Serious Conviction

“You get people from countries where you win an argument by shouting louder or having a gun or something. They might have watched Colonel Gaddaffi or Saddam Hussein and worked out how they got to the top, and they’ll use the same methods at Speakers’ Corner.” – Jonathan Fitter, taking to the platform at Speakers’ Corner since 1992 Everyone knows about this legendary place in Hyde Park. But many will be surprised to find that it’s still going today. In the age of social media, who are the people still climbing onto stepladders or upturned milk crates to voice their opinion to an often tiny audience? Do the speakers really want to change the world or do they just like the sound of their own voices? Who are the regulars that attend every Sunday, whatever the weather? And the nutcases – are they genuinely mad or do they just act their part in this weekly spectacle? Photographer Jan Enkelmann’s photographs, taken over a period of five years, capture the spirit and the passion of the people gathering at this unique London institution.