Celebrated documentary photographer David Hurn has long been fascinated by the quiet magic of reading. For over six decades, he has captured people deeply immersed in the written word — whether leafing through paperbacks, scanning broadsheets, or scrolling on digital screens.
These moments now come together in a beautifully curated new book titled On Reading. While some scenes unfold in expected literary hubs like the Hay Festival, what makes the book remarkable is its portrayal of people reading in the most unexpected places and postures. The images invite us into tender, contemplative spaces — intimate slices of solitude carved out even in the middle of bustling cities.
From a 1964 shot of The Beatles reading in a London lobby, to quiet scenes in Herne Bay, Arizona, and Norway, Hurn’s photographs span continents and decades. Yet they all share a common thread: the absorbing power of reading and the private worlds it creates.
This project has an origin story nearly as poetic as the photographs themselves. The idea dates back over 40 years and was directly inspired by On Reading, the 1971 photobook by Hungarian master André Kertész — one of Hurn’s early artistic influences.
The two photographers first crossed paths in 1983, during a unique global project that brought 100 photographers together in London for a single day of shooting. Hurn, then a younger man, offered to assist the 89-year-old Kertész, even proposing that the elder artist focus his lens on Hyde Park.
“I met him for breakfast at a South Kensington hotel,” Hurn recalls. “We laughed and talked, and I told him how much I loved his little book On Reading. I asked if, when I turned 89, I might pay tribute by creating my own version. He gave me his blessing. And here it is.”