Hackney By Night – a book of eerie and unexpectedly beautiful photgraphs of London in the dead of night – is the latest publication from Hoxton Mini Press. The book’s press release follows:

“The majesty of the pylon over the canal, shimmering blue and green lights, the bridge lit and reflected in the gently rippling waters—this is an almost romantic reverie. However, I wonder what sinister events may have taken place in that very location, what lies beneath the surface?” Zelda Cheatle, in her introduction to the book.

David George‘s elegiac images, which were shot specifically for the book between November 2014 and June 2015, show the pathways, back streets, canal towpaths, disused buildings, dark waterways, parks and underpasses that stand silent as most of us lie asleep. Using starlight and lamplight, places and scenes that might otherwise appear familiar are rendered hyper-real. Here is a stillness and beauty that might suprise those of us who are exhausted by our busy lives in the city.

Alongside these images is a short story by writer and journalist Karen Falconer, taking the reader on a parallel journey into the night of a narrator’s memory. The subtle and often unexplained words infuse each shot with a disquiet and a subtle sense of loss. Hackney takes on two faces, one of tranquillity and beauty and one that hints of a menacing netherworld.

The book will be launched on Thursday 19 November at Mile End Art Pavilion from 6.30pm, where an exhibition of David’s photographs is currently on display. More info here