Elska explores local men of Kosovo and the Southern Balkans

Elska Pristina, the 56th book in the Elska series, a project about showcasing diverse LGBTQ+ communities around the world, is out now. This latest issue follows the journey of two photographers - Liam Campbell and Philip Mowbray - as they explore Kosovo and the southern Balkans, particularly through its LGBTQ+ community, using honest photography and personal storytelling.

“After ten and a half years of making Elska is cities all over the world, I realised that we had a big gap in the Balkans; we decided to fill that with Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, Europe’s youngest country,” says Elska editor and chief photographer Liam Campbell. “This is a fascinating place, so I knew we needed to do it justice by bringing in a second artist to collaborate.

"That’s Glasgow-based photographer Philip Mowbray, whose excellence in environmental photography adds a special touch to the issue, complementing Liam Campbell’s portraiture, particularly male nude photography."

“Beyond the collaboration, which is the first of its kind in Elska history, there are other unique aspects to this issue,” continues Liam. “First, Elska Pristina is the first in our series to have a multi-city arc, following the journey to Pristina with sojourns in Skopje, North Macedonia and Thessaloniki, Greece.

"Second, the storytelling is shared by four different authors — Liam Campbell, Philip Mowbray, Haki Haliti and Macedonian poet Aleksandar Kochovski. Third, this is the first issue to feature analogue film work, providing a rough and real aesthetic that perfectly suits Balkan cityscapes.”

Inside Elska Pristina, readers are introduced to nine men from the LGBTQ+ community. Each has their own chapter containing a photoshoot of them in their city streets and in their homes, dressed in their own style as well as undressed. Their chapters also include a story, allowing readers to get to know them at an even deeper level. The result is a most authentic and revealing showcase of ordinary gay men from this under-visited part of the world.

Elska Pristina is available in a collectible print book or in a downloadable e-book. In addition, the companion e-zine Ekstra Pristina is available, containing hundreds of outtake images and assorted behind the scenes vignettes. And while supplies last, a collection of ten A5 prints of the team’s favourite images from the issue, titled ‘Photo Print Set 56' has been produced.