Much is made ofthe figures, but this is not a numbers game. While the sheer volume of photographs is daunting, it is still in the end a qualitative choice. How does one weigh one photograph against another? What makes one compelling image more special than another? What criteria do juries use to determine which one is best?

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Everyyear 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 recognised 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." Publishin8 the results of the forty-sixth annual World Press Photo Contest, this exceptional book contains the most hauntin8 and inspiring photographs from 2002 -- over 16o pictures submitted by photojournalists, picture agencies, newspapers and magazines throughout the world. Selected from over 53,o0o images taken by more than 3,900 photographers representing 118 countries, these prize-winning photos capture the most powerful, movin8 and sometimes disturbing events of the year.