The new whiz-kid of British documentary, Stephen Gill, has turned to publishing his own books. And what a treat he has produced in Hackney Flowers, my favourite photography book of the year. Hackney doesn’t sound the most promising territory for a photography project, but this is Gill’s fourth book on his neighbourhood area. He has collected various discarded photos found in the local flea market and combined these with some of his own images interspersed with ones of pressed flowers and berries, also derived from Hackney. The combination of these elements is most surreal. I particularly loved a picture of a tip truck superimposed with flower petals falling out of the truck like debris: the combination is so simple and effective that it sings off the page. Gill has the uncanny knack of finding juxtapositions that defy belief. This may be hard to find – it’s a limited edition – but it can be admired and ordered from www.stephengill.co.uk

HACKNEY FLOWERS by Stephen Gill
Nobody/Archive of Modern Conflict £30

Glittering literary prizes 2007

From hidden secrets to sizzling suspense, Peter Kemp kicks off the Christmas books selection by revealing the fiction that gripped him

• Celebrity festive favourites

• The Times Christmas choice: fiction

BACKGROUND

• The Sunday Times best books of 2007: biographies

• The Sunday Times best books of 2007: trees

• The Sunday Times best art books

• The Sunday Times best books of 2007: music

BACKGROUND

• The Sunday Times best books of 2007: sport

• The Sunday Times best books 2007: gardening

• Sunday Times best food books 2007

Times Recommends

• Superfreakonomics by Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Dubner
• The Times picks the 50 best paperbacks of 2009
• Vincent van Gogh’s letters show the soul of the artist