Portrait of a River is an exploration of the deep history and current life of the River Thames.

Based on the film of the same title by the Danish artist Nikolaj Bendix Skyum Larsen, it brings together beautiful photography, three new essays exploring the river, transcripts of interviews with those who live and work on the Thames, overheard conversations and river shanties. Portrait of a River is an evocative study of the often overlooked landscape through which the Thames cuts its sluggish course.

The book features a new essay by the writer and ‘deep topographer’ Nick Papadimitriou, author of Scarp (Sceptre, 2012). Forming one of many voices in the book, and comprising a series of journeys on foot, it complements two essays on Nikolaj’s film (and its wide array of resonances) by Steven Bode and Patrick Langley.