The Voice of Peckham

Peckham stands at a crucial junction that will shape its future for generations. Fishmongers on the high street, herb shops in the shopping center, African foods and fashion, essential vegetable shops, rooftop bars, and cinema, everyone has a favourite spot in Peckham that we love, this is what Peckham is known for.

This portrait project focuses on individuals, who own businesses, people who work in Peckham and people whose future depends on the incredible diversity. Without their everyday contribution, Peckham wouldn’t be such a vibrant and cool place to live, work, visit and socialise in. The reason I started this series of portraits is to highlight the importance of the existing local community during the proposal of Berkeley’s development of the Aylesham shopping center in Peckham. It is crucial to protect this fragile community and local businesses because these are the people who are the core of Peckham and they must be included in all future plans for the area. 

There are many visions for this development, but these independent businesses should be supported instead of being slowly replaced by soulless high-street brands. This will preserve Peckham and its incredible diversity which is loved by so many of us.

Portrait of Zainab Jaffa is now shortlisted image by British Journal of Photography and part of Portrait of Britain vol.7, published by Bluecoat Press. https://bluecoatpress.co.uk/product/portrait-of-britain-vol-7/