Cafe Royal Books

Sheriff Street Dublin 1989

Café Royal Books is a family-run publishing house, comprising Craig, Joanne, Oscar, Hugo, and the dog-ish, Coco. We’re very fortunate to live and work between the woods and the sea, in Ainsdale, a village on the North West coast of England.

We publish at least one new book each week — dedicated to showcasing work that documents people, the environment and aspects of change, particularly from 1960 to 2010, with ties to Britain and Ireland. Additionally, our ‘World Series’ broadens our scope, embracing work that wouldn’t fall into the documentary series. We extend an open invitation for submissions from all corners of society, we would love more submissions of work from disadvantaged and underrepresented communities.

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Dublin, Ireland | 1990

Before the crowds and cafés, it was a quiet place of old streets and older faces. I spent a day walking with my camera—workers laying cobblestones, old buildings leaning into the past, locals going about their lives. A day in the life, just before everything changed.

Ninh Binh, Vietnam | 2024-2025

Nestled between towering limestone karsts and winding rivers, Ninh Binh is a place where history and daily life intertwine. Farmers wade through flooded rice paddies, their hands swift and practiced, planting the next harvest. Fishermen cast their nets in quiet waters, carrying on traditions that have shaped this land for generations.

Sheriff Street, Dublin | 1988-1989

I think the hardest job about this project was the printing. I wasn’t very good at the time so I’d spend ages just trying to get something decent. Nowadays, I don’t think people understand how hard it used to be to print your own work. You really had to want to do it.