‘Between the shelves she remains’ is a photographic art project by Susan Zadeh exploring memory, heritage, and the traces left behind by a human life. At the heart of the project is Wilma Schuhmacher (1927–2024), a resistance fighter and antiquarian book dealer who risked her life during the German occupation to help Jews in hiding. After the war, she dedicated over seventy years to collecting and preserving more than 100000 rare books, including clandestine wartime publications.

After her collection was transferred to the Embassy of the Free Mind in Amsterdam, Zadeh discovered an intimate archive of letters, diaries, photographs, and personal belongings in Wilma’s former antiquarian bookshop. These remaining traces became the starting point for a photographic portrait that makes her very absence tangible.

Using multiple exposures and natural light, Zadeh developed a poetic visual language that brings memory to life. The proposed publication translates this work into an independent photobook, bringing together photography, archival material, and text. The book transcends historical biography, exploring the meaning of memory, resistance, freedom of thought, and the preservation of cultural heritage for future generations.

At its core, ‘Between the shelves she remains’ asks a simple yet urgent question: How do we remember those who dedicated their lives to protecting memory itself?