Today I am very excited to launch the Kickstarter campaign to publish my photo book “Sunday: A Portrait of 21st Century England”. This project has been a labour of love for the last decade. I have travelled around the country with my camera documenting how people from all walks of life spend the Sabbath.

If successful, the Kickstarter campaign will mean I can publish the 122 page, hardback ‘coffee table’ book in the summer. As well as the book, friends can pledge for postcards, prints or a Skype call with me to discuss this project, a project of your own, or any photography related subject. If you would like to become a work of art yourself, the ultimate pledge buys you your very own Sunday shoot with the pictures of your day presented in a beautiful book.

The book was inspired by my return to the UK after working overseas for four years. I felt slightly removed from the day-to-day culture of life in England. I looked at my homeland from a more objective point of view than I had previously and began to wonder what actually defined being English, and what makes us who we are as a nation. I thought about the place of religion in society and pondered – is it how we work or how we worship that defines us, or how we play? Is it the way we spend our leisure time?

Sunday has traditionally been the day of rest or worship, depending on your beliefs, but things are changing. In the 1990s, legislation made shopping a seven-day week affair and the demands of today’s economy mean we are often working on the Sabbath. The established Church of England has been deeply affected by this societal shift, with attendance figures at an all-time low.

So if the majority of people aren’t attending church – what are they doing? And how does the way people spend their leisure time reflect the nature of society in 21st century England? This book is an attempt to understand and throw some light onto these questions with a personal selection of evocative and intimate images.

If you’re interested in supporting this campaign, please click here to make your pledge.