Oxford

Martin Parr, one of Britain's best-known contemporary photographers, and President of Magnum, the world-famous photographic agency has undertaken a photo-documentary book project. Oxford is a collection of around 100 photographs documenting an academic year in the life of the university. They capture the day-to-day life of the colleges and University at work and play, and the colourful and arcane rituals that make it so distinctive. n n His photographs are accompanied by an extended afterword that draws on, and enriches, the photographic material and penned by Simon Winchester, OBE, the British writer, journalist and broadcaster. n n The very first photo-documentary of Oxford was created by William Henry Fox Talbot. A century and a half later, Martin Parr's new project pays tribute to the great the pioneer of photography, and coincides with the Bodleian Library's bid to secure his personal archive. n