London Stories
A Fragile Recovery: Life in a supported housing unit
To experience psychosis is to temporarily lose your connection with reality. It can involve hearing voices, delusional beliefs, confusion and difficulty communicating. Psychotic episodes are common to a number of severe mental health conditions, including schizophrenia. Not all experiences of psychosis are negative – but some people may be hospitalised after a particularly serious episode. … Continue reading A Fragile Recovery: Life in a supported housing unit
The Surgery: General practice in the age of austerity
Last year, the number of GPs in England fell by more than 1,000 – and a record number of surgeries closed. Earlier this year, the largest annual survey of GPs found that unfilled vacancies were at their highest ever level. There is a national shortage of GPs, and the situation is getting worse. So what’s going … Continue reading The Surgery: General practice in the age of austerity
South London Stories: blog 