“I loved The Hollow of the Hand, a distilled fusing of poems by PJ Harvey with photography from Kosovo, Afghanistan and Washington, DC by Seamus Murphy to make a powerful alchemy, one that broadens the vision” – Ali Smith
“Prepare to have your conscience shaken” – Daily Telegraph
“Precision and a sense of artistry … Murphy's photographs have an ability to capture war without judgement … An uplifting exploration of a brutal subject” – The Times
“Astonishing … Mesmerising … By turns harrowing, evocative, poignant and, yes, even humorous. Ultimately, the words and pictures are testament to undiminished human resilience … Spellbinding … Fascinating and occasionally disturbing” – Sun
“Excellent … The imagery suggests an unhealing national bruise, one still so tender that blood might flow at any time ... At once celebratory and deflated … The Hollow of the Hand is a sincere and sincerely impressive collection” – Independent
“Murphy's stories and films illuminate Harvey's crisply enunciated poems as well as his own arresting images … Punchy and vivid” – Guardian
“Their combined reportage consists of a series of stark images, lyrical and visual … Pictures of airstrike aftermaths, and Afghans with faces like novels ****” – Evening Standard
“A well-produced collaboration. Both contain striking imagery. Murphy – who has won seven World Press Photo awards – has an original eye and a storyteller's sense of an unfolding narrative” – New Statesman Books of the Year
“This book is as handsomely produced as its subjects are in dire straits … Heartfelt and serious … Every picture tells a story … Murphy's eye unites one subject with the next. He is especially good at taking photographs of figures in a landscape overwhelmed by the vastness. I loved the extraordinary pictures of Afghanistan's beautiful, hostile and seemingly endless horizons” – Observer
“The Hollow of the Hand, P. J. Harvey's and Seamus Murphy's book of poems and photographs, is haunting and elusive. Lyrical, song-like, declarative, the poems have a devastating directness; the photos are direct in a different key” – Times Literary Supplement
“Careful reportage, combing the debris of war and strife for significant detail, meaningful resonances ... Charts a terrifying landscape of lost children and tidal waste, people discarded along with syringes and stray dogs … She communicates what she's seen with crisp concision, a few strong charcoal lines ****” – Mojo
“A stirring art book for the rare soul who reaches back” – O Magazine
“Emphasises the resilience and continuation of life amidst immense turmoil … Full of empathic insight and the central focus is on “common humanity” … In her collaborations with Murphy, Harvey is not only asking difficult questions, but pushing against the restrictions usually placed on artists to stay within a certain remit or medium” – Quietus
“Extraordinary … A remarkable portfolio of images shared with the audience that, at times, have the ability to draw out the humour in the haunting … Deeply poignant ****” – Morning Star
