Prairie Gothic

George Webber's poignant black-and-white photographs transport us into the forgotten, unknowable communities of the Canadian prairies. Throughout the journey, we're confronted by the mysterious particulars of life, death, landscape and faith. Intimate portraits and the hard facts of the place are woven together to create a body of work that is by turns inspiring, consoling and sometimes achingly sad. Individually, these works startle and challenge. As a collection, they represent a photographer's decades-long meditation on the ever-changing face of the Canadian West.

George Webbers previous books include In this Place, Last Call (RMB, 2010), A World Within: An Intimate Portrait of the Little Bow Hutterite Colony and People of the Blood: A Decade-long Photographic Journey on a Canadian Reserve. He is the recipient of numerous National Magazine Awards (Canada), two Awards of Excellence from the Society of News Design (USA), and the International Documentary Photography Award (Korea). His photographs have been featured in American Photo, Canadian Geographic, Lenswork Quarterly, Photolife, The New York Times and Swerve. In 1999 he was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in recognition of his contributions to the visual arts in Canada. George lives in Calgary, Alberta.

Aritha van Herk is an award-winning Canadian writer whose work has been acclaimed throughout North America and Europe. Her books include Judith, The Tent Peg, No Fixed Address, Places Far From Ellesmere, Restlessness, In Visible Ink, A Frozen Tongue and Mavericks: An Incorrigible History of Alberta. She first worked with George Webber on the photography book In This Place, published by Frontenac House. She is a member of the Royal Society of Canada, and a professor who teaches Canadian literature and creative writing in the Department of English at the University of Calgary. Aritha lives in Calgary, Alberta.