Poetic observer and gleaner of undiscovered urban gems, Alice Stevenson champions the art of walking in her new book, ‘Ways to Walk in London’. We join her on her walks and discover “hidden places and new perspectives”.
The daily environments of modern life can sometimes feel plain and uneventful. When our habitual routines take us from the same point A to the same point B every day, it’s not long before we give in to autopilot, shutting out the periphery and no longer taking in what’s going on around us.
Unaware and heads down is an unfortunately common posture that has been exacerbated by the addictive little screens we all carry around.
For artist and writer Alice Stevenson, this is not the case. She knows the value in actively observing and the enjoyment that can be found in the lost art of wandering.
In her first book, Alice opens up London’s overgrown paths and explores the forgotten nooks of its sprawling boroughs. She documents her walks with endearing accounts of each journey and gorgeous illustrations, producing a creative and beautifully personal guide to the city.
We hear more below from September Publishing. Head over to Alice’s site for more information on ‘Ways to Walk in London’.
The artist and illustrator, Alice Stevenson, has spent the last few years walking and exploring the huge, sprawling megacity that is London. Within all the hustle and bustle, Alice has discovered a way of walking that is restorative, enriching and enlightening.
With her artist’s eye and an open mind, she journeys across this mesmerising city, from North to South, East to West, observing the tiny, hidden details and finding inspiration in its unlikeliest corners.
Alice’s experience, perception and intimate knowledge of London come together to create a beautiful, unofficial guide to the city, where overlooked architecture is celebrated, unusual perspectives are discovered and paths away from the customary haunts are trodden.
After the painful end of a relationship, a journey from Kentish Town to Hampstead Heath, bathed in winter sun, underscores the healing effect of walking. A linear route to and from Finsbury Park offers rare perspectives along an abandoned railway line.
The opposing shores of Docklands and Greenwich feel like moving between moments in history – the slick, glassy gleam of the city versus the elegant lines of the World Heritage site, linked by the ‘unreconstructed’ and claustrophobic underwater foot tunnel.
From Garden Squares to bookshops, from the Essex Road to Forest Hill, from Woolwich to Cheyne Walk and further, to the outer reaches of London, Alice notes the detail — a ‘silvery blur’ of window, the solid red of brick walls, geometric detritus under foot and triangular silhouettes of roofs against the sky.
The text is complemented by Alice’s gorgeous, distinctive illustrations which perfectly captures those moments of beauty and urbanity, contemplation and revelation.
‘Ways to Walk in London’ is a wonderfully fitting tribute to the complexity of this city — even in one of the most dynamic and bustling environments in the world there are places to escape to.
You can see more examples of Alice’s work in our portfolio feature from 2010.
© Alice Stevenson, 2015
