Photojournalist Presents 25 Years of Afghanistan

EVANSTON, Ill. --- In a new book of photographs and commentary, renowned photojournalist Robert Nickelsberg brings into focus the day-to-day consequences of war, oppression, poverty and political turmoil in Afghanistan. On Tuesday, Jan. 14, at Northwestern University, the veteran TIME photographer will present photos of and discuss the country he has documented since 1988.

Northwestern journalism professor Craig Duff, who directed TIME’s multimedia and video production before joining the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications faculty, will lead the discussion with Nickelsberg as the photographer presents selected images from “Afghanistan: A Distant War,” his acclaimed new book.

The free and public Jan.14 event will take place at 6 p.m. at the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, 40 Arts Circle Drive, on the University’s Evanston campus.

Nickelsberg – who first accompanied a group of Mujahideen across the Pakistan border 26 years ago -- was one of the few photographers to gain first-hand exposure to the early days of the rise of fundamentalist groups and al-Qaeda, and his work provides a unique up-close view of the Soviet withdrawal, rise of the Taliban and U.S. invasion.

In 2008, he received grants to document and report on post-traumatic stress disorder in Kashmir after decades of insurgency from the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma and from the South Asia Journalists Association. He now serves on the advisory board of the Kashmir Initiative at Harvard University Carr Center for Human Rights Policy.

National Geographic called “Afghanistan: A Distant War” a “stunning collection (and) moving and indispensable book that captures the whole sweep of the country’s tumultuous modern history.” The remarkable volume of photographs includes text from experts on Afghanistan and the Taliban, and captions with commentary from the author.