Gillett Square in Hackney, east London, was derelict and underdeveloped for years until, in the 1990s, it became an experiment in urban regeneration. Dominoes, a new photography book, documents the unique and vibrant lives of those who spend time in and around a particular corner of the square, where dominoes are played and life can be precarious. Dominoes by Roland Ramanan is published by Dewi Lewis. All photographs: Roland Ramanan

Roland Ramanan: ‘I wanted to literally get a new perspective on the square; the place where I met all these people and where they used to hang out – not quite so much anymore. It can be a place of joy, hope and community. A DJ was squatting in one of the units overlooking Gillett Square and every Saturday he would play music and blow bubbles’

For 10 years, Ramanan was privileged to be allowed into the lives and homes of many local residents, to photograph their struggles, their hardships, their families and their lovers. You can read more about this image with our Big Picture feature

‘Domino tables were introduced to the square relatively recently. They migrated from a local community centre and served partly as a calming activity as well as being a core ingredient of the Afro-Caribbean culture. Play was sharp, voices could be raised and there was rivalry between two groups. The idea of Dominoes as a book title came from my designer Victoria Forrest. I immediately saw the parallels between the game and the fragility of their lives’

‘A summer’s day and lots of the Gillett Square crowd were headed to a local street party. As I got to the house of their friend I immediately saw this Brooklyn stoop type of scene with the barbecue going. Its always been a favourite picture of mine’

‘There was a sound system in the square this day, blasting out reggae. Ken was always lost in the music’

‘Michelle (far right) was often in the square in her powered wheelchair. Her partner was West Indian and at the parties there would often be older white women who had long since moved away from Hackney but would come back to reminisce and perhaps dance with an old flame. She has such a generous and loving spirit but I never quite got to hear her full story, I think it was just too painful’

‘One of the few times I was able to get Bianca in a relatively unguarded moment. She once told me: “I wasn’t loved ... in the way I should have been loved”’

‘Paul and Bianca were two people I met in the square and followed closely for several years. They always described themselves as “friends with benefits”. They had a close but frequently volatile relationship. This photo with the two of them drifting in and out of sleep makes me think about the process of nurturing trust as a photographer by being there and being as honest as you can. Paul is an addict who struggles to be the best father to his children he can be. Bianca relied heavily on Paul for support. Her body became weakened by alcoholism and she died of cancer and bronchitis in 2022’

‘Paul’s daughter on a trampoline at her mother’s house. She loved to pose for pictures but seemed to be growing up so fast. I wonder how what she has seen will affect her’

Paul says: ‘Today I’ve a different outlook, I’ve got a different view. Because it’s not all about me, I have children. So something had to change’

These are intimate pictures of people who have experienced addiction and pain as well as the deep joy of being part of a community

‘Nina asked me to become the godfather to her then youngest daughter Karina. Nina always says that Karina saved her life and it’s true that she was a catalyst for completing her journey of self-rehabilitation from drug abuse. A Roma from Portugal, she is vulnerable in many ways but with an inner steel and will to survive and protect her children. Sadly, Nina is still in temporary housing, which is a huge issue for many families’

‘Here is Jessica being hugged by Bianca. I have lost touch with Jessica but as far as I know she is in a much better place. A bright girl who had to drop out of nursing college as her addiction took hold. I will never forget the day I ran into her as she was suffering horribly from withdrawal, having overslept. She wept for the life she had lost to heroin addiction. Drug services in Hackney do an excellent job but they can’t reach everyone they need to’

‘Patrick now has a strong belief in God and a wish to do community work. He was incredibly eloquent when he spoke to me about how heroin was a kind of spirit that haunted you forever’

‘Keyo, who organises children’s play sessions, looks out over the square from the shiny redevelopment of the adjacent work spaces. A project which has come in way over budget and possibly done irreparable harm to the delicate ecosystem of this unique urban space’

‘Some of these people are now my friends and some are no longer with us. They are the faces of a normally unseen Hackney who are nonetheless woven into its fabric. This work is a portrait of those powerless to influence what Hackney — and London — is becoming but also what remains. A brutal but tender place’