East End Women At Work
Starting in 2013, Spitalfields Life Books published 15 books over 6 years until the pandemic shut us down. Now we are ready to begin again and we are inspired by a string of new titles that we have ready to publish.
We are launching a crowdfund to raise enough money to cover production of our next 3 books, then income from sales of these will permit us to continue and publish more.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR CROWDFUND PAGE AND CONTRIBUTE
Today we preview Sarah Ainslie’s book
WOMEN AT WORK IN THE EAST END OF LONDON 1992-2023
Sarah Ainslie celebrates the contribution of female labour over the past thirty years in exuberant portraits that capture the passion and struggle of the working life. Drawn from Sarah’s personal archive and her work as Spitalfields Life Contributing Photographer, this is a panoramic survey of social change.
“It means so much to me and will be an important recognition of all the women I have photographed over the years for this book to be published by Spitalfields Life Books, a perfect home for it.”
Sarah Ainslie
Merle Curtis, Sultana Begum, Armagan Middlemast & Husna Begum, Tower Hamlets Food Bank
Afa Simpson, Painter, Decorator & Clown
Donna Wood, Postwoman, Royal Mail
Claire Carmelo, Customer Service Assistant, Bethnal Green Station
Kelly Wood, Carer, Silk Court Care Home
Kellyan Saunders, Manager, Oxfam Shop
Lucinda Rogers, Artist
Maria & Anna Pellicci, E Pellicci
Nafisa & Marlene, Newmans’ Stationery
Rachel Hippolyte, Education Manager, Spitalfields City Farm
Anita Patel, Tesco
Sue Venning, Proprietor, G Kelly Pie & Mash, Roman Rd
Iflet, Garage Mechanic, Three Colts Lane
Anjum Ishtaq, Heba Women’s Project, Brick Lane
Mrs Mustapha, Nazal Dry Cleaners, Hackney Rd
Sandra Esqulant, Publican at The Golden Heart, Spitalfields, and Molly
Shakala, Customer Assistant at Favorite Fried Chicken
Fatima Chowdury, Jumara Noor Eli and Sumsun Nahar Shirna at Mahir Sarees in Bethnal Green
Arful Nessa, Home Machinist, Spitalfields
Laura Porter, Powerlifter, Bethnal Green
Carol Burns, Manager, C.E. Burns Waste Paper Merchants, Spitalfields
Chloe Robertson, Electroplater at Margolis Silver, London Fields
Photographs copyright © Sarah Ainslie
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I have been here enough to know that if someone has a mechanical workshop in London (3 Colts Rd.) that it’s probs going to be under a railway embankment… Great Pictures; carry on.
The one feature that strikes me in all of these photographs, is how proud these women are. They are doing varied and valuable work serving their local community. Thank you Sarah and the GA. I await the publication of this forthcoming book with interest.
What an amazing, powerful and thoughtful series.
I can’t wait to see Sarah Ainslie’s book published!
Wonderful women! Beautiful article, lovely pictures. Thank you!
What an array of beautiful powerful women! Sarah Ainslie’s photos are always so descriptive, full of optimism.
Thanks for shining a light, GA.
What a terrific celebration of womanhood, makes me think of all the hardworking women who shaped and had an influence on me in my youth.
Wonderful! Women power!