A Room of Their Own.

Photographs by Susan Meiselas.

Multistory, London, United Kingdom, 2017. 204 pp., color illustrations,

A Room of Their Own, a new book from Multistory and Magnum photographer, Susan Meiselas, is a multilayered, visual story comprised of Susan’s photographs, first-hand testimonies, and original art works from women in refuge. Through a series of collaborative workshops, the women worked with Susan, plus an illustrator and a writer, during 2015 and 2016, to explore their experiences of domestic abuse and resettlement. The project was commissioned by the West Bromwich-based arts organization, Multistory, and the book will be published in May 2017.

The story told in A Room of Their Own is intended to share women’s experience of domestic abuse and the process of entering refuge alone, or with their children, to the collective life within, to then becoming resettled in their own home. The visual narrative emphasizes absence in order to protect the women’s identities, when needed, and progressively their presence becomes more visible with the inclusion of their stories and their own artwork and, in some instances, portraits.

Fundamental to practice at the refuge is the principle that women make their own decisions; that they alone know the implications of their situation, and take responsibility for the choices that they make. The women are given the time and space to take stock of their circumstances and plan for the future. The emphasis is on helping and encouraging them to help themselves.

“I was invited by Multistory to photograph in the Black Country in the UK. The moment I entered the refuge, I felt connected to their mission. The terms of our agreement was that there could be no visual identification of the people or locations within the shelter network. However, as we developed a collaborative project with those women who wanted to participate and share their stories, some of them gained in confidence and allowed themselves to be revealed.” — Susan Meiselas

Watch the video BookTease for A Room of Their Own by Susan Meiselas.

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