Voices – East London by Maryam Eisler is a lavishly illustrated book which uses the lives of East Londoners to show how “over the last thirty years, the area has been transformed from a crumbling no-go area on the fringes into a cluster of hip multicultural neighbourhoods buzzing with energy.” Not that everyone has benefited equally from this, as shown by the life-stories in Eisler’s work.
Voices is full of vibrant colours from inspiring photographs and illustrations, packed with motivating quotes and stories that makes one feel elevated, and it shows East London in a bright and positive light.
It allowed me to explore the lives of a diverse range of people, and how they’ve all found a home in East London. I came to see how they managed to find common ground, despite their vastly different beliefs.
There is no attempt to glamorise: Eisler’s interviewees give us the raw experience of their struggles and how East London often helped them to make it here.
The illustrations are remarkable – not always pretty, sometimes even ugly; but always colourful and never dull.
All of this makes Voices a delight to look at and a pleasure to read.
Published by Thames and Hudson, Voices – East London costs £28.
