On loneliness

Most of us have felt lonely at some point in our lives. And yet so many of us find it hard to open up to others about it.

In 2023, The School of Life commissioned me to create a portrait photography book that aims to understand more about loneliness, and normalise talking about it. I spent the rest of that year photographing and talking to more than 50 people of all ages and backgrounds across the country.

My work on the book ‘On Loneliness,’ is finished, and the book has been published. But this work is not over - I want to continue to help destimatise loneliness, and reassure anyone feeling lonely that they are not in fact alone.

You can follow the project on instagram - and if you have a story to share about loneliness, whether you sometimes feel lonely now, or have done so in the past, please drop me a line at julia@juliahawkins.com