In an age of political discord, endless culture wars and the continuing existence of Piers Morgan, only one force on Earth is powerful enough to unite the divided masses. Her name is Dolly Parton. Beloved by everyone from the Christian right to the global drag queen community, Dolly achieves a rare alchemy by at once representing traditional values and progressive ideals, homespun charm and worldwide appeal, artifice and authenticity. She is the “Backwoods Barbie” who became a feminist icon – the apolitical star who has donated almost 200m books to preschool children, and quietly helped fund the Moderna Covid vaccine. Among her many devotees is photographer Alice Hawkins, who spent a decade travelling the world as Dolly, communing with a cast of fellow superfans along the way. “Dolly has been a vehicle for me to fulfil my dreams – to imagine I’m as brave and ostentatious as my subject,” Hawkins says. But how did people react to seeing a Dollyalike in the wild? “Some acted as if it was completely normal, others were more excited. In Dollywood, a queue formed to get a photo with me – and a man outside the Grand Ole Opry picked me up and swung me around. At a drag club, I ended up leading a conga.” I have been blessed enough to experience Dolly’s majesty first-hand. Aged 22, I was flown to Nashville to interview the singer at her compound (as my introduction to a career in journalism, this would prove to be … unrepresentative). Towards the end of our time together – in which I’d barely contained my rapture, gushed in a pitch familiar to dolphins and at one point, I’m sorry to say, joined her for a rousing chorus of Coat of Many Colors – I explained that I was speaking to her on behalf of Europe’s bestselling gay magazine. Leaning in conspiratorially, she touched my knee, locked eyes and drawled: “I sensed … that you were gay.” Who says that she can’t do understatement? Moments like this – at once achingly camp and wholly sincere – are Dolly’s stock in trade. In a world that can feel lacking in it, she has become a byword for joy. Hawkins’ pictures are as vibrant, escapist and at times surreal as Dolly herself. These and other images appear in Dear Dolly by Alice Hawkins, published by Baron Books at £80 and available for pre-order at baronbooks.co.uk. Readers can get a 15% discount by using the code deardolly.