About the Book
A beautifully produced exploration of West Sussex and East Hampshire through the lens of landscape, memory and community, complete with analogue photography and layered illustrations.
Waterlands: The Coastal Areas of West Sussex and Hampshire Borders is the first title from a new independent publishing house, Buan Press. It considers the distinctive harbours, wetlands and waterways of the area, reflecting both the landscapes themselves and the communities that belong to them. Weaving its way through geography, environmental reality, history, myth and culture, this luxurious book invites readers not just to look at the landscape but to really see it.
Written by David Gilbey, with original photography by Roo Lewis and illustrations by Molly Martin, this limited-edition, hand-sewn hardback is printed and bound in Italy on sustainably sourced paper with a rich, textured cloth and foil blocked lettering. Buan Press will donate half of all profits to local environemntal and wildlife charities.
Table of Contents:
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Geology, Geography, Deep History
Human History
Harbours, Wetlands, Connected Waterways
Tracks, Pathways, Waterways
Place Names
Places, Towns, Villages
Buildings, Houses, Architecture
Climate, Weather
Nature, Wildlife, the Natural World
Farming, Landscape, Land Use
Craft, Work
Belief, Folklore, Myths, Magic
Writers, Painters, Art
Afterword
Bibliography
Glossary
Captions
Acknowledgements
About the Author :
David Gilbey is an author and the founder of Buan Press, committed to capturing the spirit of place. He previously worked in book and magazine publishing, as well as in digital media, before returning to the real life, physical world of books.
Roo Lewis is a photographer whose portraits have been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery and the Royal Academy, and featured in Dazed, the Guardian, and Vogue. His acclaimed book Port Talbot UFO Investigation Club (GOST, 2023) uses UFO folklore to explore small-town hope and resilience.
Molly Martin is a London-based artist originally from Somerset. Working primarily in drawing, painting and printmaking, she is also the author of The Art of Repair, a collection of stories, histories and practical notes on the quiet act of mending.
Review :
'This is a Sunday book: one to dip into early in the morning, opening at any page that calls to you.'
Bob England, England at Home
'The photos and illustrations are phenomenal - they really bring the whole thing to life. It's extraordinary.'
Hetty Saunders, Author, My House of Sky: The Life and Work of J.A. Baker, one of the Guardian's Best Nature Books
'David joins a chorus of writers about place led by Robert Macfarlane, Nan Shepherd and others celebrating the earth around us, our rivers, mountains, valleys, coasts and wetalnds'
Kirsten E. Shepherd, Professor of English, University of Oxford
'Though not from Chichester or its environs I was immediately transported deep into its heart by the stunning photos and evocative, thoroughly researched text'
Ben Raskin, Head of Agroforestry, The Social Association
