Welcome to the Tales of Ink and Light
where words and photographs intertwine to take you to places of freedom, imagination and meaning-making.
In the Tales of Ink and Light, words and photographs work together in the way that a voice and a guitar meet and complement each other to craft a song. Here, the texts are not mere captions, nor are the images mere illustrations. The two languages respond to each other to tell stories that take you to places of freedom, imagination and rebellion.
I think that's one of the hardest things to do - combine words and photographs. But I would certainly try it. — Robert Frank
The Tales are a collection of poems, short stories (fiction or documentary) or essays that explore the strange beauty of our world. From portraits of individual lives to musings on social justice, from travel diaries to an exploration of the intricacies of identity, from anecdotes behind the making of a particular photograph to glimpses into a photo book, the Tales are a cauldron of meaning-making. It may include the occasional touch of gentle irony.
To get a flavour of what to expect, you might browse the following articles:
At the end of the week, i send a an invitation to pause and consider possibilities.
Les Contes d’encre et de lumière is the French version of the Tales of Ink and Light. Sometimes I write in English first, and sometimes it's the other way round. Every single time, i find it an intriguing exercise to revisit what i’ve written, to look for the right words and expressions, and to confront the temptation to let the translation take its own course.
I publish about once a week, one week in English, the other in French.
The author
My name’s Pierre François Docquir. Originally from Belgium, i’m now based in Lisbon, Portugal, after a few good years in London, UK. I am a self-taught writer and photographer.
In the Letters to a Young Poet, Rilke suggests that you should only write if you feel an irresistible internal drive to do so — would you die, he asks, if you were forbidden to write? As a young adult, i took this advice very seriously and thus kept myself busy with other things (my professional life has consisted in doing research and advocacy in human rights). Many years later, the desire to tell stories has not vanished: the time has now come to heed the call.
Books
I have self-published 4 small books of photographs and texts:
trees
the drama on the stage within | tout ce théâtre dans la tête
remember that you’re going to live | Souviens-toi que tu vas vivre
touching the skin of the city
You can find them as paperbacks on my page on amaz0n.
the drama on the stage within is also available as a higher quality version.
And they are available as ebooks (.pdf files) here.
Get in touch
Folks, i would like you to know that I'm delighted to have you on board and that i’m honoured by your interest in my work. If you feel like it, don't hesitate to write back: I'm curious to know who you are and where in the world you are.
Subscriptions and support
Making art is a vocation and a privilege. It is equally true that producing literature and photography requires quite some time and costs quite a lot of money. Sharing the Tales of Ink and Light with your friends and acquaintances and inviting them to subscribe is an excellent way to support my work as an independent artist.
Another way to express your appreciation and encouragement is to buy me a coffee.
Or, if you’re in a financial situation where you can afford it, you could consider a paid subscription.
Paid subscriptions
When you subscribe for free, you receive the Tales in your inbox and can take part in the conversations under each article;
A paid subscription gives you:
priority access (ahead of regular subscribers);
access to occasional exclusive articles.
Referrals
Referrals get you access to a paid subscription when your friends subscribe through your unique referral code. You’ll find your unique code at https://www.talesofinkandlight.net/leaderboard.
