Ed King
– featuring pictures by Paul Ward
‘It wasn’t until my second visit to Mumbai that I started to understand the torrid history of India under colonial rule. The British Raj, what lay before, during and after.
I grew up in Birmingham in the centre of England – amidst strong Gujarati, Punjabi and Kashmiri Diasporas – and have felt familiar to India since I was a child, as much of my home city would. Making Diwali candles and Eid Mubarak cards in primary school, eating onion bhajis and Kit Kats for lunch; India was the culture of classmates. But as for the shared past that brought us together, founded on both commerce and cruelty… the legacy of the British Empire was never taught in our history lessons.’
South City / Gateway of India
________________________
Snapshots of Mumbai is the first in a series of books that explore the might and majesty of India, whilst softly explaining the roots of imperialism that stole seven islands to begin building an empire. A walk through the history of a modern day megacity – Snapshots of Mumbai is a collection of essays, interviews, and images about people who live and work in this sprawling metropolis.
A matt laminated case bound ‘coffee table’ book, laid out as A4 landscape, Snapshots of Mumbai tells its story through 204 pages, 55,000 words, and a rolling gallery of photographs from Paul Ward.
There is also the titular collage of ‘snapshots’, taken by people both featured in the book and those who remained a silent part of the project.
First run – limited editions of Snapshots of Mumbai are now available, click here for full details and links to online purchases.
**All money raised from the first run – limited editions will be reinvested back into the Snapshots of… project, helping to support the creatives behind it and encourage further work. The names of each purchaser will be printed on a special page at the front of all later editions, this is our way saying thank you for supporting the project and makes you a permanent part of the book.**