Trending

Manchester photographer releases powerful new book documenting snapshots of life in lockdown

All proceeds from sales of Sushil Nash's book will go towards local homeless charity Coffee4Craig.

Emily Sergeant - 4th January 2021

A book of photographs documenting the human side of Manchester’s lockdown goes on sale this week and it reveals the emotional impact of restrictions on people across the city.

The powerful collection is being published by Manchester-based photographer and designer, Sushil Nash.

Earlier last year, Sushil, 31, collected the images from people across the city after inviting the public to submit their snapshots accompanied by a few words to describe what the image means to them, and was left overwhelmed by the response.

The book features 100 intimate pictures and words which will become a “a collective memory of how this time has affected our lives”.

Sushil started the Stay Home Project by asking members of the public to send in “a photograph you took during lockdown, and a few words describing what it means to you”. He continued: “I left the question quite open, because I wanted to let people interpret it in their own way, and so the responses that came in were really varied,

“But I think that makes the collection compelling.

“It acknowledges the fact that none of us have just had one singular experience of lockdown – it’s been a real mess of ups and downs.

“It also meant that the submissions are very personal.

“This book isn’t so much about photography – it’s about people’s stories and experiences, so the magic is in how people have reflected on the images they shared.

“It feels quite intimate in that way.”

The Stay Home Project is supporting Coffee4Craig – a Manchester-based homelessness charity that operates an out of hours drop-in service in the city centre every evening, and offers hot food, showers, food parcels, medical support and mental health crisis intervention for those who need it most – who will be using profits to provide care for the city’s homeless and others in crisis.

Sushil continues: “A cruel irony of lockdown is that it has been painful for everyone forced to stay in their
homes, whilst also making life increasingly difficult for those who don’t have a home to stay
in.

It’s brought new challenges to those who are already society’s most vulnerable, but I’m absolutely amazed by the work Coffee4Craig is doing to support them,

“So it means a lot to me that my project can be a tiny part of that.”

Stay Home: Manchester is available to pre-order now for £24.

Pre-orders will remain open until 31st January 2021 at 11:59pm, with copies set to arrive in February, and you can get your hands on a copy here.

You can find more of Sushil Nash’s work via his website here, and stay up to date via his social media platforms – Twitter and Instagram.