Keeping the f lag f lying
UK publisher ilex press leads the way for inspirational photo books
ith the march of globalisation, much of what we read about photography has a distinctly international slant, and buying books seems to channel cash to tax-evading giant corporations. Indie publisher ilex press at least manages to keep the flag flying for this country, publishing perhaps the most varied and interesting list of photography books around from humble offices in Lewes.
As a reader, it’s hard to get excited about a publishing company, but the names that appear on their ‘Stars of ilex’ author page (
are another matter: global phenomenon Michael Freeman, whose The Photographer’s Eye is required reading for students and enthusiasts alike; star of New York’s fashion scene (and Englishwoman) Lara Jade; fine-art prodigy Miss Aniela; and lighting guru Adam Duckworth, to name but a few.
ilex is able to sign authors like this because the close-knit team is made of photo experts, not just literary editors, meaning the voice of a photographer is safe in their hands.
WTeam ilex also has a design background, so rather than just dumping out an extended Word document in a 400-page brick, every spread is meticulously designed to be easy to follow and good to look at. “More than once our books have been mistaken for coffee-table books,” says associate publisher Adam Juniper, “which is amazing when you consider how much solid knowledge there is in there too.”