Shadows of Reality: W.G. Sebald's Photographic Materials

Shadows of Reality is the first-ever volume of photographs of German writer W.G. Sebald, designed to shed new light on his creative process. It includes a unique, fully illustrated catalogue of Sebald's photographs from the University of East Anglia's photographic collection, the Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach, and the Sebald Estate. The book also features an illuminating interview with Michael Brandon-Jones, the photographer who collaborated with Sebald on all of his publications, and inspired essays by Clive Scott and Angela Breidbach on Sebald's writing-with-photographs and the complex interactions of those photographs with narrative design.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 468 pages
Publication date: 29 September 2023
Publisher: UEA Publishing Project

Shadows of Reality is a groundbreaking collection of photographs that provides a unique insight into the creative process of German writer W.G. Sebald. This exquisite volume, meticulously designed to shed new light on his artistic journey, chronicles the images and encounters that shaped his writing life. Presented as a fully illustrated catalogue, Shadows of Reality showcases a remarkable assemblage of film negatives, prints, and slides sourced from the photographic collections of the University of East Anglia, the Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach, and the Sebald Estate. Complementing the exhibition Lines of Sight: W.G. Sebald's East Anglia, edited by literary scholar Clive Scott and photography curator Nick Warr, this comprehensive book delves into the diverse photographic aspects of Sebald's published work, offering a wealth of previously unpublished material.

Introduced by Nick Warr, who offers an intriguing overview of the author's critical relationship to photography, Shadows of Reality also features an illuminating interview with Michael Brandon-Jones, the photographer who collaborated with Sebald on all of his publications. The book is enriched with a collection of extracts, primarily on photography, from interviews with Sebald himself, bequeathed to the archive of recordings held at the University of East Anglia by his close friend Gordon Turner. Gordon Turner also provides a memoir, adding depth and personal perspective to the collection.

Accompanying these extracts are inspired essays by Clive Scott and Angela Breidbach that explore Sebald's writing-with-photographs and the intricate and multifaceted interactions between those photographs and narrative design. Shadows of Reality serves as an invaluable resource for anyone interested in Sebald's creative processes or the potential of photography to enhance fiction. It is an inexhaustible treasure trove of new discoveries and revelations about the cherished intern, offering a deeper understanding of his artistic vision and the profound impact of his work on literature and culture.

Weight: 750g
Dimension: 297 x 245 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781911343660