“Because of [Van Manen's] deep involvement and the time her projects take, her series can be seen as visual diaries ... This book, compiled by designer Hans Gremmen, is a new tribute to Van Manen's work” – FOCUS

“[Van Manen's] images look raw and incredibly modern, the people captured within them unaware, skewiff, unposed and playful ... we are left with a very particular take on personal and the poetic.” – AnOther

“Using a simple snapshot camera, [Van Manen] portrays the wild calm of the landscape and the brutal intimacy of the lives and deaths of its dwellers.” – The Independent

Since the 1970s, Dutch photographer Bertien van Manen has created intimate and poignant photographs of commonplace scenes, produced during extended trips to Europe, America, China and the former Soviet Union. Van Manen has established herself as a unique voice in documentary photography, her visual language imbued with empathy and respect for the everyday lives of her subjects. This book presents an extensive overview of van Manen’s work, alongside diary entries and previously unpublished selections from her archive.

The book has been edited and designed by renowned Dutch designer Hans Gremmen to offer a unique insight and overview of van Manen’s history, establishing this publication as the ultimate reference work on her oeuvre.