The PhotoBook Reader

An all-star compilation of essays, interviews, and critical musings about the photobook as an essential part of photographic practice today



The PhotoBook Reader anthologizes an essential collection of essays, interviews, and brief texts from a stellar roster of artists, designers, and book makers, all passionate about the photobook and its potential for creative expression. Each of the pieces in this richly illustrated reader are drawn from the pages of The PhotoBook Review, a newsprint journal published biannually from 2011 through 2021. This volume gathers the “best of” contributions from the journal’s efforts to foster a deeper understanding of the ecosystem of the photobook as a whole. The selections include deep dives into topics such as “How to Read a PhotoBook” and “The PhotoBook and the Archive,” in addition to critical discussions, such as “What Is a Feminist PhotoBook?” and “Notes for Future Study: PhotoBooks by Black Artists.” Sections on “How to Distribute Your PhotoBook” and “Teaching the PhotoBook” are pragmatic, while more taxonomic, genre-defining propositions include “The Accidental Photobook” and “What Is a Photo-Text Book?” The Photobook Reader offers an engaging record of a remarkable decade of discourse, scholarship, and deepening connoisseurship—an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the photobook.