ON SALE ON 3 MAY 2011

A member of the prestigious Magnum Photos agency since 1959, René Burri has turned his incisive and creative eye on all corners of the planet. Born in Switzerland and now aged 77, Burri is regarded as one of the few really legendary figures of photography. His powerful images have celebrated both everyday events and great moments in history.

A politically involved photographer without being a war reporter, Burri has roamed far and wide to capture earth-shaking conflicts on film: from Latin America to the Middle East, from East Berlin to Pakistan, from Vietnam to China. Burri’s passion for history inspired him to create famous series such as the portraits of Che Guevara smoking a cigar and those of Pablo Picasso. Whether photographing São Paulo, Rome’s Stazione Termini or the sculptor Giacometti, he made a major contribution to the 20th century’s visual collective memory.

To pay tribute to the great names of photojournalism, Reporters Without Borders has been publishing collections of photographs since 1992. It now publishes three a year. The entire income from the sale of these books of photos reverts to Reporters Without Borders and covers more than 50 per cent of its budget.

100 photos of René Burri for press freedom will go on sale on newsstands and in bookshops in France on 3 May 2011, World Press Freedom Day.

Reporters Without Borders has been defending press freedom throughout the world for more than 25 years. Whenever the freedom to report or receive the news is threatened, whenever news photographers or reporters are jailed just for doing their job, Reporters Without Borders intervenes, pointing out that no cause can make its voice heard without a free press.

News is precious, let’s protect it together!