City by the Sea
Book Review
2 min read by Dmitri.Published on .
City by the Sea is one of those books that manages to surprise and inspire me to be more daring with my camera on every page turn. This book’s content can easily be used to define black and white street photography. Gritty, full of curious detail and captivating single-shot stories from what seems to be a beautiful and seedy place where one can never stay bored.
Brighton is never the same and that’s why I love it. Over the years I’ve spent many hours walking the streets of the city by the sea and it always surprises me with something new. Welcome to Brighton as seen through my eyes.
— Book intro by its author, Anil Mistry.
As I flipped through the pages of City by the Sea, I couldn’t help but hear old Sex Pistols records revibrate inside my skull. It is definitely a “punk rock” kind of a publication. The book does not focus on music or the underground scene specifically. It doesn’t have to. The five years Anil spent walking around Brighton were enough to create urban poetry, spoken with portraits of people I wish I could meet and scenes full of action I wish I were a part of.
Anil’s book was a rather affordable £10, sold on the Fistful of Books website. It features 56 pages of photography A5-sized pages, printed on 150 gsm (55lb) paper with 250gsm (92lb) matte laminated cover. Every copy is signed.
Unfortunately, it is now out of print. If you wish you had one, perhaps you can bug Anil on Twitter to start a second run, see his other publications on his website or browse Fistful of Books for similar titles that may strike your fancy.