Sleepless in Soho is Joshua K. Jackson’s debut monograph, drawn from photographs made between January 2017 and December 2019. During those three years, Jackson walked through Soho’s lamp-lit and neon-filled streets, initially turning to photography as a way of dealing with insomnia. That origin gives the work a particular rhythm: the city is encountered by someone who remains awake while others sleep. The book gathers observations from repeated walks rather than presenting a single night as a complete account of the district.

The publisher describes a tension between contemporary Soho and the fading character of its past. Jackson’s attention to colour and abstraction offers a way into that changing atmosphere. Artificial light can make a familiar street appear unfamiliar, while the sequence of photographs gives separate encounters a shared nocturnal setting. The book also includes a poem by Sarah Tucker. Her contribution brings another voice to the experience of moving through the night, alongside Jackson’s photographic account. These elements suggest a reading in which the district is understood through accumulated impressions, shifts of light and the observer’s sustained attention.

The physical edition gives that sequence a distinct form. Setanta’s specifications describe a coptic-bound hardback with a layflat design and an exposed spine when opened, a tipped-in cover image and red metallic foil blocking. Its 72 pages comprise 60 white coated pages and 12 uncoated black pages, presenting 48 images in a volume measuring 26 by 23.5 centimetres. For readers following Jackson’s work, this first monograph brings his interest in the relationship between people and urban places into a sustained book sequence. Its appeal lies in that combination of a clearly situated photographic project and a carefully specified physical presentation.