Elska, a project showcasing the bodies and voices of queer men worldwide, has travelled to two contrasting Canadian provinces for its latest edition. The book, which is the 58th in the series, introduces readers to locals from four cities in Saskatchewan and Québec through a blend of intimate photography and personal storytelling.

For Elska Regina, each participant took part in an outdoor and indoor photoshoot, and posed both clothed and unclothed. There is a written piece to accompany all of the images, four of which were contributed by the men themselves.

While this is the usual format for Elska, this time around, the majority of the texts are in the form of poetry. A range of styles is used for each, including poems influenced by Karen Solie, Huw Arwystli, Edward A Lacey and Taylor Swift.

The book also features more film photography than previous editions, further accentuating the project’s honest and spontaneous essence.

Speaking about the latest publication and travelling to the two Canadian provinces, Elska Editor and Chief Photographer Liam Campbell said, “I’ll be honest — I didn’t actually intend to make an issue of Elska when I decided to go to Regina, Saskatchewan. I went out of sheer curiosity, because it’s a province few people talk about or visit. But I made the mistake of bringing my cameras on my holiday, and soon I found myself meeting local men for photoshoots and interviews.”

He continued, “Before I knew it, I was making an issue in Regina, but then the conservative streak that marks ‘prairie society’ started to get me down. So I decided to leave Saskatchewan and go to the province that promised the greatest contrast — Québec — where I then found a few more men.

“The issue ended up being split into two distinct halves, both very Canadian, but like a tale of two ends of the Canadian cultural spectrum.”

Elska Regina is on sale now from select shops around the world, as well as online from the official website. The companion e-zine is also available, featuring additional stories and hundreds of outtake images.