Chíbàyì: Stories from Peru's Amazon and Beyond
Torriano Meeting House, London, NW5 2RX
Friday 24th October 2025
Book launch + Talk @ Torriano Meeting House, Kentish Town (NW5 2RX).
Chíbàyì, meaning thankyou, is a word in the endangered language of the Maijuna people of northern Peru. With under 100 fluent speakers, spread between four remote communities in the region of Loreto, the maijiki language may soon be heading towards extinction.
Following a year of work for a forest conservation organisation in the Amazon, this photo and story project by Ben Leo Hollis aims to bring some of the colours, cultures and history from Peru's Amazon, Andes and desert regions to London.
10% of proceeds from book and print sales will go to the Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva (AIDESEP), an indigenous-led organisation representing communities across the Peruvian Amazon.
Chíbàyì, meaning thankyou, is a word in the endangered language of the Maijuna people of northern Peru. With under 100 fluent speakers, spread between four remote communities in the region of Loreto, the maijiki language may soon be heading towards extinction.
Following a year of work for a forest conservation organisation in the Amazon, this photo and story project by Ben Leo Hollis aims to bring some of the colours, cultures and history from Peru's Amazon, Andes and desert regions to London.
From collaborating with rural communities in remote river villages, to tasting the creamy aguaje palm fruit for the first time, and uncovering the lasting scars of the 19th-century guano trade — come to gain an insight into the beauty and complexity of Peru’s landscapes and cultures, and the threats they are facing.
10% of proceeds from book and print sales will go to the Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva (AIDESEP), an indigenous-led organisation representing communities across the Peruvian Amazon.
FREE - Introductory talk will begin at 7.30pm.
