Author Description

"Every year since 1955 an international jury has convened in Holland under the auspices of the World Press Photo Foundation to choose the finest press photographs of the year. Universally recognized as the definitive competition for photographic reporting, it has been described by Michael Rand--for many years Art Director of The Sunday Times Magazine--as 'the international photographic contest.' Publishing the results of the most recent annual World Press Photo Contest, this exceptional book contains the most haunting and inspiring photographs from 2009--nearly 170 pictures submitted by photojournalists, picture agencies, newspapers and magazines throughout the world. Selected from more than 101,000 images taken by over 5,800 photographers representing 128 countries, these prize-winning photos capture the most powerful, moving, and sometimes disturbing events of the year"--Page 4 of cover.